Styling With Kids: Joy Cho

A woman in a pink dress stands beside a bunk bed. Two children in green pajamas sit on the top bunk. Decor includes stuffed animals and a small plant. A colorful rug is on the floor.

STYLING WITH KIDS

JOY CHO

Much to the enjoyment of our Instagram feeds, designer and blogger Joy Cho recently built her LA dream home from the ground up. We chatted with her about her favorite neutral, how to design a kids' room that grows with your kids and how our Perch Bunk Bed helped make the perfect shared bedroom for her two adorable daughters.

@OHJOY

Day job:

Founder and Creative Director of Oh Joy.

Kids' names and ages:

Ruby (10) and Coco (7).

Three words that describe your style:

Color, Whimsy and Vintage.

A brightly decorated childrens room with a wooden bunk bed, colorful bedding, shelves holding toys and books, and a patterned ceiling and rug.

Bookshelf with colorful childrens books, a plush lion, a white decorative ball, and framed art on the wall, including a leopard in a jungle scene and a motivational quote.

Favorite color and why:

Gold. It's my favorite neutral because it goes with any color and adds fun and sophistication.

Favorite children's book:

Oh So Kind! It's the third installment in the Oh Joy! Story Books and shows in easy and practical ways how to be a good neighbor, friend and family member with small acts of kindness and consideration, which we need now more than ever.

Favorite weeknight meal:

I rely a lot on semi-homemade meals including from One Potato and Yori LA.

A wooden bookshelf filled with colorful childrens books and a fox-shaped bookend. A shelf contains board books and a green toy phone.

Childrens room with a bunk bed, bookshelves filled with books and plants, and a colorful wavy pattern artwork on a pink wall.

Favorite toy store:

Yolk! It's a local LA spot that has amazing toys for kids and other great gifts.

Three favorite Oeuf designs:

Mini Library: We've had this since my older daughter, Ruby's nursery in our apartment and it's now in the girls' bedroom in our new home. It's a great and timeless design that has lasted us years.

Perch Bunk Bed: My girls wanted to stay in the same room and this bunk bed allows for lots more floor space. Plus I LOVE the additional storage attachments you can add on and that you can separate them later.

Toy Store: We've had this for quite a few years also and love how it can be flexible for any toys your kids may have over time — and it helps give them a place for easy clean up.

Joy's Perch Bunk Bed is fully accessorized, featuring all our available Perch accessories in twin size:Perch Trundle Bedwith included replacement ladder,Perch Consolefor shelving on on the floor level andPerch Shelffor shelving that attaches to the upper loft bed.

A wooden bunk bed with light wood framing, featuring a ladder on the right side. It has gray bedding on both the top and bottom bunks.

Perch Bunk Bed

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Wooden display rack with three tiers, each holding brightly colored fabric balls in compartments.

Toy Store

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Minimalist wooden bookshelf with three open shelves and two sliding white doors.

Mini Library

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What are qualities of the best kids' rooms, and how did you incorporate them in yours?

For parents, great qualities of a kid's room are pieces that can last from infancy to "big kid" or early teen. If you're going to spend money on these large pieces, it's great for you to have that longevity, with items such as bookshelves, beds, storage, etc.

For kids, they'll obviously go through lots of different phases of life in the space. So having areas of their room that they can contribute to as their tastes change can make it feel like the room is theirs. For example, areas of the wall to hang up their own art or posters, shelving to display jewelry or little prized possessions and places to keep their favorite books.

Childrens bedroom with a loft bed surrounded by shelves holding books, toys, and decor items. A colorful rug is on the floor, and a partially open door reveals a pet entering the room.

A colorful bookshelf with various books and decorative items, including a ceramic vase, a zebra figurine, and framed art prints on the wall above it.

Who had the first sleepover on the trundle bed?

Since we moved in to the house during Covid-19, my husband tested it out for our future guests to make sure it was cozy. :)

What's the best thing about the space you designed, and what's the worst?

The best thing is knowing how much they enjoy the space and that they're spending their childhood growing up in that space.

The worst thing is knowing they'll eventually have different opinions than mine and they'll want to change things around from what I've already picked out!

Childrens room with a white bunk bed, colorful bedding, and a vibrant geometric rug. Walls and ceiling have a multicolored pattern. White wardrobe and a closed door are visible.

Childrens books in vibrant colors neatly arranged on a shelf with a brown lion plush toy on top.

What's your most important family activity?

We travel one or two times a year to visit my kids' grandparents in Philly.

What's one life lesson everyone should be taught in school?

Everyone should be taught that you're always going to be different from someone else, and that is something to be proud of.

What's your superpower, and why?

I can recognize random celebrities on the street! Ha!

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STYLING WITH KIDS

JOY CHO

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