Are you ready for this? Anna Kubel, the uber-talented photographer and stylist whose work I adore, has collaborated with one of my favourite wallpaper brands, Sandberg, to create a mini collection for children. The “Kubel Kids” range offers five patterns in a selection of colours created in collaboration with Anna. The imagery, as always, is stunning. Enjoy!
The collection also comes with a set of accessories, including animal masks and a jumping jack hare. For more information, please visit Sandberg wallpaper.
Images: photography & styling by anna kubel for sandberg
This month for Luna International, I’m focussing on storage solutions for kids’ rooms. You can’t have enough storage, right? Right! For tips and inspiration, see you over at Luna.
image: ikea
Have you ever thought about decorating your children’s rooms with house plants? If you’ve caught the houseplant bug that’s sweeping the world, then maybe yes?
Plants bring life and warmth to a room and look stunning in neutral nurseries and children’s rooms, as you can see in these images. But they don’t just look great. Did you know that they can help purify the air? The leaves and soil help take out harmful airborne pollutants such as formaldehyde and other nasties. The positive psychological effect on mood and wellbeing has also been well established – it’s good for people to look at greenery. So I think we should all be adding plants to children’s rooms.
Maybe I have a weak spot for plants because I’m a child of the seventies – I grew up with lots of house plants and now have quite a collection myself, including childhood favourites such as the piggy back plant, lemon geranium and lime plant. Succulents are great too – and easy to look after. I’d warn against cacti in kids’ rooms – having done a cart wheel into one of them when I was little, I can tell you, the pain of getting all those tiny pins extracted from my feet was excruciating. Also check that the plants you choose aren’t poisonous when ingested, for obvious reasons.
If you fancy growing some plants from seed with the kids, I can recommend this gorgeous children’s book that I treasured as a little girl: Linnea’s Window Sill Garden by Swedish writer Christina Björk. It’s no longer in print but pre-loved copies are still available at places like Amazon. It’s full of easy-to-follow projects and beautifully illustrated. A little childhood nostalgia…
I’m a little obsessed with green for kids’ rooms at the moment – all projects I’m currently working on feature green as either the main or an accent colour. It’s gender neutral, calming and versatile, combining beautifully with other colours – such as teal blue, lavender, pinks and blushes or ochre yellow to name a few. Green doesn’t have to be overly there: I love how in the above image, it features subtly in the wallpaper and is repeated in various shades with a painted chair and table. Stunning.
In this room, green combines beautifully with teal blue – one of my favourite combinations. Note how the bedspread ties everything perfectly together, but how the dolls and some cushions create just enough discord.
Another wonderful example of one of my favourite colour combinations in this vintage inspired children’s room: dark green accompanies dusky grey blue and dirty pinks. So so pretty.
This eclectic kids room combines soft grey green – one of my favourite colours for kids rooms – with dusty pink. I love how the colourful boho rug stops the room from turning too pastel.
Blue and green – but not as you know it. Note how the colours of mountains and sky are playfully swapped.
I have a weakness for painted vintage furniture, and this green cupboard in a nordic playroom is pretty perfect.
And finally, a sea green wall forms a strong background to hold the other rich colours in this sweet girl’s room. The dolls house is tonal perfection.
Last weekend I visited Playtime Paris to get a flavour of new trends in the world of kid’s interiors. I had a lovely time talking to new designers and more established brands, and have highlighted some of the things that caught my eye above. Some old favourites, some new discoveries – enjoy!
Images from top left: 1. pompom petillant. 2. as before 3. little unicorn 4. camomile london 5. fabelab 6. mies & co (beautiful bedding!)
Today I am really excited to share one of my latest kid’s room designs. This is Benjamin’s bedroom, a Scandinavian inspired space mixing soft greys with white and natural timber, and a hint of blue.
A beautiful light oak floor and calming soft grey walls set the tone for this boy’s room. As Benjamin had outgrown his cot and was ready to transition, a new extending Oliver bed was the starting point when we started furnishing the room. We dressed it with tonal layers of grey bedding, adding texture with a cotton cuddle blanket and lots of cushions.
Next to the bed we installed a mouse chair and play table, which doubles up as a nightstand. A book rack above the table holds Benjamin’s books for night time reading, which we decorated with a whimsical moon mobile and feather hanger.
Above the bed, an elephant and bear keep Benjamin company. Amy Oreo’s starlight print was a long time favourite of mine and Benjamin’s mum couldn’t resist it either.
Behind the bed, a toy box and shelving offer space for toys and decorative items, creating a small play corner with bunting overhead. On the other side of the room, fitted cupboards and drawers offer more storage. A smiling moon keeps watch over Benjamin at night.
For full sources please check my instagram account, here are a few highlights: oliver junior bed, oliver book rack, no fred mouse chair & play table, camcam duvet set, mori blanket, numero 74 star cushions, fabelab bunny, elephant head, alphabet print, alphabet blocks, dot stickers, bear print, starlight print, bunting, boys rule print, big stuffed whale cushion, small cushions on toy chest, pompom toy bag, smiling full moon print, pinch toy cars, traffic rug, toy box.
(images: design & styling by room to bloom, photography by brett charles, with thanks to nubie, scandiborn, molly meg and mori)
I recently came across this beautiful image of a kid’s room with cloud wallpaper – loving the subtle colours, styling and of course the whimsical cloud wallpaper design. It’s by Allison & Allison, who offer a bespoke wallpaper design service.
Using pen and ink, Annie Allison starts by hand drawing ideas based on your brief – you may already have an image of the design in mind that you’d like to have committed to wallpaper, or like the idea of a design being created especially for you. Sizes and colours can be tweaked as desired before a sample of the final design is created. For more information visit her website.
(image: allison & allison).
Very excited that Charlotte’s pretty grey bedroom was included in this month’s children’s interior design feature for Elle Decor India! Her little reading nook was shown alongside a brilliantly styled shoot focussing on natural materials in kids’ rooms.
(image: elle decor india & room to bloom)
Fabric has a huge impact on the overall look and feel of kids’ rooms, but curtains and blinds can be expensive so it’s important to choose wisely. Read my tips on how to choose fabrics for children’s rooms over at Mr Fox magazine, and find out where to find them.
(image: room to bloom)
Blackboard walls add instant personality to a kid’s room and make a wonderful focal point, off-setting other colours beautifully. And of course they don’t just look cool, but invite children to get creative, creating their own art works or backgrounds for pretend play – like playing school, house, shop, etc.
If you are thinking of creating a chalkboard wall in your child’s bedroom or playroom but can’t make up your mind, take a look at some of the examples I’ve gathered of blackboards in kids’ rooms.
You may think chalkboards are just too black for kids’ rooms, but bear in mind that they do mellow over time, turning a soft grey by the chalk residue that’s left behind. At the same time, this is something to consider if you like things to look neat and tidy – a messy blackboard might not be your thing.
You don’t have to commit to a full wall and can just paint a smaller area in a nice shape, like a house in the example above. It can be a backdrop for a play kitchen or desk and you can dress it up with shelves, hooks or bunting.
Or how about just painting a border in chalkboard paint, or a door?
If you are worried about painting a chalkboard directly onto a wall – for example if you are renting – then you can go for non-permanent chalkboard film that sticks to your wall. You can buy it in rolls and cut it in any desired shaped or have a design made for you by most wall sticker companies.
A framed blackboard that you can stand against the wall is another idea – make sure it is attached securely.
To create something special, add an eye-catching wall sticker or light letters to your chalkboard wall.
Do keep a place for chalks and a wiper nearby – a picture ledge is a good solution. Dust free chalks help keep down the mess, but a final note of caution: if your child’s room is carpeted, a chalkboard might not be a good idea as it will be more difficult to clean.
Happy decorating!
Sources (from top): kotivinnki, lundia, maxime brouillet, living agency, nordic design, the boo and the boy, kotopalapeli, rh baby and child, homedit, shanna murray, seletti, the boo and the boy.
