Take a Step Inside Designer Rebecca Minkoff's Kids' Playful Brooklyn Nursery

NYC-based fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff is known for her chic and sophisticated style, but her baby shower for her second child clued us into her more playful side. When Rebecca and her husband, Gavin Bellour, asked big-brother-to-be Luca what they should name his little sister, he said Gouda, and the name stuck. They called the baby Gouda in utero, and the Dutch yellow cheese became the theme of her shower.

Fast-forward nine months and baby Bowie (the couple decided against naming their daughter after the cheese) and 3-year-old Luca needed a space to call their own. So Rebecca turned to interior designer Gunnar Larson and Wayfair to design a room that serves as a shared bedroom and playroom for the tots.

"I wanted to make sure that the room didn't look cluttered or feel like an overwhelming space," Rebecca told us. "I made sure to select pieces that lent themselves to the layout of the room when buying furniture to maintain a nice flow. I also wanted to create a space that was multifunctional by dividing the room into smaller, dedicated areas with a place to sleep, an area to play, a place to play, read, etc."

So the designing duo set out to apply that philosophy to her kids' space.

"My children are always at the forefront of my decision-making, so I often find myself naturally gravitating toward home decor pieces that are elevated yet playful," she said. "Being creative with space is crucial in achieving functionality, too — one of my favorite ways to do this is having varying bookshelf heights to keep the look unique but completely practical for storage needs."

As for her kids' favorite parts of the room, she said, "For the walls we used [dry erase paint from Idea Paint] to inspire the kids' creativity. Luca loves that he can draw on the wall and not get in trouble — he can write his name now, which is exciting! Bowie definitely loves the play area; it's the perfect area for her to practice crawling."

Read on to see the before-and-after photos and get all of the details on the surprisingly functional space.