Ireland, Japan, France: As the daughter of a pair of New York City creatives, 6-year-old Sailor Bailey-Babenzien has racked up more airline miles than most adults. “We brought her everywhere with us, even when she was very little,” says her mom, Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, a visual and interior designer who cofounded New York City streetwear brand Noah with husband Brendon Babenzien (he’s the former creative director of cult skateboard clothing line Supreme). “She loves
to travel.”
But you’d have hardly known it by the looks of Sailor’s bedroom in their Fort Greene, Brooklyn, apartment. “It was designed for her when she was a baby, and with me as a parent of a baby in mind,” Bailey-Babenzien recalls. “There was a chest of drawers that was too tall for her to really use and leaning bookshelves that were impractical. I wanted to update the room to make it feel softer and more for a growing girl, not a toddler.”
Bailey-Babenzien also hoped to give Sailor a space where she could express her style and relive some of her best globe-trotting adventures, especially since the world has slowed down. The refresh started with the palette, using Farrow & Ball’s Faded Terracotta as a base. “It has this warmth that reminds us of the Mediterranean or Mexico,” Bailey-Babenzien explains.
Next came the furnishings, a fun and functional mix of pieces from Domino’s recent collaboration with Crate & Kids that lets items collected over a (mini) lifetime of travels take the spotlight. “The rounded edges and natural wood accented with the draped fabric and lanterns is very cozy yet still playful,” shares Bailey-Babenzien of the newly installed canopy bed. It’s also extremely useful: “The deep shelving [in the drawer underneath] is great because you can fit so much in it.”
Sailor’s reaction to her room was something like landing in a new place, ready to explore. “When we first put it together she was super-excited,” recalls Bailey-Babenzien. “She’s really inspired to draw at the desk or sit in the chair and read. She loves her room because it’s so sunny and warm.” It just may be her new favorite destination.
![Bailey-Babenzien also hoped to give Sailor a space where she could express her style and relive some of her best globe-trotting adventures, especially since the world has slowed down. The refresh started with the palette, using Farrow & Ball’s Faded Terracotta as a base. “It has this warmth that reminds us of the Mediterranean or Mexico,” Bailey-Babenzien explains.
Next came the furnishings, a fun and functional mix of pieces from Domino’s recent collaboration with Crate & Kids that lets items collected over a (mini) lifetime of travels take the spotlight. “The rounded edges and natural wood accented with the draped fabric and lanterns is very cozy yet still playful,” shares Bailey-Babenzien of the newly installed canopy bed. It’s also extremely useful: “The deep shelving [in the drawer underneath] is great because you can fit so much in it.”
Sailor’s reaction to her room was something like landing in a new place, ready to explore. “When we first put it together she was super-excited,” recalls Bailey-Babenzien. “She’s really inspired to draw at the desk or sit in the chair and read. She loves her room because it’s so sunny and warm.” It just may be her new favorite destination.](https://media-s3-us-east-1.ceros.com/domino/images/2022/01/04/29467ef2912e45279100ab85ef332e26/39.png)
Photography by Gieves Anderson
Words by Jennifer Fernandez
For her daughter’s room, Brooklyn-based interior designer
Estelle Bailey-Babenzien reimagined special pieces from the
family’s far-flung travels.
world
small
“I love thinking about things from her perspective and seeing all the opportunities there are for personalizing one’s own space.”
Top: Renn Peach Memory Foam Chair and Pouf; Rook 4-Shelf Bookcase With Storage Cubes; Domino x Crate & Kids. Above: Natural Bridges Twin Light Wood Bed with Canopy; Murphy Wood Secretary Dresser Desk with Hutch; Studio Art Cart with Wheels; Renn Peach Pouf, Domino x Crate & Kids.
Natural Bridges Twin Light Wood Bed with Canopy; Natural Bridges Wood Kids Nightstand; Renn Peach Memory Foam Chair; Backseat Wood Desk Chair with Metal Legs; Kids Pink Shroom Table Lamp; Steamer Lane 6-Drawer Natural Wood Dresser; Open Sky Large Canvas Wall Art, Domino x Crate & Kids.
Murphy Wood Secretary Dresser Desk with Hutch; Backseat Wood Desk Chair with Metal Legs; Studio Art Cart with Wheels, Domino x Crate & Kids.
Rook Lilac, Natural, and Orange Cube Bins with Divider; Gromm Shape Abstract Rug, Domino x Crate & Kids.
“The idea was to keep it feeling multicultural—at the same time, she’s a kid, so I wanted the room to be playful and light,” says Bailey-Babenzien, who incorporated a cheerful striped fabric from Sri Lanka to frame the window for dramatic effect and cloth lanterns picked up in Ibiza for a worldly vibe. A colorful catchall basket bought at a market in Ghana is rooted in family heritage: “I am half Ghanaian and love to have items from the motherland around our home.” Much of the menagerie of toy animals was also acquired during their travels. “Often when we visit a new place, we go to the local shops to find a book to read before bed and a soft toy to hang out with on the trip. Those have memories and stories attached to them, too,” she explains.
Global Artifacts
“Sailor has loads of stuff,” says Bailey-Babenzien, adding, “What I love about the Domino x Crate & Kids collection are details like the shelves being deep and having so much storage for things—books and paint and art supplies.” Sailor uses the trundle area under the bed for keeping dolls and other toys tidy, while the craft cart is split between paint and makeup. The secretary is usually employed as a desk, and the convenient fold-up ledge makes it easy to conceal clutter while maximizing space for play when friends come calling. “She can easily access the drawers and shelves and store all her things,” says Bailey-Babenzien. “Her room is a whole experience now.”
Practical Magic
In place of the “kind of messy” reading nook that was previously set up, a more compact but just as lounge-friendly pouf stands in as a perch for browsing books and having mini meditation sessions. Mother and daughter read bedtime stories here, too, when they aren’t tucked away in the bed. Another trick for delineating the space: “I like to layer rugs to create different zones,” shares Bailey-Babenzien of what Sailor calls “the cozy corner”—where a handwoven floral carpet scored at an estate sale meets a high-pile design from Domino’s Crate & Kids collection—noting their soundproofing qualities and comfort for floor play. “We wanted this room to have a sunny, vibrant feel—like being on holiday somewhere warm and relaxing with lots of beautiful plants and flowers around.” A transportive place you can visit every day.
Serenity Now
