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)
Love French nursery design as much as I do? Then hop on over to My Baba where I’m showing you how to create this soft, nostalgic look and where to shop for it.
(images: atelier charivari, decopeques, laurette, the boo and the boy)
Mwah! I love xo-in my room‘s new candy circus cot in grey. But boy do I love their styling too.
Remember my mantra for nursery design – keep it simple? This image exemplifies what I mean by that. Of course this is a not real nursery, but you can keep your palette reduced – white with a whisper of grey, natural flooring – and let a feature wall or accent mural behind the cot take centre stage.
I love the combination of wallpaper patterns – artfully mismatched but unified by grey, and the contrast between pretty, delicate vintage florals and the unfussy, slightly raw look and feel of the cot. Well done Carina!
x
(image: xo-in my room)
And the winner of the Mimi’Lou Circus wall sticker giveaway is… Helen Dickinson! She was lucky number 5, chosen by the true random number generator. Congratulations Helen!
Thank you Petit Home for offering this super prize, and thank you everyone for participating and creating a buzz!
If you weren’t lucky this time, there’s always a next time : ) You can keep up to date with future giveaways by subscribing to the Room to Bloom newsletter at the bottom of this page, or subscribing to blog updates by email.
x Ursula
(image: mimi’lou)
I love Studio Ditte‘s wallpaper designs. You’ve probably come across their creations before – the scrapwood, robot, birdhouse and cars wallpapers for example. Though not all designed specifically for children, their wallpaper designs are eminently child-friendly and look great in kids’ rooms as an accent mural or feature wall.
In collaboration with BN Wallcoverings, Studio Ditte have recently released a new range of kids’ wallpaper inspired by toys of the past. The designs have a 1950s look and feel, with faded, aged colours and vintage style graphics.
The children’s collection includes small patterns using details from the main designs. It’s these that I find most appealing as they have a timeless quality to them – though they work beautifully with the main designs too. You can check out the full range here.
(images: studio ditte)
This sweet girl’s bedroom belongs to Kenzie who is four and a half years old. She lives with her mum and dad in a Scandinavian style home in Boise, Idaho, USA.
Kenzie’s room was decorated by her multi-talented mum Rachelle, editor and owner of everything gorgeous and kids La Petite Magazine and the Kenziepoo blog. To find out how to get the look of Kenzie’s room, take a look at this post here.
Rachelle’s best interior design advice for kids’ rooms: “I am all about built in’s! My daughter’s room is small so we had a good friend build her a beautiful desk for her room. I also would choose decor items that will grow with your child!”
Time now to find out a bit more about Kenzie! Tell us Kenzie…
♥ What is your favourite food? Spaghetti and pancakes.
♥ What is your favourite play thing? I like to play on my slide in my playroom. I got it at Ikea with my mom.
♥ What is your favourite colour? Green and purple.
♥ What is your favourite animal? A cheetah because they go super speed fast!
♥ Your favourite book? My favourite book is my Minnie Mouse book.
♥ Dresses & skirts or trousers? Dresses AND trousers!
♥ Where would you like to go one day? I would like to go to Disney World again this year.
♥ What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballerina.
♥ What is your favourite thing in your room? My desk which I play with my dolls and do my homework on.
♥ Which is your favourite duvet cover? I love the one that my mum got me from Oh My Kids.
Thank you Kenzie, it was great to meet you!
(images: kenziepoo)
