When it came to decorating daughter Audrey's bedroom, Kari gravitated toward the soft pinks and apricots that "sprang out" from a trio of seashell prints above the bookshelves. "It's kind of an anti-kids room: no primary colors, no cartoon characters." Instead, she artfully arranged natural elements, vintage toys, and mementos. And as usual, she improvised. When the perfect striped fabric for the drapes eluded her, she whipped up a pair from a canvas shower curtain.

(k) Kari, who's starting her own line of baby clothing, couldn't resist hanging a white dress with hibiscus appliques that she wore as a child. (l) Although Audrey has outgrown the pale peach frock, the colors are so beautiful it's on permanent display. (m) Dominoes stashed in glass jars provide graphic punch.