This Art-Loving Toddler’s Bedroom Features a New Take on the Chalkboard Wall

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OK so a big part of any interior designer’s job is artwork—selecting it, framing it, hanging it. But for Naïka Andre, who was recently tapped by Athens, Georgia-based couple Nicole Taylor and Adrian Franks to design their son Garvey’s bedroom, it’s also about encouraging it. “He even has NFTs for sale,” Andre says—and she’s not even kidding. The almost-3-year-old is constantly creating new works, usually on dry-erase or chalkboards (with the occasional construction paper piece). While Andre didn’t need to shop for fancy gallery frames, the toddler’s space definitely needed some clever solutions for displaying and nurturing his artistic side. Ahead, the designer shares how she turned a basic white box of a room into a mini Picasso’s haven, all while making the most of his old nursery furniture and decor.

OK so while a mobile is meant to distract over a crib or changing table, it can totally live on as a sculptural display. Andre had two hangings from Garvey’s old space to work with: a knitted rocket version, which she hung flat against the sliver of wall by the door, and a modern one with delicately balanced abstract shapes, now attached to the top of his play tent. “People always think of mobiles as something for infants, but go to a museum and you’ll see them suspended everywhere. It’s a cool art installation,” says the designer.

The navy carpet has been with Garvey since his nursery days, mostly because it’s actually made up of individual tiles. Not only are they easy to move from room to room and house to house (you can pull them apart, pack them up, and reinstall with fresh adhesive), but they’re super easy to clean. “You can pop just one square in the sink, versus having to roll the whole thing up and take it to the cleaners,” Andre points out.

The swivel chair was also the perfect transition piece. When Garvey was a baby, he could be rocked to sleep in it. Now it’s a spot where he can curl up for story time, and most importantly, unlike a traditional rocker, its sturdy base means no accidental toe injuries.

Since a young painter’s gallery is always changing, Andre went with a flexible system of two simple wires with clips, so Mom and Dad can swap out Garvey’s latest masterpieces on the fly. Then there’s the live installation: the closet doors. The homeowner had Gus Darnell of Oneta Woodwork make new bifold panels with chalkboard fronts so Garvey can sketch and doodle all day long. Darnell also created a special pencil-slash-brush stand that sits on top of the dresser, so he doesn’t have to dig through a million bins to find his tools. An artist’s time is precious, after all.

Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before and afters, and DIYs, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.

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