Monochrome Kids Rooms are Total BS, and It's About Time We Acknowledged It
Around three years ago, I began to notice a disturbing trend as I scrolled Instagram: photo after photo of bloggers, designers, and influencers sharing snapshots of their children's rooms. But there was something very amiss. Nowhere in these rooms were the kind of loud, multi-colored plastic toys that litter every real-life family apartment I've ever set foot in. There were no rogue crayons, brightly colored books, blocks, or other manner of childhood entertainment. These rooms were all one color.
The color of choice was usually either a soft hue between beige and off white or a cool gray (which, for some odd reason, Instagrammers of no apparent British heritage insist on calling "grey"). I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked by this development; after all, the rise of Instagram in time with the increased popularity of a minimal modern style perpetuated by Kinfolk magazine, among others, encouraged a kind of bleached-out life-and Instagram's filters only exacerbated it.
Slowly, but surely, the de rigeur style of the Instagram set took on a certain instantly recognizable look: light wood floors, ash-colored furniture, white linen upholstery, with a couple warm wood or brass accents. All this was usually bathed in rays of sunlight, which, coupled with some savvy editing, gave a certain kind of washed-out look to the feed as a whole.
Thankfully, the past year or so has seen an indication of a return to a more colorful, accessorized, even eclectic style (hello floral wallpapers and walls of art! And welcome back, dark brown furniture). But, apparently, many mommy bloggers haven't gotten the memo.
Every time I scroll through a pristine white nursery or an all-millennial pink playroom, I can't help but wonder: How does your kid play in there? What happens if she desperately wants a yellow plastic Tonka truck? Or-gasp!-a Tickle Me Elmo? What if his grandmother knits him a sweater in an unruly shade of green or blue? WHERE DO YOU KEEP THEIR BOOKS (and please, dear God, don't say you do this)?
While I'm all for expressing your personal style in the home (I promise!), let's not forget that the home is a space for living-not only showing off on social media. And if your kids can't read, color, play, and yes, even make the occasional mess, you're not doing it right. So make room for their finger paintings on the walls, let them leave their favorite books out on the bedside table, and set Tickle Me Elmo free.
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