Monochrome Aladdin Inspired Kid’s Bedroom :: A Transformation

A transformation from a gaudy to modern Aladdin inspired kid’s bedroom:

With all this talk of Disney’s Aladdin Movie coming out in theatres today, it reminded me of how obsessed my Little Mama has always been with Princess Jasmine. We even had to come up with her very own Aladdin inspired kid’s bedroom. 

But it didn’t start out this way.

More like – Jasmine decided to do a big purge of all her ornate attire and linens, dropped it off at the local thrift shop and WE were the unlucky ones that happened to grab the last pieces that no one else wanted. 

And with all of Jasmine’s unwanted scraps, we came up with this monstrosity (circa 2015)…

Not very subtle, was it? 

Well – truth be told, when Little Mama discovered her undying love for all that was Aladdin at the bold and design-rebellious age of 4, her passion for all that was glittery and magical, was anything but subtle. In 2015 – this worked…

We also had a ton of little props to work with following her epic Aladdin Inspired birthday party. At the time, it seemed like a good idea not to get rid of all the decor. 

But now, 4 years later, we know better. 

Little Mama decided that she still loves all that is Aladdin and Jasmine but was completely over shouting it from the rooftops. Instead, she opted to go a different direction. She wanted to tone it down a little (a lot), purge some of the gaudiness out of the old, and monochrome the heck outta the new.

Enter, KonMari Method here. Method #1 for creating a minimalist version of an Aladdin inspired kid’s bedroom – throw out everything that doesn’t spark joy.

That was pretty much… everything.

It all started with a White Diamond Mini-Chandelier and her empty room which she proudly painted (with some friends’ help) warm white. Since I was already transforming the other side of the house, she figured, why not join in on the fun?

This was the beginning of her minimalist journey.

Her days of sleeping on a mattress on the cold floor with mama often next to her (attachment parenting for the win…), were over. She was ready to tackle the loft life. On her own. In all her twin mattress glory. 

Luckily, she hired her in-house Genie to do all the not-so-fun magic. 

*Side note: He was thrilled if this meant having his wife back, whoever that was! #whencosleepingwiththekidsstopsbeingfunforhubby

But I digress…

Her bed became an oasis of mood lighting (get this fab lamp Boon Glo Nightlight here), her beloved books, and a handful of the most comfy plush pillows made for a King (forget Princess, she’s all about running the kingdom now!)

Her favourite and newly improved subtle homage to Aladdin was the (reusable) silhouette of the pair flying on their magic carpet, that she once had in her previous room. This time, we removed the words “A Whole New World” because we figured the familiar shapes would make enough of a statement.

Our mantra for our new and improved Aladdin inspired kid’s bedroom: less is more.

This is Little Mama‘s Aladdin Cafe. Because, what’s an Aladdin inspired kid’s bedroom without its very own cafe? (Can’t go wrong with these fab kid’s eames armchairs and Crystal Silver Table Lamp made just for smallies right? Get ’em here and here…) Essentially this is where she sits and reads her stories of funny genies and strong, determined, no nonsense, super snazzy princesses. 

Going with the more ornate feel while still keeping true to the more monochrome tone of an Aladdin inspired kid’s room, we spray painted wooden letters and a fun decorative piece from her birthday party as an added highlight to her sit-down corner. 

We added Wall Confetti Dots on three out of four of the walls, and situated them in one of the corners to give the illusion of an explosion of stars in the Arabian sky. This was probably her most favourite detail in the room.

Almost every afternoon following a busy day at school, I often find Little Mama in a designated reading corner – one of her cherished me-time spaces. Reading and Play Tents have always been appealing to her, so we found a simple canvas Play Tent (found here), adorned it with some pretty lights, and a large comfy pillow filled with all the old (gaudy) pillows that once took over her floor bed.

Our dear friend, Meaghan, decided that a teepee inspired tent needed the warmth of a fire, so she custom-made a cozy campfire just for her reading nook. Meaghan has always been a creative force to be reckoned with. Standby for photos of her baking magic coming to the blog soon. 

Part of having a big girl room is adding unique pieces of art. We enlarged a photo of one of her first self portrait drawings from her early years, as well as her very first written alphabet (Side note – ALWAYS keep these first artistic milestones close at hand, you never know when they’ll come in handy one day!) Not only does canvas keep me sleeping soundly at night (for safety reasons), it adds some personalized flavour to the room. Every night she can look at her own art and feel proud of herself. As she develops and matures, I’m hoping to replace these pieces with more of her creations. 

I figured – why buy someone else’s art, when the princess of the room is given artistic liberties to draw it her own darn self!

Plus… it’s way more cost effective. Win-win for all!

Since she’s the original inspiration behind our previous blog and business, babyStylista – we decided to place our nameplate, custom made by our friends at Tales of a Ranting Ginger, at the entrance of her doorway. It’s a good reminder where our online journey began as a family.

Throughout the room, we added little nuances to keep things functional and coordinated while managing floor space. Like this adorable ultra mod wooden wall hook.

All in all, we were very pleased with how Little Mama‘s room turned out. From the handy dandy South Shore Loft Bed) – not too low and not too high (get it here), to the lighting, to the personalized art, to the intimate cozy corners, right down to a subtle tribute to her favourite Disney Princess. An Aladdin inspired kid’s room for a school aged kiddo need not be blatant and loud, but rather simple and minimal, while making a bold statement.

Thanks for dropping by to see our Whole New World! 

Keep things shining, shimmering, splendid – BUT simple,

“Follow” us, and “Watch” our instastories on Instagram @SassAndSmalls  
“Snap” us on Snapchat @babyStylista (Deb of Sass & Smalls)
“Catch” us on YouTube
“Like” us on Facebook
“Pin” us on Pinterest
“Tweet” us on Twitter
“Hangout” with us on Google+

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.