So…let’s see what this place is all about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple weeks ago Dawn and I made our first visit to Nebraska Furniture Mart, America’s Largest Home Furnishings Store.  After watching this massive store being built for months, we were anxious to see what it was all about.  I know many of you have already been there.  Some of you already knew of this WONDER of the world from living in other states.  But here in Texas, this is a new phenomenon.  So we thought we would give those of you considering a visit there our review…

We found our way there easily following the signs leading us to exit onto Nebraska Furniture Mart Drive (what, they have their own road too??).  It was a weekday morning, and parking was easy – which led me to first think, “why do they need a parking garage?”, but I guess there is “more to come” in this area all in the same complex.  Or maybe its for the employees needed to staff their warehouse which equates to approximately 27 football fields of storage.  (Wow!)

As the door indicates – they truly have it ALL.    It’s like Best Buy, Furniture Store, Home Goods, and a flooring store all in one.  With a bonus – See’s Candies in the corner.  (It took great self control to not buy a piece of dark chocolate with almonds, but I am proud to say kept myself away from the sweets).  Next time might be different.

At the entrance there are directories on large screens, as well as paper maps to pick up to guide your way.  The lower level is full of accessories, lighting, wall hangings, outdoor furniture, flooring, fitness, game tables, as well as appliance ranging from the largest number of refrigerators I’ve ever seen, down to vacuum cleaners.  Oh, and computers and cameras too.  The furniture is mostly upstairs, along with a clearance center, and custom Design Gallery for those ambitious enough to take on custom designing their furniture.  Throughout the store,   we were kindly approached by sales people, in a “I’m here if you need me” non threatening way, which I greatly appreciated.  Because no one likes sales people that stalk you!

 

Holy Accessories!!  We were blown away by all the home decor right inside the front doors.  Prices seemed very fair too!  Dawn even picked up a couple of fun items for her own home…but then we had to get back to the task at hand.  Scouting out the store, and finding a headboard for our client.

 

 

 

 

 

Lamps and pillows galore!  Two things I LOVE, Lamps and pillows.  Bold colors.  Unique designs.  LOVE.  LOVE.  LOVE.  Their selection was incredible.  I will say these two departments seemed a little pricey…but I would totally splurge on a lamp from here.   I just might have to buy it when the husband isn’t looking.  ‘You paid what for that lamp???”  Never mind dear, carry on…just leave the shopping to me.

The pillows were grouped in a variety of locations…by color.  Which I found very helpful, if I had been shopping for a pillow that is…but remember back to the task at hand.  Checking out the entire store, and a headboard.  Focus Kristi, Focus.  Sometimes I get a little ADD in stores (and in client’s homes too) and Dawn is so good about keeping me on task…this is one reason we bring TWO of us to all appointments.  Two are better than one.  Especially when one is easily distracted.

Time to head upstairs.  We took the stairs because Dawn and I were both wearing our Fitbits, so we wanted our steps to count…but there are escalators, and elevators available.  Just like downstairs, this level is well marked and easy to get around.   There are also 4-5 restrooms on both levels – so one is always nearby.  Just in case you have little ones with you, or maybe you drink too much coffee and tea, like I do.

The furniture is organized like many other furniture stores – by departments which include:  Bedroom Furniture, Youth & Baby Bedroom (oh my gosh, such cute nursery stuff that I almost want a baby, almost), Youth Bedroom, Day beds, Metal and Upholstered Beds, Mattresses, Linens, Traditional Living Rooms, Contemporary Living Rooms, Living Room Packages, Motion Furniture, Home Theater, Dining, Leather Furniture, Clearance Center, and of course the Design Gallery.  So if you know what you are looking for…you can go to the right department and browse a variety of price ranges all in one place.

The youth section has a great little hang out area for your little shopping companions, complete with a movie playing, and a “treehouse”.  I almost got sucked into watching the Little Mermaid.  It’s the music that lured me right to it.   I, however, cannot bring my 9 year old daughter here, because she is currently obsessed with Owls, which were abundant in the girls’ rooms decor, and this would prompt a redesign of her bedroom. Maybe this summer.  Shhh…until then don’t tell her about this cute Owl stuff I saw.

 

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The custom design center was well staffed with those ready to assist you in creating something beautiful.  You can choose not only your style of furniture (leg type, arm style, cushions, what shape you want your sectional, how long, etc) but choose from an array of custom fabrics to make your room a dream come true.  This is not for the faint of heart or those who struggle with decision making…but for some, this could be a great tool.

And then…after our exploring of every corner of the store.  WE FOUND IT.  The perfect headboard for our client…very similar to her Pottery Barn inspiration piece, but at a fraction of the cost.  (No disrespect to Pottery Barn – LOVE THEM, great store, great products…just not everyone, myself included can afford to furnish an entire house, or even one corner of a room from there…)

It did take a minute to find a sales person at the moment we were ready to make our purchase – but, once we found him, he was tablet in hand ready to process our order right on the spot.  He was knowledgeable, and able to sell me the headboard and footboard for a lower price, without the bed frame (since my client had wanted a headboard only).  And of course it was in stock and ready to go home with us that day (this is where the 27 football fields of storage comes in handy – no waiting!)

Within minutes we were on our way to customer pick up with our order number.  The entire process was AMAZING, and fast.  I drove up to the bank teller like drive thru and the lady somewhere inside the voice box asked for my order number, then directed me to park in a specific bay number.  Before I could even get my van in park two guys were rolling a cart my way and putting the king size headboard & footboard in a box into good ole’ Sylvia the Sienna minivan – who never ceases to amaze me with the things she can fit in her and haul.  (Saved my client the $70 delivery fee, which wouldn’t be bad for a large piece…but for a $250 bed frame…I was all for the pick it up myself method).

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Two days later we were able to install the bed (along with curtains and a lamp purchased elsewhere), and transform our client’s room.

She actually loved it so much, she even decided she wanted to add the foot to her bed as well.  So, I just called Nebraska Furniture back, they quickly processed the order for the rails needed to connect the headboard with the footboard, and it is ready for us to pick up tomorrow!  Customer service…we rate EXCELLENT.  After just this one experience.

Overall we LOVED this store from the moment we entered, to the smile on our clients face when she saw her bed.  It wasn’t really as overwhelming as I expected.  We had planned a day where we could be there for a long time, but really we saw it all (in quick browse mode) in less than two hours.   We will be back, Nebraska Furniture Mart.  And not just for the bed frame we are picking up tomorrow.  We will be BACK often…I hope an occasional trip will be shopping for myself, and not always for clients!

This is Dawn and Kristi…of It’s Simply Yours, giving Nebraska Furniture Mart TWO THUMBS UP!!

We definitely recommend you check it out.  And call us, if you need our help…we will meet you there!  We ♥ shopping!

If there is any room in your house that it is okay to go BOLD in your design, it is definitely your kids’ bedrooms.  When I was growing up, we moved frequently, and I never ONCE got to paint my room anything other than boring beige.  All I ever wanted was a “pretty” BLUE room but my mom was an all neutral person and of course worried about “resale” of our home.  So here’s my thought on that: first of all, a typical size kid bedrrom can be repainted in a few hours, with one gallon of paint,  if needed, when it comes time to sell.  Second, the teenage boy’s room pictured above…well, that house sold the FIRST day on the market, dark blue bedroom and all.  So, I say…go bold.  Let them have color.  Let them display their posters, and trinkets.  Be that fun mom.  Let the kids’ rooms be kids’ rooms.   I especially love creating spaces that reflect the personality of the child… after all, they are the one who spends the most time in there.  I’ve never met a child who’s personality fit “boring beige”.

Let your sports lover hang his pennants, and display his trophies.   These wall ledges were repurposed from another room in the house, originally meant and used for photos, but perfect for a growing boy’s trophy collection.  Which these days…you almost need an entire room for since they give each kid a trophy for just about everything, but I digress; that would be another totally unrelated blog post, so back to my intent for this post.

You might even be the SUPER fun mom who let’s the teenage boy hang his hammock in his room using HUGE hooks anchored into studs in the walls.  Maybe, it is my lack of having a fun room growing up that makes me say yes to these things for my own children.  Yes, that’s my son.  And yes, the walls will have to be repaired, if and when we ever move.

Here is another boy’s room we did for a client.  She already had the walls painted blue, and wanted to upgrade his “baby” theme (fish/ocean) to something he could grow with and liked the idea of a surf theme.   Kids’ rooms are also a fun place to “think outside the box”.  Can you use a REAL surfboard for room décor?  Sure you can.  That was our suggestion for the up high niche and we found an affordable one on EBAY that filled the space perfectly.  Also, we were able to reuse some of his baby décor such as this whale sign that mom loved and wanted incorporated into the room.  It was not quite large enough scale to fit the wall on its own.  Simple solution – adding an empty frame around it painted in a bright red – now it is showcased.

 

 Girls rooms are even more fun (if you ask me).  This room was done for a “tween” girl, and the tone on tone subtle stripe on the wall is beautiful.  The contrast between the soft ocean blue wall color and the bold black furniture and accents really makes a statement.   The other elements I love about this room is the mix of prints in the fabrics.  And notice the giant tapestry behind the bed…it is hiding an awkward attic storage door (sometimes builders really baffle me with the things they do).  Camouflaging the door opened up that wall for better furniture placement…besides hiding the eyesore of an unused door.

Want to try the tone on tone stripe?  Learn how here:

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/striping-paint-technique/index.html

The paint color for this little girl’s room is SW6708 “Springtime” which is a super light green that can be used with many combinations of colors.  But I especially love it with the teals and oranges.   The inspiration (besides a little girl’s love for GREEN) for for this room was the two prints from Pier 1 hanging above the white shelf.  Every room needs an inspiration piece, or starting place…even children’s bedrooms.

At the end of the bed we created a little reading nook complete with a dry erase board and cork board HUNG AT CHILD’S height.  That is definitely something to keep in mind for kids’ bedrooms.  Get down on your knees and look at the room from their perspective.  Create storage solutions that they can reach and you will have a much more functional space, and the odds of them putting things back in their place will be greater too.

I love doing vinyl wall words in children’s areas.  I actually love them in any room.  This one is especially sweet for a little girl.   These can be tricky to apply to heavily textured walls.  A great alternative is to use a canvas instead of applying directly on the wall, which then gives you the option to take it with you when you move.  If you are applying directly to the wall…this would be an exception to the “hang at child’s height” rule – because you don’t want them to pick and pull it off the wall.  So, choose an up high focal point – such as above a door or over the headboard.

Open frames can fill a large wall and create a unique and fun display.  Another bold choice, this color is SW6938, Synergy.    If you are nervous about such a bold color, and your girl loves turquoise, just reverse things.  Paint the walls a light neutral and bring out the bold colors in bedding, and accessories.

That’s exactly what we did in this tween’s room.  We created a bold look with the black headboard, and bright bedding and coordinating window treatments.

Or…create an accent wall using curtains.  That was the perfect solution for this little girly dream room.  And what kid couldn’t use these wrap around shelves for all their treasured furry friends or keepsakes that can’t be parted with.  Stuffed animal horder?  Problem solved.

Speaking of stuffed animals.  Another thing we often find an excess of when it comes to kids’ stuff is art work.  What to do with all the pesky artwork?  It multiplies before your eyes, but yet you can’t bring yourself to throw it away because after all your child MADE it.  (by the way I do throw mine away, I just keep the “best”, so I give you permission)  In this play room we created a showcase wall for the two children.  They each have their own personalized empty frame to display their chosen favorite piece of art, which can be easily changed as often as wanted since there is no glass.  And we added the extra cork board in the middle just for good measure.  Why would you buy artwork for your play room when you already have a sea of masterpieces your own child has created?

This client called us perplexed on what to do with all her daughter’s paintings, and she had quite the collection.  She also had an entire upstairs game room of empty wall space…so voila!  Two problems solved.  Happy client.  Happy little girl,  with her masterpieces showcased.

If you have one of these little artists in your home, they need a work space.  This loft area is a perfect place for a kid work station.  Just outside the two kid bedrooms in this home, and for less than $400 at IKEA we created this large desk area complete with plenty of drawers, lamps, two chairs, and my favorite piece the buckets hung on wall for pens and pencils.  This is a versatile kid space, great for homework, arts and crafts, and even laptops.  (**warning consult with your husband before purchasing any IKEA projects.  Building IKEA furniture can be hazardous to marriages…)  I know one friend who has been banned from purchasing anything with assembly required, but the price is right, especially for kids spaces!  Also notice, the canvas with vinyl words hung above the wall arrangement…as we suggested earlier in this post.

So, what do your kids’ rooms look like right now?  Are you going to be a boring beige mom like mine…or have I inspired you to create a fun, vibrant space for your special ones?  And of course, you can call us for help, anytime…

If you need more inspiration, check out our “Kid’s Rooms” idea board on Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/kristiannh/kid-s-room-ideas/