Themed Rooms: Gone camping

For the parent of the outdoor enthusiast who’d totally camp every night in the backyard if allowed: We’ve got a treat for you. 

Read on for details about our Nuggety transformation of a playroom into a summer camping dream! We hope it gives you inspiration for creating unique spaces in your own home. Keep an eye out for more Themed Room features in the future.

The theme: Let’s go camping (no bug spray necessary)

Here at Nugget, we take a lot of inspiration from the great outdoors. You’ll find many of us spending our weekends hiking, rock climbing, biking, and swimming across the Southeast region. Many of our colors and color names are inspired by nature: Blueridge, Willow, Surfside, and Bamboo, to name a few. 

So when an opportunity arose to design a playroom around an outdoorsy theme, we jumped at the chance! We worked with a Nuggeteer mom of 6-year-old Aiden and 3-year-old Cora to bring the outdoors inside — transforming a bedroom-playroom combination space. 

We decided to lean into a summer camp theme — with the spirit of chasing fireflies, playing fireside games, and lounging with friends. We chose décor that directly evoked the sense of adventure felt at a campsite, opting for fun pieces and accents that can be easily changed out as the kids age — ensuring the room will grow with them.

Sprucing up the space

Our first transformation task was painting. We picked a wall color that grounds the palette: Lulworth Blue in Dead Flat finish by Farrow and Ball (which is also terrific for little camper hand marks on the walls). Through furniture and decor, we added "pops" of magenta, teal, and orange — colors that are fun for a kids’ space but are also design-forward. Adding color through decor gives flexibility to make updates as kids grow older.

This room is large and doubles as a bedroom for Aiden and a play space for both children (and any neighbor kids who are hanging out that day!). We decided to make the bed area the design focal point of the room, leaving tons of space in the play area for climbing, building, pretending, hiking Mt. Nugget, and more.

Kindling the theme 

Every successful camping trip starts with a solid packing list, and every great playroom design starts with an inventory of what’s currently working in the room!

We kept the cubbies for storage, as well as the existing climbing wall and hanging ladder. The shelving by the bed stayed put, but by adding a chair and some pillows, we created a functional reading nook. A room makeover doesn’t need a full overhaul if you’re creative about how to “work with what you’ve got.”

When it came to buying new, it was important to pick furniture and décor that felt custom and on-theme, without breaking the bank. A store-bought black metal bed frame got a neon orange glow-up with just a couple of cans of spray paint. (Pro tip: for less than $20, the color of this bed frame can change again!). Another DIY project: the paper bugs and flowers above the bed were simple and inexpensive to make — and reminiscent of summer camp crafts and Aiden’s favorite exhibit at the local science museum!

RV there yet?

Woodsy elements like the tree lamp, bug and animal stuffies, campfire play set, mushroom night light, and cloud hooks made the theme immersive without overcrowding. A play tent and grass mat paired with thrifted vintage striped lawn chairs anchor the play area of the room, but are easily tucked away if the kids need more space. Vintage elements are an easy way to add unique character to a room — can you spot other nostalgic nods like the silver camp trunk, mushroom lamp, knit blanket, and camping lanterns?

The main area rug comes from another favorite brand, Revival Rugs! We picked this woven blue rug to define the bed area and add texture, continuing the sky blue from the walls and evoking the feeling of sleeping under an open sky. We finished off the floors with this plaid runner to enhance the theme and add another pop of color. 

Happy campers 

The kids loved the campsite and jumped right into imaginative play — using Nuggeteer and Atlantis Nuggets to set up seating around a campfire, wrapping themselves up in magical play capes from Sarah’s Silks, and learning what every camper learns: Life’s s’more fun at the campsite!

We love how the room turned out, and our happy camper Nuggeteers told us it makes every night feel like a camping trip — without the mosquitos, of course. 

Got a cool Themed Room in mind? Visit our social media to let us know what type of room we should feature next!