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text by SHANI SILVER 
photography by JULIA ELIZABETH PHOTOGRAPHY

BLUE BOOK SHELF Land of Nod landofnod.com EVERYTHING IS AWESOME BAG henryandcohome.co.nz

Ana Fritsch, of Lucky Penny, recently completed a redesign of her daughters’ shared bedroom. A fun project for any design-loving parent, this one was special. Ana was tasked with creating a shareable space–in just

90 square feet

! Her home, in a Brooklyn building built in the 1800’s, bears the original charm of hardwood floors and original mouldings. Beloved for its proximity to Prospect Park and great public schools, it’s no wonder Ana and her family chose this spot. Read on to see the colorful, bright space shared (and loved) by Edith and Lilah.

NEON HEART Oh Joy! for Target target.com CLOUD NIGHTLIGHTNorman and Jules normanandjules.com POM POM STORAGE BINPehr Designs pehrdesigns.com

TELL US A BIT ABOUT THIS PROJECT. HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS SPACE?

Ever since Lilah was four months old, my two daughters have shared a room, mostly out of necessity but they really enjoy it now and have a hard time sleeping without each other. I wanted their room to be bright, modern, and playful. I wanted them to be able to use everything in their room and enjoy playing in it, not have it just be about the adults. I wanted them to be able to access everything they need at their level to help them be self-sufficient and learn how to respect their surroundings and belongings. The process really began when I found this amazing

temporary wallpaper

online and kind of based the entire design around that.

RUG Steven Alan Home stevenalan.com  WALLPAPER Chasing Paper chasingpaper.com TOY KITCHEN IkeaIkea.com WALL HOOKS Land of Nod landofnod.com

WHAT DID YOU SEE AS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE FROM THE START?

The size was definitely my biggest challenge. At just about 80sq ft, with no closet, I had to figure out the best way to store books, toys, clothes and a place for two beds. These Land of Nod toddler beds are the perfect size for the room and I think we can get about two more years out of them before my oldest has to switch to a twin. Luckily, the room gets amazing sunlight all day, and with 12 ft ceilings it helps the room feel much bigger than it is.

PILLOWS Land of Nod  landofnod.com

TODDLER BEDS Jenny Lind for Land of Nod landofnod.com BEDDING Natti Natti natti-natti.com PINK DOLLLucky Boy Sunday from Norman & Jules normanandjules.com HEART PILLOW Atsuyo et Akiko from Norman & Jules normanandjules.com BLUE DOLL Bla Bla blablakids.com STAR GARLAND ABOVE BED ABC Carpet Home POM POM MOBILE Norman and Jules

DID YOUR KIDDOS HAVE ANY INPUT?

Yes! My oldest daughter, Edith, is very particular about everything. She picked out all of her own pillows and picked her favorite pattern for her bedding.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR READERS TACKLING SOMETHING SIMILAR?

Try not to do everything at once. We were starting completely from scratch in this room and I expected it all to be finished in a few weeks. When you have a small space, I wanted to make sure I absolutely loved everything going into the room or it had to serve a significant function.

GROWTH CHART Natti Natti natti-natti.com

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THIS PROCESS?

I really loved getting to work with Shannon from Natti Natti. She is one of my best friends and is an incredibly talented designer of organic children’s bedding. Our children are also close friends and seeing her designs come to life in my girls’ room was really special. It feels so good to tuck them in knowing what love went into their blankets and having so many reminders of those relationships really fills the room with love.

CLOSET Ikea ikea.com COAT RACK Land of Nod landofnod.comWATERCOLOR CHARACTER PRINT Natti Natti natti-natti.com  BEAR BIN etsy.com

DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING UNEXPECTED WHILE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?

That the kids (and myself) don’t need as much as we think we do.

AND THE TOUGHEST CRITICS, WHAT DO THE KIDS THINK OF THEIR NEW ROOM?

It is now the messiest room in the house, which is a good sign they enjoy playing there!