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I’m busy on an exciting project – decorating my daughters bedroom on a budget so this guest post about creating a magical room for your daughter is just perfect timing. I think you will agree there are some great tips here!
When it comes to making your little girl’s dream of becoming a princess come true, where better to start than with her bedroom? We’ve put together a guide to turning a plain old room into something enchanting:
Choose girly shades, but in an innovative way
You may be tempted to plaster the walls with baby pink paint or magenta wallpaper, but why not give the room a more stylish edge that will let the extra special accessories you fill it with stand out even more? Consider going for a neutral colour like beige for the walls, with a grown-up edge courtesy of one feature wall in chocolate brown as HGTV suggests? Now have fun with bold curtains, bedding, lamps and rugs to give it that playful streak.
Get arty
If it’s not practical to paint the walls, perhaps because you rent your home, why not hang a brightly-coloured piece of art in the centre of the largest wall? Even better, spend an afternoon creating a masterpiece with your little girl – she’ll love having her own work in pride of place!
Think long term
Choosing a simple but comfy white bed like one from the range here will allow you to go as wild or as subtle as you like with the rest of the décor, without it clashing with the central feature. It’ll also allow you to change the room’s style in the future, without having to change the bed.
Let her feel all grown up
Every girl loves a dressing table, so make sure it’s a feature of her newly-styled room. Match it to the bed for a neat and stylish finish.
Bring in the fairies
Fairy lights in the bedroom look fantastic for the festive season, but they needn’t just be for Christmas! Pink fairy lights around a bed, curtain rail or mirror will create a magical atmosphere that’s for a fairytale princess!
Image source: weheartit.com
If she’s not into pretty pink…
Not all little girls want a typically girly room: create something that is young and fun with a pop-art-inspired room. Think graphic patterned rugs, citrus-bright walls and a rainbow of cushions on the bed. White furniture and a white ceiling will ensure the look doesn’t become overpowering, and opt for curtains or blinds in light colours, to ensure the room still gets maximum daylight to keep it feeling fresh and inviting.
Image source: myhomerocks.com
Last week I was invited by Ekornes, makers of the famous stressless furniture, to visit the Grand Designs Live exhibition. Having watched Grand Designs faithfully for years I was excited to see what and who would be there. With over 500 exhibitors across all areas of interiors, gardens, home improvement, self-build, renovations and technology, I knew it would be a busy day! The show was absolutely buzzing, packed with people from all walks of life, young and old, from shoppers in search of the latest foodie gadget to couples actually building their own houses (with blue prints and all – jealous!).
I started off in the interiors section as this is after all, my biggest love. I adored walking the aisles and admiring the beautiful products and rooms sets. It definitely appealed to my expensive taste (I have a distinct knack of choosing the most expensive thing in a shop although strangely I’m actually hardly materialistic at all!). Saying this I could easily have spent a million pounds here and it was very enjoyable to do an imaginary shop with my partner and dream up our beautiful ideal home, down to which hot tub we would choose!
From the interiors section we moved onto the eco home area which was fascinating and inspirational and then onto self build where we let our imaginations run wild. Moving onto the gardens area which showcased a gorgeous array of luxury hot tubs, modern gazebos and small outhouses for guest lodgings. The food section was all about feeding yourself, trying new flavours and gadgets and was packed! We squeezed our way through to the kitchen and bathroom section which was all about the latest technology and luxury must haves.
As it was very much a visual feast, here is my photographic report featuring my absolute favourites from the show! Enjoy :)
This ship come bench appealed to my love of the coast and mermaids soul ;)
I have a cupboard very much like this in my house and I adore it. But now I want this one too!
Stressless office chair. You have NO idea how comfy the stressless furniture is until you have tried it. I swear it is made of dreams and bouncy clouds…
Love this way of storing firewood!
I’ve always liked storing books like this. Price tag was rather large on this bookshelf though :/
Amazingly fun kid’s bedroom. I’ve taken some inspiration from this and am planning on redoing Littlelish’s bedroom soon. Watch this space.
I am still a lot in love with geometric patterns
This would be amazing for Littlelish. Such clever, thoughtful design.
This is our new hot tub ;)
I thought this was a really interesting way of personalising glass. You could have anything set inside it!
Some really fab kitchens. This one is by Miele and featured some pretty impressive technology. Made me realise how old school my kitchen is, but I love it just the same :)
Immense hanging tent!
I really adored the originality of this buckle table by Halo
I love the movement and elegance of this design.
Fascinating zero bills house. Food for thought indeed.
Fab way of displaying record covers by Art Vinal
Reborn paint. Totally natural paint.
I would love this office. Very, very me.
Not sure about the decor but I love the idea of a covered round table for dining al fresco with friends.
This room was designed with originality as the theme. I just love mixing and matching old and new and finding interesting peoples that appeal to your personality.
What about you? See anything that you fancy for your dream home?
About Ekornes
Ekornes ASA is the largest furniture manufacturer in the Nordic region, owning such brand names as Ekornes, Stressless and Svane. The company’s vision is to be one of the world’s most attractive ergonomically designed suppliers of furniture for the home. Through their brand Stressless, they have one of the most famous furniture brands on the planet, while Ekornes and Svane are household names on the Norwegian market. The business concept of the organisation is to provide products that appeal to a broad audience in terms of both price and design; as well as manufacturing furniture that offers both excellence when it comes to comfort and functionality.
Stressless
The Stressless recliner was introduced by Ekornes in 1971, developed to provide the body with the ultimate in comfort and support while sitting upright or reclined. This philosophy of offering comfort has been a commitment for decades and is a vital part of the pursuit of perfecting the ultimate seating comfort in the current range of recliners and sofas.
I have taken so many beautiful pictures over the years, most are hidden away in folders on my computer, some make it onto facebook and occasionally they even make it into a frame!
Since moving into the new house I’ve decided that I want to be surrounded by more photographs. They capture happy times, memories and love and who doesn’t want to surrounded themselves with that?
One thing I have always loved but never actually done, is canvas printing. I don’t really know why! It is such an affordable way to create a big statement on your wall. Pictures of family and friends or beautiful shots of places you’ve been, give a talking point and that unique touch of your own personality.
So when Your Image 2 Canvas offered a £50 voucher for me to review their canvas prints I jumped at the chance. I was only faced with the dilemma of which photo to choose, I have so many beautiful ones that I love! My gorgeous Littlelish would have to be the subject but now to sort through and find the perfect one…
I loved the recent photo I took on my phone with her fairy wings on, unfortunately the quality of my phone camera is not great so I had to opt for a larger image taken with a camera. This was on the advice of the extremely helpful and patient team at Your Image 2 Canvas who looked over the initial phone image I sent them and even tried to sharpen it. In the end I went for the beautiful picture I took at last years Wilderness festival. She looks so happy and pure with a little sparkly gold butterfly on her cheek. It was a high quality image and they quickly set to print.
The website where you place your order is extremely user friendly and has very clear instructions guiding you to choose exactly what size, depth, edging you would like on your canvas. You can also select if you would like it in black and white or sepia. I opted for a large coloured square (30 inches x 30 inches), deep canvas with the image wrapping around the edges. It cost a total of £58.99 which for an artwork of that size I thought was rather affordable.
Within a day (yes one day! If you order before 3pm your product is shipped for free to you the following day) my finished product was there waiting for me in the porch. Eeeek! I was so excited to see how it had turned out and I am pleased to say it is absolutely beautiful! The print quality and finish is perfect and I really couldn’t be any happier with it.
I’ve already had both the visitors that came to my house since yesterday ask me where I ordered it from! So if you are looking for some personalised wall art I can definitely recommend checking out Your Image 2 Canvas and the huge variety of options they have available. Thank you Your Image 2 Canvas!
A home is so important. It’s the place you spend most of your time, where you create memories. As an extremely visual/aesthetic person it’s only natural that when I am surrounded by beauty I feel happier (I guess this is the same for most of us). For me living in a beautiful home, in beautiful surroundings is one of the key things in life that makes me happy. As a creative, I also need it to be an inspiring place. The house we live in now is small and perfectly formed, just right for me and Littlelish. We have a country cottage kitchen and a lovely garden, both of which we spend most of our time in.
Although it is perfect for where we are right now, I dream about the future (because you’ve always got to dream haven’t you?), about where we will be living a few years down the line. I just love property and interior design and one of my favourite things to do is check out lush properties I may consider living in if I were a millionaire ;) It can’t just be me that does this right?
I have an absolute obsession with Georgian houses, they are by far my favourite. It’s something about the elegance and symmetry, they always seem so gracious and light.
So my dream house today is this little beauty on the market with Savills based up in East Lothian (Innerwick). I know I know I’m not really going to be up-footing it all the way to Scotland but this is a dream right?
Mansewood is a stunning, secluded, B Listed Georgian property which dates from 1726 with later additions in 1830. The magnificent Palladian front elevation has a central Doric portico and classic fanlight over the front door.
I’m sold! How about you?
The house looks like a lovely family property with 5 bedroom, 3 reception rooms, 3 bathrooms & shower room, plenty big enough for us! As would be expected in any period house it has a host of gorgeous period features like flagstone flooring, log burning stoves, open fires, a free standing roll top bath and a double Belfast sink (I have a Belfast sink in my house at the moment and I LOVE it!) An absolutely stunning sweeping stone staircase takes you upstairs. Oh my goodness just imagine the photographs I could take in this house, swoon!
Most importantly for me the house is light. I love houses flooded with light! It has high ceilings, amazingly large windows and I just love how the walls have been left very neutral and light, a perfect backdrop for gorgeous furniture and art. It also lets the beauty of the building really speak for itself i think :)
The modern and new have also been merged well in the house as it has a lovely contemporary kitchen, again with those luscious windows and a cool zinc roofed extension which I think works well.
The house also comes with an annexe, Dad that could be for you? And did I mention it has a walled garden (Oh I just love the magic of a walled garden), a productive kitchen garden AND fruit trees including plum and apple?
Yes this is most certainly my dream home! Anyone got a spare £620,000 for me?
Image source: www.increation.co.uk
Sometimes when you flick though slick interiors magazines it’s hard to imagine some of the rooms after five minutes with your little tribe. But with careful thought it is possible to combine a stylish home and a fun family life.
The first thing you need to consider is whether your space is to be shared with the children or dedicated to them. Bedrooms are clearly dedicated spaces, whereas living areas may be combined. If you have enough reception rooms it may be possible to have a family or kids room separate to an entertaining place strictly for adults only.
Vincent from London interior designer Increation says he has clients from both camps; “some are happy to have spaces dedicated for the children in their lives and like to keep them separate from the ‘good living room’ and the ‘nice furniture’, whereas others like to have the whole family involved in every room.”
Dedicated space
A dedicated space for kids can be great fun to design and live with. Bold bright colours teamed with clever materials and storage make it easy for the kids to please themselves, but still have a cool room to share with friends and family.
Image source: www.pinterest.com
Bedrooms can be really fun to design for kids, as unlike adult bedrooms they are so much more than a place to rest. In smaller kids’ rooms the range of beds that share the floor space with seating, study room or clothes storage is now huge, and the climb up to the high bed makes bedtime into an adventure they are keen to take part in. Such a piece of furniture leaves more floor space for play or seating depending on the child’s age and there is a huge market in play mats and seating to suit a vast range of themes.
Image source: www.pinterest.com
Dedicating a downstairs room for little ones is also great fun. Clever hideaway bespoke storage can be installed in simple white to last through the different ages and phases they will pass through without major redesign every few years. Deep sliding drawers that hold Lego today can be the computer game storage of tomorrow.
Image source: www.pinterest.com
Bean bags and soft furnishings can be scattered around large storage boxes for toys which can be converted to a coffee and chat area for pre teen girls later on, by replacing or updating fabrics used. Carefully designed book cases will grow with the children too, as their reading habits change and cool shelves with lots of different spaces and levels can be used to display any number of other things if they don’t turn out to be big readers.
Shared spaces
If you need or want to have a room for shared family use, you don’t have to miss out on the fun. You can decide to embrace the child friendly look and centre your design around it, or use clever materials and furniture to minimize the children’s effect on a room.
Image source: www.pinterest.com
For example, to embrace the look you could choose some of this season’s bright limes, yellows and blues with easily washable fabrics and throws to build up a great colour palette that will mean toys and books that are left lying around don’t look too out of place. You can choose some classic artwork either direct from children’s literature – think Quentin Blake or Oliver Jeffers -to tone with the colours and bring a sense of mischief to the room. For older kids, bolder colours and some comic strip or pop art like Roy Lichtenstien could team with smooth white walls and large windows for a studio look to wow visitors of all ages.
Image source: www.pinterest.com
Again, clever storage is a must. A smooth wall of fitted units can hide a multitude of sins and there are many tables, stools and chairs on the market, which hide away more goodies! Make sure too that all flooring and furniture can survive hard knocks unless you are going for the rustic or distressed look, which could fit nicely with the latest trends for natural materials.
Image: www.winster.org
Littlelish and I moved into our new house just over a month ago. It’s lovely. I knew the first time I viewed it that this was going to be a place I would be happy in, which was important to me. Sure it might not be the most practical of places, it’s a 200 year old stone cottage, it’s cold, has oil central heating and tiled floors. But hey it’s nothing the woodburner and a pair of slippers can’t fix :)
I was right, it is definitely a happy place, I knew the charm of stone walls, beams, woodburner and a country kitchen would do it for me…. and they most certainly do. Even when my Littlelish goes off to see her daddy I don’t feel alone, this house is my company. It lives and breathes and has a sweet soul about it. It’s tiny but that makes me feel safe. Its pretty much 2 up, 2 down and I call it my hobbit house, even I bang my head on the door frames and I’m only 5’7!
Space is definitely something we struggle with though so I’m on a mission to find practical storage solutions for every room. Despite being a Capricorn I don’t really do massively practical at home, or maybe I do and I’m doing myself a disservice?… I do try!
The main issue at the moment is toy storage! Why are toys so bloody messy? And why are they either tiny and fiddly (I find little moshi monsters or Sylvanian family bottles in every corner of my house) or large and weirdly shapen = impossible to put away? I need some serious help with toy storage!!
In search of some affordable, sturdy options for toy storage I visited Littlewoods who have some fantastic options available and guess what they have a sale on! Hallelujah. These are my favourite options for tidying up those messy toys.
While I was online I also had a little nosy around the other things available at Littlewoods. I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of cool stuff for the house. Did you know they stock Graham and Brown, Julien MacDonald and designs by Laurence LB? There is some seriously lush bits to be found…
I had a little play with a moodboard for restyling Littlelish’s room. What do you think? I’ve always like to keep children’s rooms beautiful and stylish as well as child friendly. I just love this butterfly wallpaper and the white/multicoloured theme, food for thought indeed :)
I don’t know about you, but I love having guests to visit, whether it’s a grand affair celebrating a special occasion, or just a cosy night in with friends. There’s one thing I’ve noticed in recent years, though, and that’s that some interiors are far better suited to entertaining than others.
However, I’ve also discovered there are some simple pieces of furniture and other accessories you can invest in that’ll transform virtually any space into a lovely place for entertaining. It’s all about little tricks with lighting, how you lay out your furniture and how relaxed you make your guests feel.
Image source: notonthehighstreet.com
1) Fairy lights
I thought I’d start with something small and simple. Now, fairy lights may be typically associated with Christmas, but they can actually be very effective for use in the evening at any time of year. For example, if you are having a few friends over for wine and a catch-up, a few fairy lights can help create a lovely cosy atmosphere. They can also be great for adding a little extra sparkle to birthdays and anniversaries.
Image source: moroccanbazaar.co.uk
2) Moroccan lamps
If you have something more sophisticated in mind, though, I recommend buying a Moroccan-style floor lamp. I think these are absolutely perfect for creating a really sociable ambience; I often find ultra-modern looking lights seem to lack atmosphere, so something more decorative is perfect for me.
Moroccan lamps usually come in iron, brass or copper and are really ornate, so they’re fantastic if you’re looking for something a little unusual. If you’re planning quite a casual gathering, the lamps that sit directly on the floor are perfect. You can also get more traditional-style lamps on stands, however, which could be better when you have a lot of people visiting, since they are less likely to be knocked over.
Image source: Jonathan Adler
3) Throws
As you have probably noticed, I consider creating a relaxed atmosphere to be one of the most important parts of making your home party-friendly. I think throws are fantastic accessories for this – especially if you pick out something ultra-soft in bold colours.
Not only do these make your furniture even more comfortable than normal, but they can also help to protect it in the event of little spills – there always seem to be some at a party! If you can, invest in several that coordinate with one other. This will to make sure the overall look is coherent rather than chaotic.
Image source: The nomadic sun
4) Folding screens
Another fantastic accessory, a folding screen can be used in all sorts of ways. Firstly, if you are planning to entertain just a few people in quite a large room, a pretty partition like this is a wonderfully simple way to make the space more compact and cosy.
Secondly, it can also be a good means of organising your party. For instance, if you want to lay out a table of nibbles in advance, but would rather unveil them later in the evening, you can tuck them behind a screen like this, folding it away when it is time to eat.
Image source: sunset.com
5) Unusual plants
My final tip is using flowers and other plants to create different looks. If you’re entertaining in the summer, for instance, you can fill the room with all kinds of fresh flowers.
This might not seem so appropriate – or easy! – when winter arrives, but I think this gives you an excellent opportunity to be more creative. Twisted willow looks particularly striking, and you can easily decorate it with all sorts of things, from little lights to miniature paper lanterns or jewelled baubles.
What’s the old adage? Trends come and go but style remains forever. Whatever your taste is; classic, glam, country chic, I believe the most important thing when it comes to style is that it reflects who you are. Your style, what ever it may be, is unique to you, a reflection of your personality and your soul. That’s why I think it is so important to surrounded yourself in your home by things you love and things that inspire you…
After recently being interviewed for a magazine about my interior style I’ve been thinking about just how to sum up my taste, it’s difficult really as just like a personality it has many facets. I’d probably use the following adjectives; natural, unusual, charming, rustic, antique, design, solid. I particularly like wood, a feeling of warmth, soft knitted fabrics, a real variety of textures and soft, light colour palette with the occasional zing of colour – I love colour! Everything that appears in my home has a meaning to me, a sentiment, a memory of a far off place visited or a personal connection.
I love finding ways to personalise your own interior space and recently I stumbled across ohpopsi.com a great website where you can create your own unique feature wallpaper by uploading your own image. I love it. The possibilities are endless, you could use a gorgeous photograph of a special place or if like me you are creative you could create an original artwork, scan it in, give it a little work on illustrator and turn it into your own wallpaper. If you aren’t feeling so inspired then let ohpopsi inspire you with 1000′s of images to suit every taste and style. They can even source or create an image especially for you if you put in a request. So clever! Here are some fab examples I found…
I’d love this shabby brick wallpaper. I always love these rough looking type of walls but can imagine living with a real one would not be ideal – perfect solution!
This night sky wallpaper could make an amazing, atmospheric backdrop to a children’s bedroom
What an amazing, eye catching feature wall this would make! I love it!
Every so often you spot something that just speaks to your soul. Yes I know, it’s a bean bag but oh my, what a bean bag. Soft, warm, cuddly… I imagine it’s like sitting on a little cloud in heaven :) Designed by a duo of Dutch stylists, Sam and Anita at Zilalila and handknitted in Nepal at a fair trade unit using the finest New Zealand wool. Available in white, grey and brown from www.laviejolie.com. Not cheap but then can you put a price on perfection?
I absolutely adore the AW12 interior trend for faux wallpapers. Inspired by beautiful textures, often impossible or incredibly expensive to create on your wall in real life… Think faux bois, leather, antique mirrors, suede, sea grasses, velvet, tiles, wild animal hides and reptile skins. The effect is more »
I absolutely adore the AW12 interior trend for faux wallpapers. Inspired by beautiful textures, often impossible or incredibly expensive to create on your wall in real life… Think faux bois, leather, antique mirrors, suede, sea grasses, velvet, tiles, wild animal hides and reptile skins. The effect is absolutely stunning, a highly original and distinctive look, bringing texture and dimension to your walls. I LOVE it!
So where do you begin to look for such inspired wallpaper? Well… I’d like to introduce you to the wonderful world of Fabric and Papers. Fabric and Papers is an online stockist of fabulous wallpapers and fabrics, as well as other interior goodies. Their range is just enormous!
Would you believe me if I said I spent a rather large amount of my evening yesterday surfing the site and consequently imagining wallpapering each and every one of my rooms? And I have never even wallpapered a wall in my life but I am about ready to learn! The question is do I have a wall deserving enough of such gorgeous paper?
Normally I’d only feature one item on a style spot but today I just can’t decided so I thought I’d share a few of my favourites with you. Do go and take a look for yourself at what they have to offer though because their really is something for every wall and style.
I’m a freelancer in creative marketing with a background in design and styling but when I'm not working I'm doing the most important job in the world, being mummy to my beautiful little girl! I love to create and craft and have a passion for colour and beautiful detail. This blog is all about my life, my amazing daughter, my inspirations and creations!
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