I’m a grownup who loves kid decor

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My chain of thought post product purchase after seeing the tag “Circo“: Wait a tick, isn’t that a kid’s brand? Certainly this isn’t a bathroom owl rug for kids. Yes, it had been surrounded by circus-y looking stuff, but what kid has their own bathroom? Probably a few, actually. It does have pastel hearts on it. I did it again, didn’t I? (Marge noise.)

And thus continued my unintended obsession with kids’ decor I assume is for adults. And actually, a lot of it probably is intended for adults. Adults like me. Places like Urban Outfitters make bank selling anthropomorphized lamps.

You know, like this one. I saw this in a model home once… in the kid’s bedroom.

As a woman who has passed the age of 30, I still get giddy over things made of plush. I have a feeling I’m not alone. I recently discovered this stowaway after a trip to a certain boy wizard’s theme park. He resides on my grown-up refrigerator alongside a stein and a wand you can’t see in the picture. But trust me, it is there, calling my adulthood into question.

On the other side of said fridge lives my trusty garden gnome named Gnome Chomsky. He has been a resident for a decade and is probably the only thing that could more likely be owned by old ladies than children. But I’m lumping him in anyway. He, alongside monkeys (particularly of the sock variety) and Domo, have claimed permanent residence of some kind for most of my life. They come and go with popularity, but always have a place in my heart.

Speaking of sock monkeys, this was a recent purchase that has yet to make its way onto a wall:

Wall decals rock and this one from Blik was a no-brainer. I also purchased this. More monkeys, I know. But it will be worth it when they come alive and become part of my traveling circus. Only one animal has so far.

Nothing is crazy different about my junk, and I fall for trends all the time. But I do like my kiddie stuff, and as long as they keep cranking out animal-shaped things, I shall acquire them. Like the mugs above, which were recent finds at a thrift store. Thrift stores don’t judge me on my youthful purchasing because they can’t prove anything! No paper trail… muhahaha.

Who among you will join the ranks to take back what is rightfully ours? Lend me your ears, your animal-shaped pillows, your anime posters, your video game paraphernalia, action figures, World of Warcraft plushie (that I totally have somewhere in storage), and your birds with eye patches and Owl and the Pussycat paintings!

We will take back the night day and feel unashamed of our Spongebob Magic 8 Balls. Who’s with me?

Comments on I’m a grownup who loves kid decor

  1. Our bathroom totally looks like a kids bathroom. A whale shaped ashtray is our toothbrish holder, there’s an alligator in our bathtub to keep us from slipping, and an octopus with an eyepatch keeps our trash.
    I also have an owl mat in the kitchen…love it!

  2. I am one of the luckiest women EVER!!!!!!! The house my fiance bought has two bedrooms that are panted a lovely soft lavender color. I have taken one room as my bedroom and it goes so well with my baby pink blanket set. It also works with my my little pony collection (new and vintage), my collection of stuffed sheep from Bath & Body, and a stuffed hot pink unicorn pillow that is shaped and sized like a body pillow for an awesome 4yr old.
    That is just the tip of the iceberg! I decorate the house with stuff animals, action figures, toys, figurines,crayon and marker drawings, legos, dragon pets from a Renaissance festively, and more.
    I’ve made a my little pony blanket for me, a dinosaur and cow blanket for my fiance, and plans for a cow infested dress for myself. Plus, I’ve made a plush cow/lizard for my fiance.
    I figure if there is a child inside of me it is probably one little boy and 80 screaming little girls.

    P.S. I think the wand remote control was made for people like us.

  3. The top of our entertainment center contains a batmobile, along with several superhero statues. My mom was with me when I was unpacking these items and she wrinkled her nose and said “those are going away somewhere…aren’t they?” and I said, “They go riiiight here” and perched them up on the top in the middle.
    I also have Tinker Bell collectibles peppering my bookshelves in our living room. And a Tinker Bell pillow case.
    I also have coloring books and will put my favorite pages on our fridge. People compliment my nephew’s coloring and then feel uncomfortable when I inform them it is I who have an incredible ability to stay in the lines.

  4. first shelf of my dvd shelf. Barbie collectablies, the adult kind that me and my friends saved up for(fourty dollars was alot back then) because I AM the star princess. So I had to have the star princess barbie doll.
    second shelf. Sailor moon. Complete anime collection. Two wands, one heart locket. One handpainted reisin statue and some little toy things. 🙂
    Third shelf assorted kids movies, Tangled(my fav) Kung fu panda(1&2 fiances fav) and some Anime.
    fourth shelf is all the ‘adult movies’ I go from Tangled to Silence of the Lambs.
    fifth shelf. My Monster High doll collection.
    Fiances movie shelf is mostly southpark. With the top shelf holding his ‘action figures’ our walls are purple and I painted a white shiloutte tree. My book shelf has alot of ‘grown’ books. But also has a whole shelf of manga(still working on my sailor moon collection) random My little ponies grace the shelfs as well as Littlest per shop. My hoops decorate the wall and I have recently become the proud owner of a hoopin hello kitty(the guys face when I specifically asked for that toy in my happy meal was priceless)
    kids stuff is more fun. That’s just the way it is, when shopping for carpet we couldn’t find anything we liked till we went to the kids section.
    My engagement ring is a custom made replica of Usagi’s from SailorMoon. Because I am that awsome.
    Be not affraid of your inner child. Grown ups could learn alot from ‘kid’ stuff.
    Also, I am so insanely jealous that you got to go to HP world. WHIINNNNE. One day. One day. And Disneyworld, ima dress like a princess the whole fucking time. You best believe that.

  5. My husband and I rent currently and our place has looked like that of a geeky teenager since we were…well, geeky teenagers. Anime wallscrolls cover whatever wallspace they can fit on and a tower of plushies protects our bed, and then in our living room we have two large bookcases full of manga and D&D books.
    We’re huge cute addicts, so when we do purchase a house of our own, our friends better watch out. I can imagine it may end up looking a bit like a young Japanese girl’s bedroom.

  6. I have a stuffed animal collection that I’ve managed to haul with me throughout every single move, and it includes my Swedish Chef plush doll (naturally) and a femur-length jackrabbit hand puppet acquired at an arboretum. (Fun fact: my sister and I used to roll down the passenger window, set the jackrabbit on the window well, and have him interact with passersby. The double-takes were priceless!! We even had one guy rummage around at a stop light and produce a tiny stuffed bear to play back at us with! What the heck?!)

    Sooooo… tell me again what the problem is with loving kid’s stuff? I mean, think about it… Kix. Kid-friendly. Mom approved. Thoroughly delicious. This stuff is like Kix that never gets soggy!

  7. I see no problem. Now we are grown up we can buy whatever we want
    it’s the awesome of being grown up! I have never seen why i would grow up and suddenly decide to use my awesome grown up freedom to buy boring things!

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