I’m very very happy that Rosie’s nursery is featured in GoodHomes’ June edition as part of an article about my clients’ house renovation. You can read the full article and more about the inspiration for her green room on my Press page here.
(images: goodhomes)
January is nearly over, and I nearly forgot to post that I was invited again by Livingetc to share some tips and ideas for modern kids’ rooms! The Kids’ Rooms feature in their January issue shows you how to create a perfect space for your child in four easy steps – it’s packed with useful advice on style, storage, walls & floors, furniture and lighting.
I was in good company too: Jenny Dalton of LittleBig magazine, Caterine Hooper from children’s boutique Little Baby Company, Jane Bonsor at textile house Korla, and Matthew Tillman at home technology specialists Tillman Domotics all shared their best design tips for children’s rooms in this inspiring article.
Missed the Kids’ Rooms issue? Fret not. There’s still a chance to read the article on my Press page here.
(images: livingetc)
I’m pleased to announce the winner of the Photowall mural competition that I ran over Christmas and New Year. The random number generator picked number 51, which means Jo Kelly is the lucky winner. Congratulations Jo!
Many thanks to Photowall for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway, and to all of you who entered – there were some amazing ideas there. I have some new competitions for you in the pipeline, so if you’d like to be kept up to date make sure to sign-up to the Room to Bloom newsletter at the bottom of this page.
x Ursula
(image: nu agency via photowall)
There has been a big trend for photo realistic animal prints on kids bedding of late, and now that H&M have joined the party, I couldn’t resist doing a ‘high vs low’ post.
So, let’s have a look at the range. First off (left) on the highest end of the scale is the iconic, beautiful kids bedding from Danish designers By Nord. The 135 x 200cm size costs £92 and is available here. (I’ve also posted on their new baby bedding range here.)
Mid-range: Bob the dog from Snurk bedding (above right). I love this design so much, as it’s simple (no repeat print on the pillow case) and imaginative – I would have loved a dog sleeping on my bed when I was little. Bob loves stealing sandwiches from the kitchen counter apparently, which makes him even more appealing (read more about him here). Snurk ship from the Netherlands – the single size 140 x 220cm is approximately £47 plus postage.
On the budget end of the scale, H&M has now also included two animal print kids duvet sets as part of their recently launched H&M Home Kids collection (which includes some nice, modern, not-too-sweet designs by the way, so do check it out). The husky puppy and baby rabbit sets cost £14.95 each – I was surprised to see that they are made from organic cotton at this price. I’m still trying to make my mind up about the design ‘cross-pollination’. What do you think – and which do you prefer?
(images: By Nord, Snurk, H&M)
Playtime Paris took place from 7-9 July – I wasn’t able to go, but my friend Amélie Joncquez from Petit Home was happy to step in. Today she reports on the kids interiors trends she spotted in Paris…
Hello, I’m Amélie. I spent last Monday at Playtime Paris looking for new items that give a fresh look to children’s spaces for my online shop petit home.
Playtime is a trade fair dedicated to high end children’s fashion, décor and maternity. It takes place twice a year in Paris and is one of the loveliest trade shows for children (and always a good excuse to go to Paris and visit friends!).
I was inspired by 3 main trends:
1. Vintage & romantic - Subtle, soft, muted tones of pink, green and orange (very Parisian I think) and floral prints. Look out for musical stars and clouds by Nini la duchesse, ultra soft bedding and funky prints from Jack n’a qu’un oeil, pretty patterns by ie boutique, and Tiny Tales story boxes from Tiphaine mangan.
2. Black & white - I loved the new cushions from Atsuyo et Akiko.
3. Modern & bright - Neon colours and bright dots everywhere! Great dolls and cushions from Atsuyo et Akiko again. This trend is very evident in kids fashion, for example Chat méchant shoes and Noé & Zoë Berlin.
(images: amélie joncquez, tiphaine mangan)
Yesterday was a good news day: Room to Bloom won a #WOW award!
The #WOW award was created by Jacqueline Gold, the hugely successful Chief Executive, entrepreneur and businesswoman behind the Ann Summers and Knickerbox brands, so that she could use her reach and influence to promote and champion other women in business. I was jumping up and down when I heard the news, it’s so nice to receive a bit of recognition and what she said just put the widest smile on my face: “I love your portfolio – the effort and attention to detail you put in is exquisite”. There is that smile again!
Three winners are announced on Twitter every Wednesday (WOW = Women On Wednesday). Congratulations to fellow winners My Travel Surprise (things to do for kids on the road!) and Fashion Bloodhound (hunting down pre-loved designer wear). If you’d like to enter the #WOW awards, there’s a great post by former winners Philosophy Flowers with lots of information about the award and an interview with Jacqueline over here. Fingers crossed!
x Ursula
On Monday I visited Bubble London, the bi-annual kids trade show here in London. Bubble concentrates on kids fashion, but fashion and interiors do influence each other so it was a good opportunity to sample the mood for spring/summer 2013. (If any of the Bubble London organisers are reading this: can we please have more interiors in future shows so we don’t have to travel to Paris and Amsterdam if we want to see both? Thank you!)
Here is an impression of my visit. My eye was drawn to candy and neon colours, combined with grey and white and raw materials such as scrap wood and cardboard.
1. New kids on the block Corby Tindersticks offer some awesome quirky toys and posters. And had a dino with an orange afro on their stand.
2. Little Creative Factory, founded by two architects from Barcelona, showed the most beautiful swimsuits and INCREDIBLE totes at what was easily my favourite stand.
3. Some nice geometric patterns in fresh colours from Kidscase.
4. Beautiful simple dresses from Little Troll.
5. Neon sandals from MAA.
6. Piet Hein Eek scrap wood wallpaper at the stand of Little Creative Factory.
7. Rockin’ wellies and jewel colours at I Love Gorgeous.
8. Love this print T-shirt from Red Urchin.
9. A cute cap from Little Creative Factory again – these girlfriends rock : )
For those wishing to read more about the trends for spring summer 2013, I recommend having a look at the trend reports over at Zoe & Drew, Little Scandinavian, and Smudgetikka. Enjoy!
(images: room to bloom)
I’m excited to share that one of my nursery designs is featured in June’s Mother & Baby magazine. You can read the feature in my Press section here.
(image: mother & baby magazine, room to bloom)
Designed by Dutch artist Louise van der Veld, the Chic-a-Dee smoke detector has finally arrived in the UK. I’ve long wondered why there are so few interesting and good looking smoke detectors on the market, but with this quicky bird shaped smoke alarm things are starting to change. It was originally intended for children’s spaces, but its playful design would look great in any room.
The Chic-a-Dee smoke alarm takes its name and appearance from the American Black-Capped Chickadee, a bird famed for its noisy warning call. Apart from the white bird on a white branch shown here, it’s also available in pink, blue, and white on a black branch. I prefer the all white version as the pink and blue are a bit too traditional for my taste, and I don’t really see the need to make it stand out against what is usually a white ceiling. It complies with all required safety standards and is available here.
(images: chic-a-dee)
I’m in love with these photos of the Lulu Cradle and Mokuba rocking horse from Danish design company Brdr. Krüger. Don’t you just love the colours?
In 1963, the Lulu Cradle was designed by prominent Danish designer Nanna Ditzel, and became a highly collectible example of modern Danish craftsmanship. All of Ditzel’s grandchildren slept in a Lulu Cradle, passing one cradle back and forth between family members over the years.
As part of the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Brdr. Krüger, the Lulu Cradle will be reproduced in a limited numbered edition of 200 pieces, in close cooperation with Nanna’s first daughter, Dennie.
Mokuba is the Japanese word for “rocking horse”, and the Japanese/Danish design duo O&M Design created this wooden playmate. In honor of their 125th anniversary, Brdr. Krüger will be producing Mokuba for the first time, also in a limited numbered edition of 200.
For enquiries contact Brdr Kruger directly. Thank you Toni at Skandivis for tipping me off!
Have a lovely week everyone!
x Ursula
