STYLE KIDS
DREAM ROOMS By Lisa Malik
Whimsical and full of imagination, these rooms and
furnishings are sure to daght.
W
himsical and full of imagination,
these rooms and furnishings are
sure to delight When it comes to
home design, few projects offer
as many creative possibilities, and
as much fun, as a child's room.
Whether preparing for the arrival of a new
baby, or giving a toddler a magical place to
grow, parents and designers can revisit their
own childhood dreams. Here we showcase
two rooms that demonstrate just how play-
ful and creative children's rooms can be.
Dinosaur Park (above) Leslie Ishbia, the
business manager of WLTI radio in South-
field, wanted a colorful room for a nursery.
She began by choosing a dinosaur theme bed-
ding at Koochie Koo in the Orchard Mall.
"Babies also love the black and white polka
dots," says Ishbia. With the bedding, she
ordered a matching palm tree and a mobile.
"With this company (Nojo), you can order
the palm tree in 40 different colors," says
Victorian Carnival photograph by Craig Terkowitz. Di-
nosaur photograph by Glenn Triest.
Audrey Klayman, co-owner
of Koochie Koo. Klayman
says that many people begin
with either a color scheme
or choose the bedding first.
Other popular themes are abstract designs,
florals or balloons. Koochie Koo can custom
order all the bedding, which includes blan-
kets, bumper guards, sheets and tie sheets.
For the walls, Leslie contacted Farmington
Hills artist Jeff Scissors because she wanted
something original. Scissors is a graphic artist
who specializes in wall paintings, graphics and
murals. "Half of my business is with children's
rooms and nurseries," he says. Although he
can coordinate scenes with the layette, he feels
it is important to create a design that can stand
on its own. "It will outlast the bedding," he
adds.
The white Morigeau crib is from Baby N'
Kids Bedrooms in Novi, while the white glider
is from Harper Furniture in Royal Oak.
Leslie notes that whenever friends visit her
home, they always remark about the won-
derful, cheerful nursery.
Victorian Carnival (left) The cotton-can-
dy pink stripes and idyllic panoramas of the
fanciful carnival scene in the Maryland home
of Richard and Paige McGee have their be-
ginnings in the carousel horse in the fore-
ground. "I always wanted a carousel horse
for my baby's nursery," says Paige, "but didn't
know where to find one." When family friend
and artist Corky Cole stumbled upon this
carousel at a flea market, the concept for the
room was set in motion. Corky transformed
the horse, originally coated in a "bight, shiny
red with a piece of mop for a tail," into a ma-
jestic focal piece. Corky spent 10 days paint-
ing the ceiling and mural on the walls. She
infused her creation with symbols of the
McGee family under the tent. II
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