As Head of Brand of Nestig, LA-based Steph Dixon spent her days dreaming up delightful spaces for littles. When it came time to decorate her three-year-old Robin's room with the arrival of his first big kid bed, she and her husband Daniel, dreamed up a delightful mythology-inspired wallpaper that combined some of his favorite things.
Of course! When we were designing the space, I kept thinking about wanting his room to feel like one you’d stumble upon in an English cottage—beautiful but fun with a lived-in feel punctuated by sentimental items.
Both my husband and I love history and mythology and we wanted something that was inspired by that. I loved the idea of feeling plopped into a faraway magical world that would allow Robin to piece together stories from the individual elements. We also sprinkled it with things that Robin loves, like apple trees, beetles, and flowers.
Shop Robin's Room
The Wave Kids Bed I Convertible Montessori Floor Bed to Twin
Marseille Twin Duvet Cover Set
Dragon's Glen Wallpaper
The Wave Dresser
Creator Play Table Set
Fog Area Rug
2-Seater Crayon Car Rug | Richard Scarry x Nestig
Our house is pretty small so we knew his room would need to double as both a bedroom and a playspace. We focused on finding furniture with easy to reach, open-ended storage that could morph as his toy interests changed. We also put the bed against the wall so that there would be a big area for building train tracks and magna-tile skyscrapers. The back “book nook” kind of built itself as the bookshelf and Richard Scarry crayon car rug (my favorite!) fit perfectly. I’m also amazed at how much we were able to fit in!
Kids’ interests change a lot and often, so I knew I didn’t want to build an entire room around the flavor of the week (currently “sticks”). My focus instead was creating a space that yes, reflected his personality, but most importantly was practical enough to truly have fun in. When Robin gets older, of course I want him to remember the details in his wallpaper or the delicate curve of his bed, but what I know he’ll remember is the hours we spend together in his room, reading stories, making forts and laughing endlessly. That’s where the true delight lies!
When I asked him what his favorite thing in his room was, he said “me”—which tells you everything you need to know about his essence. And while admittedly I can’t disagree with him, we have stuffed his room with lots of sentimental pieces that are some of my prized possessions. A quick list includes a beautifully painted, antique wooden cane chair, a small, perfectly carved wooden manta ray (that I got on my first trip to Brazil!), a Robin Hood illustration commissioned by one of my favorite artists, Sander Berg, and two apple-themed prints by another favorite illustrator, Hiller Goodspeed.
When I asked him what his favorite thing in his room was, he said “me”—which tells you everything you need to know about his essence. And while admittedly I can’t disagree with him, we have stuffed his room with lots of sentimental pieces that are some of my prized possessions. A quick list includes a beautifully painted, antique wooden cane chair, a small, perfectly carved wooden manta ray (that I got on my first trip to Brazil!), a Robin Hood illustration commissioned by one of my favorite artists, Sander Berg, and two apple-themed prints by another favorite illustrator, Hiller Goodspeed.
When do you call it a night? 7pm
What's the routine right now? Bath, “scaring” dad while wearing his shark towel, a post-PJ dance to the Cat Bus song from Totoro, 3 books, snuggles and lights out!
3 words that describe the space? Magical, Cozy, Busy (in all senses of the word)
His favorite bedtime story? Yours?
His: Milk and Cookies by Frank Asch
Mine: The Thinking Book by Sandol Stoddard Warburg or anything by Mitsumasa Anno
What is the first thing you do after leaving his room after bedtime?
Check in with my husband, often wordlessly, with that shared feeling familiar to all parents—”Thank God he’s ours and thank God he’s asleep.”
