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Room To Grow: Decorating For Growing Personalities

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Originally from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Sara Bekkerus is a mother of two, interior decorator and owner of Skapa Design & Consulting. You can see how Bekkerus put together her kids’ rooms in a way that reflects their growing personalities.

Photos by Hillary Ehlen
Headshot by Lauren K. Photography

Blue is for boys and pink is for girls. At least, that was what we were raised to believe. These days, we know that boys don’t have to like blue, and girls don’t have to like pink. That is what Sara Bekkerus of Moorhead kept in mind when decorating the rooms of her son and daughter. However, she eventually found out that her daughter loves pink and was not a fan of the light green that covered her walls. She then did what any interior decorator would do and gave her daughter’s room a makeover. Now, you can see how Bekkerus put together her kids’ rooms in a way that reflects their growing personalities.

Sara Bekkerus from Skapa Design & Consulting

Meet Sara Bekkerus

Originally from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Sara Bekkerus is a mother of two, interior decorator and owner of Skapa Design & Consulting. When she isn’t taking care of her business, she is caring for her daughter, Eljin (5), and son, Bek (3). This little family has been living in their Moorhead home for the past four years.

Part of Eljin's bedroom
When decorating for kids, Bekkerus likes to incorporate reading nooks where little ones can curl up with a book. In this room, she used a canopy and accent pillows to create a cozy space for Eljin.

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Eljin’s Room

On painting Eljin’s room pink, Bekkerus said, “When we first moved in, I was hell bent on not having a blue boy’s room and a pink girl’s room. Bek’s room ended up being blue, and Eljin’s room, I painted green, but as she got older, she declared that every color was her favorite color except green.”

Bekkerus then decided to redecorate Eljin’s room in a way that suited her personality. When it comes to decorating kids’ rooms, Bekkerus said, “I like to try to hone in on their personalities as much as possible instead of just making it up for them.” For Eljin’s room, Bekkerus painted the walls one of her daughter’s favorite colors: pink.

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Atop the IKEA shelves, Bekkerus staged a lamp that resembles the Eiffel Tower because Eljin is obsessed with the movie, “Leap,” an animated film about a little ballerina that takes place in Paris. She also noted that the Restoration Hardware Baby & Child fairy print was a gift from the Nelson family, whose home was recently featured in the April issue of Design & Living Magazine. Bekkerus got to know the Nelsons as their interior decorator. “This was given to us by the Nelsons. It came as a set of three fairies with different hair colors, so Megan Nelson kept the two that had the hair colors of her daughters and asked if Eljin would like the third fairy because she was the little blonde,” she said.

The gallery wall also features some of Eljin’s original artwork and pieces that she picked out herself. There is also a frame waiting for her very first ski ticket, which she received at Detroit Mountain. Bekkerus loves to ski, which is a passion that she now shares with Eljin and Bek.

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Part of Eljin's bedroom

Part of Eljin's bedroom
When Eljin is done playing dress-up, she hangs her costumes on these cute little wall hooks.

Part of Eljin's bedroom with their dog
Bekkerus’s dog, Ava (12) sits on the floor in Eljin’s room.

Eljin’s Room

Rug – Target
Bedding – Target
Pillows – Target
Table – Hobby Lobby
Chalkboard – Hobby Lobby
Window Valance – Pottery Barn
Shelves – IKEA
Ballerina Print – RH Baby & Child
Art Display – Target
Canopy – Target
Growth Chart – Wood from the Hood
Wallpaper – Anthropologie

Part of Bek's bedroom

Bek’s Room

Because Bek is only three-years-old, it proved a bit more challenging to decorate a room around his personality. He does, however, like the outdoors. Bekkerus was initially inspired by the orange tent that was handed down to Bek from his older sister. She also found a set of lumberjack sheets, which is where she drew inspiration for Bek’s color palette.

Choosing the Right Tone

When asked how to decorate for growing personalities, Bekkerus responded, “I try to pick color tones that they’re not going to grow out of in two years.” For example, the pink and blue used in her children’s rooms are both very light. The bolder the color choice, the more likely they (and you) are to grow out of it sooner rather than later.

Part of Bek's bedroom

Part of Bek's bedroom
Bekkerus pulled color inspiration for Bek’s room from these Target sheets.

When decorating her son’s room, Bekkerus was careful to take into consideration his needs. “He doesn’t usually like change very much. At first, he wouldn’t let me hang anything on his walls. I did add a lot of new decor recently. When I started, I was a little nervous, but he was oohing and awing and seems to like it quite a bit,” Bekkerus explained. Bek’s gallery wall includes his first ski ticket, his own original artwork and many references to his family’s home state of Minnesota. “We’re Minnesotans, so we love all things to do with Minnesota,” Bekkerus said.

Part of Bek's bedroom

Part of Bek's bedroom
Bek’s room has lots of little nooks and crannies where he can display some of his favorite toys. “He really loves having his little spaces to put his things,” Bekkerus said.

Part of Bek's bedroom
Bekkerus and her family love the great outdoors, but when they do get stuck inside, Bek and Eljin love roasting marshmallows over their faux campfire.

Part of Bek's bedroom
This tent was a hand-me-down from Bek’s older sister, Eljin. Meanwhile, the set of vintage children’s books arranged on the shelf once belonged to Bek’s Great-Grandma. “When she downsized, we all got things from her home and that is one thing that I kept,” Bekkerus said.

Part of Bek's bedroom

Part of Bek's bedroom

Bek’s Room

Campfire – Etsy
Tree stumps – Etsy
Tent – Hand-me-down
Lumberjack Wall Art – Patina
Tree Print – Unglued
Don’t Grow Up Wall Art – Hobby Lobby
Tent Sign – Hobby Lobby
Go Your Own Way Wall Art – Patina
Bookshelves – Target
Storage Cubes – IKEA
Rug – Crate & Barrel/Baby & Kids
Curtains – Crate & Barrel/Baby & Kids
Bedding – Target
BEK Letters – Amazon
Be Brave Lamp – Target

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