Going on a Book Hunt

In the final installment of my guest series over at Sarah Bohl Designs, I fantasize about the room I’d create based on Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” I also share my ideas for a “Goodnight Moon” nursery, complete with a handblown-glass red balloon.

As one of four girls, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have been blessed with two daughters. And as a children’s literature fanatic (and huge Louisa May Alcott fan), I dream of one day having my own troupe of “little women.” But should this family ever add a boy to our mix, I’m dying to create a room from the pages of “Where the Wild Things Are.”

Maurice Sendaks’ timeless story and pictures have all the makings for an original and inspiring room. Max and his Wild Things are adored across generations. Sendak’s color palette features natural earth tones and subdued versions of the primary colors I love. His illustrations are also highly textural, with intricate pen-and-ink crosshatching adding dimension to watercolor backgrounds.

In particular, I’m inspired by the bold palm-leaf pattern from the front and end pages of the book. I’d let it take center stage in the room, replicating the pattern on a larger scale for the feature wall. The remaining walls would likely be painted in a denim hue, similar in color and texture to the illustration of the night sky when Max arrives at “the place where the wild things are.”

I would certainly use Pottery Barn Kids’ boat-shaped bed to pay homage to the sailboat in which Max made his voyage, painting my child’s name on the stern. And I’d love to find a curtain fabric similar to the muted orange and yellow horizontal stripe adorning the torso of one of the Wild Things.

I’d have fun hunting for a vintage wood boat wheel to serve as wall art and a white sail for a possible comforter. A branch-like side table would also be a consideration.

Another fabulous children’s classic that just cries out to be made into a room is “Goodnight Moon.” Can’t you just see the bold green walls and red and green striped curtains? This certainly wouldn’t be a room for the color-shy.

There would have to be a classic rocking chair and a little toy house (home to a young mouse). I’d seriously be tempted to incorporate a small vent-free fireplace (a Candice Olson favorite), topped by a classic mantel.

The walls would hold portraits (in ornate gilded frames) of the cow jumping over the moon and the three little bears. I’d also love to hang one of these gorgeous hand-blown glass balloons from Uncommon Goods.

This room would offer endless fun in the way of accessories: stuffed kittens, clocks, a comb and a brush, a classic black phone. I’m also imagining a mobile made from colorful knit mittens and socks.