Kids Room Ideas From The Cutest Kids Bookstore Ever: a house log
When we were visiting the Bowers this weekend, we shared some fleeting photos of a especially adorable kids bookstore on Instagram stories. Then we got a barrage of messages and comments to the tune of: PLEASE DO A POST ABOUT THIS STORE SO IT Will not BE GONE IN 24 HOURS! So here we are, with those photos (and some more we did not share on IG) for anyone who is looking for some lively kids room ideas. Or adult room ideas. We all Enjoyed this place so much. It is in Monroe, Georgia and it is called The Story Shop – and it is the cutest bookstore we have ever seen. You think I am exaggerating with that description but in the words of Hamilton: simply you wait.
See that grand bookcase, library ladder, and globe collection? It is like all of the elements of a cool old library executed in a fresh and playful way. And we enjoyed that glad aqua accent wall (try Benjamin Moore’s Misty Teal for a similar look – simply on one wall, a door, or a piece of furniture to avoid overwhelming a room). But my go-to part of this store’s entry was that little old TV under the pink side table. Written on it in white were the words “read instead.”
The other thing that caught my eye right away was this wallpaper which is Wild by Chasing Paper (yes, I asked a million questions while walking around with my mouth open). It is peel & stick, so it is removable and they said it was truly straightforward to hang. It’d be so cute in a kids room on the wall behind the bed. I also enjoyed those colorful animal heads (this one and this one) that they painted in bright colors and then brought in funny things (glasses! a crown! a mustache!). And of course the handmade sign with literary locales was simply one of many clever book references throughout the store.
Speaking of magical book references, look at this armoire, er, wardrobe that LEADS TO A HIDDEN ROOM! Kids could climb right through it and it was SUCH A HIT. Let the record state that grown ups were doing it too. Lively for the whole family. Also – we have in fact seen an armoire like this in a grown up bedroom space that led to a secret closet and it was equally mesmerizing. Simply a truly lively and unexpected idea for a home or a shop.
I realize this begs the question: what is behind the wardrobe? It was not lions or witches, but there was a whale involved. It led to their storytelling room, which was ridiculously lively. And it was truly smart of them to fill the big space with two identical rugs (I tracked down the exact rugs they used) rather than to have to splurge on (or maneuver) one giant rug for the room.
Speaking of secret spaces, there was also a little round Hobbit hole door that led to a compact play space for kids to hang out in. I remember a children’s clothing store growing up that had a little hole for kids to enter through instead of the main door and I Enjoyed GOING (and I hated every other clothing store by comparison). We in fact featured a home in our second book with a secret “mousehole” passageway between two kids’ rooms that I am still thinking about three years after we shot it (it is on page 302, btw).
Here is another shot of that hobbit hole in use, and you can also see some other lively touches, like that excellent brick wall they swarmed with butterflies (something we also did in our playroom!) and the felt garland they strung from a piece of driftwood (I think this is the garland they used, but Etsy has tons of other options). Oh and see Peter Pan’s shadow? They did not miss a single opportunity to add in little storybook nods wherever they could.
Our kids (there were 6 of ’em between us and the Bowers!) immediately found their way to the swing that the store (bravely) hung in one corner. Everyone managed to take turns, mostly peacefully, and no one knocked over the incredible peaked bookcase village that displayed stories from all over the world – so I’d call that a win. You could easily Hands-on a little “cityscape” of bookcases like this, or purchase pre-made ones like this and this to recreate it on a smaller scale.
Also… hanging books. Do you see them suspended from the ceiling by strings? They had bent their pages like origami so they stayed fanned open, kind of like these. They were so much lively to look at from below (and they gave me flashbacks to the most recent season of Orange Is The New Black, which was so good you folks). Also those books in the foreground stole my heart. Especially this one about Frida Kahlo and this one about Maya Angelou.
They sold a few little toys, costumes, and t-shirts, so you’d figure they’d have hanging racks or rods or something for the clothing. NOPE. Colorful chairs hung from the wall. With Humpty Dumpty balancing on one of them. Because that is how they roll.
Also, back to the big bookcase from the first picture. All of the art in the store had some sort of literary reference in it (including these Baby Lit prints they sold) which brought in to the whole “reading is lively” vibe of the place. And who noticed the rose in the cloche on the bookcase with the ladder? BELLE, right?! I am telling you, there were so many cute hidden gems like that in here. Also, see the Cheshire Cat disappearing into that chair in the corner? They simply ironed a mouth right onto the chair. These people could not have put more thought into this space. I know I am gushing, but they deserve every last gush.
Here is a close up of the rainbow books on the shelf. This little lineup of hardcover classic books by Puffin made my heart ache for a collection of my quite own. Also, the Penguin ones below them. I might even let the kids read them too ;)
THEY EVEN FRIGGIN’ MADE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS like the queen’s roses that were painted in Alice In Wonderland. I mean. At this point I might have been hyperventilating.
Oh and see that room off to the right in the photo above? That is the party room. Kids (and grown ups!) can have parties here and let me tell you, THEY DO NOT PHONE IT IN. The one they were prepping for was Peter Pan themed, and the table was full of sweet references, like thimbles in a bowl labeled “Kisses From Wendy” and a ticking clock like the one a certain crocodile swallowed. They also do Alice In Wonderland and other themes. I am a 35-year-old woman and I want a party there now. “I want a feast! I want a bean feast!” (name that movie… based on a book, of course).
I also enjoyed all of the twinkle lights they hung overhead (who says you cannot do that in a kids room – or your own room?!). Those plus the “grass” on the wall and the string lights made this whole room feel like an outdoor courtyard. Or perhaps a tea party with a certain mad host.
Also, THIS CHAIR. I cannot. I simply cannot.
No wait, THIS CHAIR. Nothing makes my heart go pitter patter like a hand-carved bunny (let the record state that ten minutes before seeing this chair I never knew that was my thing).
Even the back of the store was witty and charming. Have you ever seen a more clever way to keep customers out of the employees-only area?
Bonus footage: I did my best Belle impression while Katie stole a chance to rest her feet. I know how to act in public, I swear. “No denying she’s a funny girl that Bellllllle.”
So if you are ever passing through Monroe, Georgia or if you live nearby I hope you have a chance to see The Story Shop for yourself. Even if you do not live quite close, this place is totally road-trip worthy! And when we shared some pics on Instagram we in fact heard from the designer, whose name is Stephanie Cannon, and get this – she reads our journal and listens to our podcast (!!!!!). She was so sweet and in fact saw us when we were in Monroe, so it was truly funny because she thought she was fangirling us, but you folks, I AM TOTALLY FANGIRLING HER.
PS: John here, and now for a minor public service announcement to end this bookish post – please support your local independent bookstores. They may not be as low-cost or straightforward to shop at as Amazon or B&N, but we have all seen a certain documentary called You’ve Got Mail, right? All kidding aside, we try to make it a habit of purchasing from strong stores like these so that there can continue to be strong stores like these. Okay, off my soapbox!
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