Post written by Rachel, our PR & Social Media Lead

We partnered with Special Spaces Chicagoland, a non-profit organization that creates dream bedrooms for children with life-threatening medical conditions, to make over a room for Ashley, a determined 11 year old battling cancer.

Ashley was diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after Christmas last year. She experienced many compilations during her months of treatment and reached remission in late April after over 70 nights in the hospital. She received a bone marrow transplant in June.

Ashley’s parents wanted to give Ashley an inviting, organized space where she could find peace and comfort. Since her diagnosis, she has been afraid to sleep in her room and often sleeps in her brother’s room or is found asleep on the couch in her parent’s bedroom room.

We spoke with Ashley about what she wanted for her bedroom and attached sitting room. Ashley wanted a pink and teal room with a large sparking chandelier. She has a love of birds which was incorporated into the room through accessories and wall art.

Our Design Services team worked hard to bring Ashley’s vision to life, first creating a moodboard of all the elements.

Moon Decal / Pink Velvet Sham / Well Trained Sheet Set / Bonjour Throw Pillow / Quilted Aqua Sham / Circle Cork Board / Polka Dot Blackout Curtains / Turquoise Half Shell Rug / Monarch Three Drawer Dresser / Butterfly Wall Art / Cloud Throw Pillow / Pink Knit Pouf / Pink Velvet Quilt / Gold Wall Hook / Black Wall Hook / Bird Wall Art / Owl Lamp / Teal Jenny Lind Nightstand

To create the perfect bedroom space, our designers incorporated a number of fun elements, including:

• Ashley’s room was painted in Benjamin Moore Jack Frost and the bright pink and teal color scheme was carried throughout the space with contrasting textiles and patterns
• We played with patterns on Ashley’s bed and window bench, bringing in different pillowcases and fabrics to create a fun, relaxed space
• Ashley loves displaying photographs and mementos so we used our circle cork boards to create a fun display space
• Adorned crafty letters (decorated with chalk paint, yarn, glitter) create a statement wall art that adds dimension and a focal point to the room

Ashley’s Bedroom Before

Ashley’s Bedroom After

Ashley is lucky enough to have a sitting room, which was previously used for storage, off of her bedroom. It’s the perfect space for Ashley to hang out with her friends. We brought in the teal and pink theme and brightened up the space with paint.

• The room offered very little natural light, so we painted the entire room in Benjamin Moore Graytint, which opens the room and warms the space
• Special Spaces works with an amazing muralist who painted birds that Ashley loves along the ceiling
• Carpet tiles, which were generously donated by Flor, were used to cover the playroom floor in an ombre pattern using several gradations of gray
• The playroom was outfitted with two settees and an Everlasting Play table at 15” which acts as a coffee table

Ashley’s Playroom Before

Ashley’s Playroom After

Ashley’s face when seeing the room for the first time says it all!

Learn more about Special Spaces and the amazing work they do for kids in need at http://specialspaces.org/

Ever wonder who’s behind The Land of Nod social media accounts? That’s Rachel! When she’s not telling anyone who will listen that she’s not meant to live in cold, snowy Chicago, you will  probably find Rachel binge-watching Netflix, reading blogs or in her kitchen making guacamole. Or starting crafting projects that never get finished.