When Suzan and Neil Doidge moved into their new home, daughter Anne Raines was almost 3 years old. It was time for a big girl look--one that was sweet enough for a child, but mature enough to last for many years. Suzan asked me to help, and we began by assessing the furniture situation. We decided to use the nursery armoire again, along with the rocker and two side tables we pulled from Suzan's garage. She had inherited a small settee sofa from her parents that Anne Raines loved. "I always find her playing on this sofa," Suzan explained. "I had it slip-covered to soften the Victorian look. The two dark-stained end tables were painted and given a distressed finish."
After studying many children's rooms in decorating magazines and at friends' homes, Suzan decided that she wanted to use flowers and the color pink. So I began fabric hunting, knowing all the furniture would be painted and that we wanted an antique iron bed.
I found the bright floral duvet cover and green-and-white striped ruffled sham in a local linen shop. We also ordered several yards of the awning stripe to detail the drapes. The soft green in the stripe is the color used on the walls, and we offset the green with white linen curtains.
