This New York City Apartment Montessori Kids’ Bedroom Is So Functional (and Fun!)
When artists and media producers Alex and Margaret Ferrec moved into their 550-square-foot New York City apartment seven years ago, they were just the two. But over time, as some families do, the party of two turned into three, and then four as they welcomed their daughters Florence and Simone into their family and home.
Their apartment technically has three bedrooms, and when Florence (who’s four now) was born, one of the spare rooms was all hers. At the time, the room’s design was kept intentionally simple with white walls, a Stokke crib, custom bookshelves (made by Alex!), a green wool rug, and a white wood-changing table.
But when Florence was born two years later and, as Margaret admits, the pair became more confident as parents, they added more personality to the girl’s shared bedroom. Because it’s a New York City bedroom, which is generally cozier (theirs is 9’5” by 7’3”), it was essential to make the space as functional and spacious as possible for the girls. Margaret and Alex achieved this by pulling inspiration from Montessori design and using a “playful color palette that energizes but doesn’t overstimulate.”
Margaret had a sort of checklist she went through while decorating the room. For starters, functionality was key — the room needed to hold two beds for the girls, so everything else was in flux around them. “I have to ask myself, does everything that’s essential still fit in their room, and what are we ready to remove,” Margaret admits. Asking these questions helps Margaret not add more toys than necessary, rotate the books to keep it interesting, and display things on the walls as much as possible — it helps the room feel larger, too!
Regarding toys, Margaret preferred purchasing toys mimicking real life (like kitchen tools, a doll house — specifically with toys that looked like humans, and medical kits) because she believed toys like this would interest her daughters the longest. Leaning into Montessori design, it was important for Simone and Florence to access their toys and find other ways to be independent (like Simone being able to make her bed!).
When it came to decor, Margaret wanted to use non-toxic, natural materials that feel great but are also durable. “A green wool rug that could remind the girls of grass when they build their block towns and lay down train tracks,” Margaret explains. She kept the color palette neutral (the accent wall is colored in Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink) and added pops of color through the dollhouse, book covers, and artwork.
Simone and Florence love spending time in their room. The dollhouse — specifically the kitchen — is Simone’s favorite toy, and Florence loves the books. Margaret admits she’s partial to the books, too, as they’re like little works of art.
“Except for crafts, which happen at our dining table, everything they love to do at home they do in their room – they take care of their babies and stuffed animals, read books, build towers, sleep, do puzzles, play kitchen or house,” Margaret shares. “It all happens in that 9 by 7 room.” To see more of their thoughtful apartment, visit the full home tour on Apartment Therapy.
Product List
Crib — Stokke Sleepi Bed V3
Mattress — Naturepedic Mattress Organic Oval Mattress (For Stokke Sleepi Bed)
Pillow — Avocado Toddler Pillow and Case
Handmade Crib Quilt — Jena Starke
Non-toxic custom-size Foam for Toddler Mattress — Foamite.com
Toddler Bedding — West Elm
Green Wool Floor Rug — Perigold
Dollhouse — LEP1 (wallpaper from Paper Source)
Red Wall Clock — IKEA
Toy Boxes — Wine crates from local wine shop
Closet organization — Rylex Custom Cabinetry
Artwork by Margaret and Alex
Further Reading
We Tested 5 Ways to Get Slime Out of a Carpet and the Winner Left No Trace
I Tried 8 Baby Food and Kids’ Meal Delivery Services — Here Are the Best of the Bunch
This $16 Find Is One of the Best Purchases I've Ever Made at IKEA
