ROOM TO GROW

Forget superheroes, hot air balloons and other juvenile patterns. For kids’ spaces, designer Aubrey Smith suggests more grown-up wallpapers that are dazzling and unique, and that also remain appropriate as children age.

Mural

I love a mural paper because it tells a story as soon as you step into the room. It takes your eye on a journey, and brings so much interest to the space. Shaded Landscape Mural by A New Wall.

Floral

You can ever go wrong with floral papers; They are timeless and classy, and they add life to a room. They can also be gender neutral. Hollyhocks from House of Hackney.

Geometric

I like using geometric patterns in a modern or more contemporary home, making the children’s space flow with the rest of the décor. These edgy patterns give a room some pow. Onyx Rock from Drop It Modern.

Textured

I’m currently loving textured papers. There are so many beautiful types of grasscloth; they add that extra layer of detail and dimension to a room. Textured Check from Schumacher.

predictable. Think tangerine and slate blue. “These colors play well together and are unique,” the designer says. So too is her choice of a soft-toned wallpaper that wraps the space in an enchanting jungle scene. It’s pretty, of course, but also pragmatic. “The pattern won’t have to be replaced as the kids grow older,” says Smith, who also chose cushy Berber carpeting, bunk steps (rather than ladders), easycare performance fabrics and no-fuss finishes for their practicality.

But Smith didn’t allow sensibility to overshadow the room’s fanciful style. Hanging from a sky-blue ceiling, rose-gold disco balls and puffy cloud lights delight the space with their surprising forms. Nearby, vivid velvet curtains drape the cocoon-like bunks in luxury. “The Maddockses like beautiful things, and nothing is too precious for their boys,” says Smith, who also chose high-end fabrics for a mix of custom pillows that animate the décor. The designer customized tall blue cabinets with shapely arched doors and cleverly painted their interiors with, you guessed it, delicious tangerine. Adorning the walls, whimsical stuffed animal heads and framed drawings of the boys also charm the space. “I’m a sucker for a layered look,” Smith says. “More is more.”

JessaKae and Jordan kept the playroom project a secret from their boys until it was complete. When Gatsby and Jazz first saw it, “their eyes lit up,” Mom recalls. “There were a lot of ‘wows ‘and ‘whoas,’” she says. Understandably, the room elicits much the same reaction from nearly everyone who visits its awesome space.