Doll House Renno

I was given my old dollhouse back from my sister after her two kids had enjoyed the house too, and decided to give it a much needed upgrade to 2015 after seeing over 30 years of wear and tear.... I'm not going to lie, the house was a shambles, windows all busted, floors all cracked the roof collapsing it was the ghetto of doll houses. It needed a facelift and it needed it yesterday and hey we had the dough to do it (how I wish the same could be said of our actual home hehe!)

This is the original house:

I told you it was a mess.....

First stop was to take apart the whole house and rebuild the window frames and eaves and then give the poor house a big sand down:

Once this had happened we were able to select the colour palette I opted for grey, white and aqua on the exterior and white and wallpaper on the interior. I was so stoked to be able to use this roll of wallpaper from Pulp Creative Paper I had been holding on to for years that I loved but could never find a home for!

with spray painted the shutters, front door and decrotive eave mouldings (god i love spray paint!)

We then sanded back all the inside of the house and stained the wooden floors a darker tone, in a gloss stain which gave the interior a real boost and we knew would also protect the house for many more years of playing to come.

Tah-Dah! I brand new bitching house:

The house keeps getting filled with random hobos we pick up along the way and is greatly aided by my dear friend who happens to work for Sylvanian Families (totally connected!) I freaking love how excited Sophia is to play with it everyday, she sits and imagines all kinds of dramas going on in her little house just like i did and her niece and nephew too- so cute to carry something special like a dollhouse on through generations. Who knows what it'll look like in another 30 years, maybe flat screens and hover beds?! 

Long live the awesome power of the imagination xx

Using Texture In A Nursery

The easiest way to create interest in any space is to layer and add texture. In nursery's we are able to explore the layers of linen and patterns creatively; which is probably why I love the changeable nature of designing these spaces. 

Here are some simple ways to create some layers in your bub's room:

Don't be afraid to mix patterns on the wall and floor:

Image: Sissy & Marley

Choosing contrasting patterns will create a vocal point for both you and your baby, just be sure that your space isn't too small otherwise this effect could really shrink the room

Try softening the space by adding fur rugs and draping fabric

Image: Stokke

Your baby will love rolling around on soft rugs, and adding a soft muslin wrap over their crib will add to the feeling of dreamy opulence. You can never go wrong with white!

Use your walls to the max

Image: LookSugar Etsy Shop

Your walls can convert to being functional and layering can break it up. Try for a range of shelves, mirrors and prints.

Mix up your textures

Image: Charleston Magazine

You needn't have all the same matching furniture in the nursery- I remember being quite certain that my daughters room would be all white wood, but mixing your finishes can give it a real depth that is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to work with as the child grows.

Most of all have fun with experimenting with different patterns and fabrics, remember it's your baby that will be gazing around at this room for hours on end so the possibilities are endless... Have fun with it and if in doubt hire a designer, they save you money and have extensive knowledge about what will work to maximise the use of each item you choose.

xx

James' Room Reveal

I was fortunate enough to design a new room for little James at the end of last year, he had just moved in to a new beautiful home and we got a blank canvas to work with. This is always an ideal way to start off a new room but I don't often get the chance to do this; so it was quite a treat. James and his parents stipulated the 2 things that he loves most in life- animals and transport- cars, boats, planes (toddlers general love obsessions).

With James needing pretty much all new furniture for his room, the first big decision was the bed- mum and dad wanted a trundle, I soon found the one that ticked all the boxes whilst keeping within the set allowance. Kids beds in Australia are still generally expensive, especially trundles and there's not as much variety in comparison to other countries. Mum also wanted to make sure there was a bookshelf and reading nook in James, which is always an important area to have in a kids room if you're able to. We wanted to keep the room clutter free and mellow, as James has a separate playroom that he can go crazy in and mess up. There is a tendency to go overboard in kids rooms- to jam as many things as possible in to every corner and while it's totally understandable if you're short on space, it's good to remember that this is meant to primarily be a soothing, calm space for your child to unwind and feel relaxed enough to sleep in without drama every day (at least that is the hope for us parents!) 

After a few drafts the final design board was confirmed and excitement began:

As you may have noticed from past works, I love wallpaper, it's ace! It's not always an option for clients (in fact I'd say that it's a rarity that I get to work with it) so when mum agreed that wallpaper would be more than okay, I jumped! Choosing it was so much fun.... I looked in to both car patterns and animals; the choice was hard but we went with this gorgeous Majvillan paper from Just For Kids Wallpaper that has the landscape of rolling hills and animals dotted through it, as I thought it would last him longer than some of the more babyish designs of trucks and cars and also be something that he could stare at and ponder about the animals and their adventures over the years. You may have seen the progress of the wall paper on our instagram account:

                             

I was really keen to add some cars to the room as I know James is a huge rev-head... I love using Love Mae decals their quality is so darn good, they last for  ages too without peeling off... I had some fun putting them on, they spread out a fair bit more than I had expected!

Thanks to my handy husband (the other half of Bright Kids Interiors) he was able to install and build all the furniture for the room on the day, including putting up these cool floating shelves;

Being able to display treasured tokens, favorite toys and memorabilia is so special especially in a child's room. We always love putting up shelving, whether it be the popular shadow boxes that are getting sso much love or the more traditional shelving, it's always a good idea. Here we displayed the Manly Ferry that James often goes on and a little birth poem that was given to him by a friend, it's these little touches that always add the element of whimsy and uniqueness.

The addition of the hot air balloons were something I thought would add some fun and keep with James' obsession with transport, I originally had them planned to hang from the floating shelves but knowing kids- that was likely to last about a minute, so we hung them in his reading corner. The rainbow colours reflect all around the room in the rug, pillowcase and felt garland. 

 The bookshelf I selected is from Hip Kids and I love it as it doubles as a display shelf and generous storage nook you can also flip over the front panel & use out as a chalkboard; told you it's cool! Loved how the blues in this area pop with the contrasting rainbow colours on the floor and roof.

I sourced the lamp to fit in with the tone of yellow that appears in the funky Sack Me bed linen we used, I like using these versatile Tre lamps as they can easily be used for a desk lamp as the child grows older and should last a long time to come.

I love placing clocks in kids rooms, this one is from Talo Interiors and is easy to read and unisex which is handy! The huge storage bag is from Babyography and mum was amazed that all the softies fit in to one spot! 

I feel so honoured to have worked with such a beautiful family that were so open to my ideas for their sons room, here's what the mum had to say about working with Bright Kids Interiors

"I am a busy mum and didn’t have the talent or time to decorate my son’s room (2.5 years old) so after seeing her work, I decided to contact Jen and then purchased the Complete Bright Package. We weren't sure what we wanted but knew it had to be bright and colourful. Jen put together some mood boards and room layouts that looked great. We selected the look we liked and Jen took care of all the rest. Once all the items arrived Jen bought them over and styled the room. My son loved it and was so excited! It was such a relief for me to have the room completely redesigned in such a quick and effortless manor, I can't wait to work with her again. I notice that everyone that comes over, always comments on how much they like the room and it gives me such pride. Thanks Jen for all your time and effort."

A huge thanks to Anthea Williamson for her stella photography skills.

I'd love to know you're response to James room, please feel free to leave them in the comments section…. 

Do you have a space that needs a bit of brightening up? Or any questions that you feel like shooting us, then Contact us today to begin that conversation...

Fruitopia

Wallpaper: Jimmy Cricket 

You may have noticed the total obsession with fruit in decor right now, it's deliciously fantastic! Not only does it freshen up your walls and furniture, it also subliminally encourages our little ones to eat up that tasty natural snack. I find myself singing along to Justine Clarke's "watermelon" song all the time when I spot new fruity items, and then inevitably my cheery toddler will ask for some yummy fruit... Win!

I've taken out the hard yards for you and sourced my faviorite fruity pickings that are on offer right now.

TOP PICKS!

Crochet Watermelon garland: Little Fox Crochet

Fruit Sonny Angels: Babyography

Fruit Salad Print: Society 6

Grape Honeycomb: Leo & Bella

Lemon Quilt Set: Talo Interiors

Crocheted Apple Pouf: Oobi

Banana Cushion: Made By Mosey

Watermelon Storage Bags: Pip and Sox

Pineapple Lamp: The Woodsfolk

Watermelon Woodblock: The Feather Tribe

MMMMM... SO MUCH FRUITY GOODNESS MIGHT HAVE TO GO FIND A PINEAPPLE TO MUNCH ON RIGHT NOW xx

A New Year- A New Style!

Styling a room is fairly simple and always the best bit of my job! I love the thrill of putting old and new treasures together and making them a home. If you're changing a room around or totally redoing it there are a few handy hints Ive learnt along the way of Property Styling and design work to pass along to you guys….

1) Create It
Postcards, Linen Tea Towels, drawings from friends are all things we have lying around that with some magic can be zapped to create a frame able artwork, that may possibly conjure some fond memories for your little one to look at everyday. I like to keep an eye out for zany postcards at markets and tea towels that scream "I can't be used I need to be framed!"

3) Mix'n'Match It
Yes the days of boring bed linen has totally evaporated and in turn, left us with so much more freedom when choosing bedding for our kids.... In keeping with their creativity I usually like to mix up pillowcases with quilts that might not ordinarily go together, sometimes that's the best surprise to see a group of stripes offset by some snappy polka dots. This also includes your cushions and soft toys too.

2) Vignette It
What's that catchy term that stylists love to use you ask? It's just a way of putting together a few key items that will flow and look great. Doing so in a kids room can be a great way to highlight space that may not otherwise get much attention. This is always a chance to use some of their treasured toys and books so choose wisely as it can be a way of preserving their life!
HOT TIP: Shelving is always an easy area to cluster, remember KISS (keep it simple stupid)

3) Grow It
I may have mentioned this before in a previous post>> cause I just LOVE to plants…. In every room of the house including kids rooms, I usually go with succulents to keep it simple, clean and easy to keep alive. I like to plant them in quirky pots like old teapots, jam jars or cylinders: let your imagination go wild

4) Bunt It
You may have noticed that most kids rooms that are styled by children interior designers usually have a garland or two draped around the artworks? It is an easy and effective way of softening up the wall space especially if the room is a nursery where you want to evoke a feeling of whimsy. Draping the garlands around the cot always looks lovely too just make sure it's never a safety issue as little hands do love to tug on strings.

Happy styling to you in 2015! xx

Shades Of Pastels

I recently posted this image on Facebook from Charlotte Love's blog

 and got a huge response, grey's and pastels in a nursery or child's room are the perfect combination of fun and soothing. I hear you say…. but it only works for girls rooms! Well no, it doesn't have to! Repainting a vintage cot a light duck-egg blue like the one below and popping a yellow Acapulco chair is a simple, achievable way of blending shades of sorbets in to your room.

A Petite blog

Let's have a look at what's put there for us to work with right now:

Pink print

Grey Deer sheets

Mint wall dots

Yellow Cabinet

Apple Cushion

Love Chair

Pistachio quilt set

Adding a complimenting wallpaper will be just the trick to set a subtle background, hanging found objects like plates and pom poms and your child's artworks will create a more homely feel to your sweet pastel inspired space…. Enjoy! xx

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