Archive for 2015
Homes & Gardens asked me to give my expert view on creating schemes that last as part of their feature on children’s rooms. The issue is out now, with six pages of design ideas for kids’ spaces. Get a copy whilst you can!
Update: You can read the article on my press page now here.
I have soft spot for wallpaper in girl’s rooms, so to list just six for my monthly edit at Mr Fox was testing. But here they are. For sources and where to buy, hop on over to Mr Fox: Wallpaper for Girls.
(image: room to bloom)
There seems to be a lot of yellow popping up in kids’ rooms lately (including on this blog here, here, and here). Yellow is a very positive, energising colour, full of confidence, so if you are trying to create a calming space that promotes rest and sleep, it’s wise to use small doses only. It’s a great colour for playrooms where you can use it to your heart’s content. Here are a few of my favourite kids’ rooms using yellow.
Yellow storage….
I have soft spot for yellow curtains in a kid’s room – or why not paint the window frame in yellow!
Add small yellow accents or yellow bedding…
Yellow combines beautifully with grey, blue and green…
(image sources: mette hagedorn, country living, jana carson photography, unknown, unknown, klara’s room, rose uniacke, ensuus.nl, the little square gallery, vt wonen)
This modern kids’ room belongs to Felix who is nine years old. He lives with his parents and sister in an apartment in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Felix’ bedroom was designed by his father Erwin who is an architect and his mum Anna, who is a teacher at the Hogeschool Leiden. It features a F Bunk Bed by Rafa Kids and bold graphic circles painted on the walls. The room is composed with calming, grounding grey and lots of happy yellow. Anna’s advice when it comes to designing your child’s bedroom: ask them what they want.
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Time to chat with Felix now! Tell us Felix,
♥ What is your favourite food? Fries with ketchup.
♥ What are you into right now? Playing Minecraft on my iPad and playing with Kapla.
♥ What is your favourite colour? Orange.
♥ Your favourite animal? Dog.
♥ And your favourite book? Flip Fiasco.
♥ What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know.
♥ What do you love most about your room? That there’s so much space to play.
Thank you Felix, it was great to meet you!
(photography by rafa kids)
I am so excited to announce that I have teamed up with kids’ interiors specialists Olli Ella to offer one lucky reader a chance to win these gorgeous kids’ room goodies – worth £90!
The girls at Olli Ella have added lots of beautiful new additions to their kids’ decor collection and asked me to select a few of my favourites. Choosing wasn’t easy, but I think I’ve managed to curate a beautiful collection that would brighten op any child’s room.
You can win all of the decor shown above: a gorgeous large natural belly basket, the sweet “Under the Same Sky” print (unframed), a Confetti boudoir pillow and a Stardust felt ball garland.
To win, simply follow these easy steps:
1. Leave a comment below and let me know which of the four items I’ve chosen is your favourite (don’t worry – if you win you’ll receive them all!)
2. Visit Olli Ella’s competition page by clicking here and enter your details.
3. That’s it, you’re done!
4. Optional: If you would like to double your chances to win, you can enter on Instagram as well. Click here to go to Room to Bloom on Instagram and follow the instructions on the giveaway post!
5. Optional: If you’re not on Instagram but would like to double your chances too, click here to visit Room to Bloom on Facebook, “like” the giveaway post and leave a comment. If you’re on Instagram and fancy trebling your chances, feel free to enter on Facebook as well.
Good luck to everyone!
Note: This giveaway is open to UK residents only. You have to be 18 years old or older to enter the giveaway. You may enter once via this blog, once via Instagram and once via Facebook by midnight BST on June 21st, which is the closing date of this giveaway. One winner will be chosen via drawing and contacted by email so please use a valid email when you comment below, but do not put your email address in the comment – use the appropriate boxes please. You need to complete steps 1 and 2 above in order to qualify, so don’t forget to enter your details on the Olli Ella competition page too. The winner will receive the four itemised goodies worth £90 and will need to claim their prize within a week of having been contacted.
UPDATED: This giveaway is now closed – the winner is Karin (@karinlamain) who entered via Instagram. Thank you for entering everyone and congratulations Karin!
(image: room to bloom)
My monthly edit for Mr Fox magazine is all about wallpaper for boys’ rooms. For sources, tips and ideas on how to use these, hop over to the Mr Fox website here!
PS: Mr Fox has recently expanded its reach to families with boys and girls, so keep an eye out for future edits covering everything interiors for boys’ rooms, girls’ rooms and gender neutral rooms.
I love play kitchens – especially the ones that are cobbled together from bits of old furniture and everyday household items. Off-the-shelf play kitchens can be great too, and form the starting point of a little play corner. Add some shelves and a small wall cabinet for example, or some mini curtains to create storage under a worktop.
Real kitchenware adds to the make-believe – I love the coffee maker and whisk above for example. You could try sourcing enamel kitchenware, colourful melamine cups, plates and bowls, or go down to your local charity shop and see what you can use – you may be lucky enough to find some vintage baking tins or cookie cutters.
For cooking utensils, try Ikea – they do a great range of pretend ones which are safer and easier to handle, as well as cute pans and a baking set. There’s some great fruit and vegetables too, or check out these lovely handmade ones at Mamma Couture.
If you would like a handmade play kitchen but have no time to get creative, you can enlist the help of the wonderful Macarena Bilboa who specialises in making play kitchens. Done!
1. bunting 2. cups print 3. pear decoration 4. enamel plates 5. apron 6. blue DIY play kitchen 7. apple chalkboard 8. kitchen utensils
(images: janae at the itsy bitsy house via design sponge, rachel denbow)
This colourful children’s room belongs to Vera and Olaf who are five and three years old. The family lives in an apartment in Groningen, the Netherlands.
The kids’ bedroom was designed by their mum Madeleine, who is an illustrator of educational books. It features mint harlequin wallpaper with matching painted floorboards, combined with strong yellow and natural timber accents. Madeleine’s advice when it comes to designing your child’s bedroom is to research what style you’re attracted to – using Pinterest, blogs and magazines for example.
The photos above were photographed by Kiyomi Yui, who shot 21 kids’ rooms for a Japanese publication called Kinderkamers van Nederland (“Kids’ Rooms in the Netherlands”) by publishers Tatsumi.
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Time to learn a bit more about Vera now! Tell us Vera,
♥ What is your favourite food? Yoghurt with fruit, cinnamon and honey.
♥ What are you into right now? Singing along to Frozen with my dolls Anne and Elsa.
♥ What is your favourite colour? Pink and yellow.
♥ Your favourite animal? Cats and rabbits.
♥ And your favourite book? The Gruffalo.
♥ Trousers or skirts? Skirts with leggings or tights.
♥ What do you want to be when you grow up? Princess Elsa.
♥ What do you love most about your room? My Barbapapa lights.
♥ Which is your favourite duvet cover? I don’t know.
♥ Your favourite pyjamas? My pink ones.
Thank you Vera, it was lovely to meet you!
(photography by kiyomi yui)
My Baba asked me to share some tips for decorating a small nursery. Hop over to their site to read my tips on how to make the best of a small space here.
(image: room to bloom, photographer brett charles)
Looking for children’s chairs for a kid’s room or playroom? Check out my selection of junior chairs over on Mr Fox magazine here.
