My friend Holly, who blogs about interiors, recently designed a charming room for a little boy and kindly allowed me to share it here. Her approach balances a clear theme with subtlety, creating a space that’s playful without feeling overdone.
The room’s motif centers on dogs, but the design is flexible enough to swap in another animal or interest if the child’s tastes change. Because the theme is thoughtfully integrated through accents and patterns rather than loud, permanent fixtures, the room will remain stylish even as the child grows.
I adore all the small, considered details. Holly layered accessories and furnishings in a way that feels cohesive and intentional. The mix of textures, scale, and finishes gives the room personality without clutter. For a full list of furnishings and the design process, visit Holly’s original write-up on her blog for the specifics behind each choice.
The painted stripes on the walls are a standout feature. I painted similar stripes in my daughters’ rooms in the 1990s, and they made small spaces feel larger and more dynamic. While stripes take dedication to execute well, the visual payoff is big: they add rhythm, height, and an architectural quality that ordinary paint often lacks.
Yesterday I was working on a Polyvore room while my nine-year-old son sat nearby using his sister’s computer. He picked up Polyvore quickly and designed a room around a dog theme, too—only much more literal. His version included dogs on the chandelier, the bedding, and the chairs. It was delightfully over-the-top. The charm of a themed room is that it can be tailored to be subtle and long-lasting, or unabashedly fun for a child’s current passion.
Polyvore