Designer and HGTV star Genevieve Gorder’s New York City home recently underwent a complete redesign. And one of the most awe-inspiring spaces was her daughter Bebelle’s room. We talked to the designer on why she chose the elements she did.
Incorporate family heirlooms Not just for kids Don’t forget the fun
“Bebelle has a beautiful bedroom. I put in a bunch of furniture from my grandmother,” says Gorder. “My grandmother’s bed that I slept in as a kid is now my daughter’s bed.” The designer wasn’t reusing the furniture to cut down on costs, though it’s always a plus. “[It’s important] to have things from family so she knows she’s part of something bigger, and she respects older furniture and techniques that just get ingrained into their visual memory,” explains Gorder. To avoid looking outdated, Gorder spruced up the piece. “I painted the bed with a gorgeous black oil paint so it makes it look more contemporary and give it a new life,” she says.
Gorder loves mixing items like a metallic side table and lush pillows from regular stores with the toys and kid-friendly pieces. “If you just give them kid furniture and kid clothes and kid room stuff, it becomes like a toys store and kinda junky,” she says.
The pièce de résistance is a wooden swing in the middle of Bebelle’s room. “Her room is how you dream about a six year old’s in a non-commercial way,” says the designer. “It’s about incorporating really simple things that give you pleasure when you’re a kid that you don’t get to have when you’re older.” And the kids approve. Gorder says all Bebelle’s friends line up after school for their turn on the swing.
Genevieve Gorder on designing a kid’s room
David A. Land/HGTV Magazine
