Archive for March, 2013
Pregnancy & Birth magazine asked me to put together my top 3 favourite nursery art prints for their Expert Edit column. Easier said than done, because there’s so many gorgeous prints on my radar, it’s hard to choose just three – even more so because what works in one room, doesn’t in another. That said, my number 1, this wee bear & bunny print by mika art would look good in most baby rooms because of its neutral monochrome palette.
You can see my other picks in the March edition of Pregnancy & Birth, or if you’ve missed it, they are also on my Press page here.
Do you have a favourite nursery print you’d like to share?
(image: compilation by room to bloom of mika art and bauer media)
Spring is officially here today, so to celebrate I wanted to share this gorgeous floral Garden Deer wallpaper by Zoe Barker. Don’t you think that a single panel of this would make a sweet accent mural in a spring nursery or kid’s bedroom? The design can also be printed large scale as individual wallpaper panels, printed at 160cm wide, tailored to your space.
(image: zoe barker)
Last weekend, we went over to my loved one’s parents to help them pack for their house move. And look what I found. A little angel.
(He’s still that cute by the way.)
(image: room to bloom)
Oh! Just had to share this little gem with you. The Starlight print by Australian artist Amy Borell adds just the right amount of whimsy to a kid’s room. Spotted via Bambino Goodies.
(image: amy borell)
This is Ester’s bedroom when she was a baby. Today Ester is mum to Bregje (4) and Joep (2) and owner of De Oude Speelkamer (The Old Playroom), an amazing online shop in the Netherlands specialising in vintage and retro style kids’ toys, decor and even a retro style cotbed designed by Ester herself. Keeping childhood memories alive, the shop celebrates all things fun and nostalgic.
I asked Ester to share some childhood memories:
♥ Can you tell us something about these photos? This is my old baby room, the pictures were taken just after I was born. The man in the first photo is my father.
♥ What did you like most about your room when you were a child? The best thing about my room was that it was my own little world where I could let my imagination run free.
♥ What kind of things did you do in your room? I loved playing in my room by myself. I used to pretend that I was on safari in the jungle, with my cuddlies playing the part of wild animals. The challenge was to get through the jungle as quietly as possible, to avoid being eaten and to make it out alive. I think maybe we’d just finished reading The Jungle Book at that time 🙂
♥ Were you into books, dolls, building, playing outside… or something else? A bit of everything really. I loved playing with Lego, but also with my Barbies and My Little Pony – they used to get ambushed by my Transformers. Reading was (and still is) one of my favourite pastimes. I loved Suske en Wiske (Spike and Suzy) and later books by Jan Terlouw and Thea Beckman.
♥ Who was your favourite cuddly? The orange rabbit that’s next to me in the cot was my favourite soft toy. He’s still perched on a shelf above my bed today.
♥ What did you want to be when you grew up? A vet.
♥ What was your favourite food? Pancakes.
♥ What was your favourite animal? A horse.
♥ What is the best part of running your store? The best part is coming across things that I used to have in my own room when I was little. I tend to keep these for myself and use them to decorate my children’s rooms. It’s a great way to pass on a bit of nostalgia and childhood memories!
Thank you Ester!
Do you have photos and want to share memories of your old bedroom? I’d love to hear from you so get in touch!
(images: from esther verheijden at de oude speelkamer with a bit from room to bloom)
Alice in Wonderland has come the Royal London Hospital where a surreal oversize living room has been created for the hospital’s young patients. The play space was designed by architects Cottrell & Vermeulen and designer Morag Myerscough, who wanted it to be a complete escape for the children on the ward. The space is filled with superscale objects to explore and interact with, so that it might distract kids from thinking about being in hospital.
From its scale, to its colourful yet clean design (note that primary colours don’t dominate), and details such as the giant skirting board with oh-so familiar trellis wallpaper above, everything is delightfully imaginative. I have long wondered why health care environments aren’t designed with a bit more, well… care? Especially when it comes to children, the less institutional the environment, the easier it is to feel at home and comfortable. Surely that’s a good thing in any environment where children are cared for, be it a hospital, dentist’s waiting room, or day care nursery?
You can get more background on the play area’s design here and here.
(images: creative review, tidbit du jour)
Imagine my delight when I spotted this gorgeous daisy bedding – wholly unexpectedly whilst desperately trying source something I can’t even remember now. The Daisy Ochre bed set ticks all the right boxes for a fresh kids’ room this Spring (anyone have decorating plans for Easter…?). A vintage floral print, on-trend ochre yellow, and kind to the wallet too, it’s available from – wait for it – Next Home!
(image: room to bloom)
