Minimalist Big Boy Room

Hey guys! I put together a sweet little moodboard for you today. Let's talk design + adoption. Two of my favorite topics! Today we actually have a point though. I recently heard a seminar about the 'coming home' experience for adopted children, and specifically a few key points to keep in mind when decorating their rooms. Our babes are traveling across the globe to a new life and a new space. Obviously this is going to be overwhelming and stressful, even for the most excited child. For most of them they will be having their own room for the first time. Many have never owned anything to call their own. Naturally (right or wrong or whatever) the first instinct us First World Mamas have is to buy them stuff, especially when we know they may have been deprived of what we're used to providing for our children. After all, for the first phase of adoption, shopping is the only way we can feel like taking a step closer to them. Buy something for their room, something to wear, something for a care package... Anyway, the speaker was saying that the more we point them to their 'things' the more they feel overwhelmed and turn their faces from ours, detaching. We should focus on making their spaces calming (blues, greens, and neutrals have been proven to have a calming effect), and making them quite sparse to allow them room to breathe and adjust and not be completely overwhelmed by all their new stuff.

Let me share what I was thinking as I made this board. I went with a calming color and minimalist artwork with a little nod to their African roots. I wanted lots of texture in there as many adopted kids have some sensory processing issues and different textures tend to be good for them. This is actually the future room of my boys (one adopted and one on the Autism spectrum, so this will be perfect for both). It's age neutral and even pretty gender neutral. Some feminine touches could girl it up if you found yourself with a little lady.

If you'd like to further check out any of the links, here ya go:
1. Baby Zebra Close-Up by The Animal Print Shop
2. Lion Cub Twins by The Animal Print Shop
3. Baby Giraffe Close-Up by The Animal Print Shop
4. Organic Plisse Blankets by West Elm
5. Kantha Chevron Pillow Cover by West Elm
6. Senegalese Storage Basket by Serena & Lily
7. Green Frappe by Benjamin Moore
8. Kasbah Wool Rug by West Elm
9. Mia Table Lamp by West Elm