*Collaborative/sponsored post.
Has it really been 4 years since I last updated my daughter’s bedroom? My goodness, time flies. I have been thinking about doing a little revamp for a while now. For the past 6 months I’ve noticed my daughter is literally growing out of her toddler bed. I guess it makes sense. She’s no longer a toddler, she’s 7 years old and at school. My daughter has been asking for a big girl bed and a more ‘grown up’ room for a while now. She also told me that Hello Kitty (the theme of her old bedroom) was no longer her favourite, so I knew it was time for a change. This time I wanted to make sure that we create something a bit more timeless, but still fun and girly. I decided it’s best not to pick a theme and luckily my daughter agreed. I really don’t want to be replacing all the furniture in few years time again.
You can head over to my old post HERE to see what her ‘Hello Kitty’ room used to look like. It was very pink and perfect for a busy 3 year old.
My daughter was obsessed with Hello Kitty when she was 3, but her room was never really that practical. Not for a 7 year old anyway. I guess she spends her time differently in her room now. Back then it was all about playing with dolls and barbies and now she reads and does her homework in her room too. There’s still obviously a lot of play involved, but it’s different from when she was 3. Plus her little sister (who is 4) spends a lot of time there too playing with her, so practicality is very important. And storage! This time I wanted to make sure that every single item has its own place and unless it adds to the aesthetics (let’s be honest, most toys don’t) it’s put away when not in use (ie. in a storage basket, bedside locker, shelving etc). The great thing about 7 year olds is that they are able to tidy up their rooms, a lot more so than 3 year olds. I find that my daughter actually wants her new room to look clean and organised. Obviously her tidying skills aren’t quite the same as mine, but she is trying and I’m really proud of her making the effort. I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in the recent weeks. Clothes get folded and put away (rather than left in the corner). The biggest complaint is that her 4 year old sister has messed up her room, so I guess we still need to tackle that obstacle (at some point).
This make-over was quite easy in the sense that we didn’t need/want to change the wall colour. I still very much like the paint we used, Dulux Natural Hessian. It’s such a warm, neutral colour and it works nicely with different shades of pink too which is what my daughter wanted. I asked her for a lot of input in this make-over actually. This was the first time she actively showed an interest in decorating her room. What colours she wanted. What type of bed/desk she’d like. What her favourite artwork is etc. Obviously I pushed her to the right direction (knowing what would work) but I didn’t order anything without asking her first. Luckily she has inherited my minimalist taste (I think) and she pretty much loved everything l love. It was a lot easier than thought it was going to be.
Her new bed was the first item on our shopping list. I always buy the biggest furniture first and then design the rest of the room around it. It’s so important to measure everything in the initial stages. People often underestimate how much space furniture takes and end up buying furniture that is too big (or vice versa). The bedroom isn’t huge, so I wanted to get an extendable bed to maximise the space. I loved the look of the Ikea Minnen bed and read some great reviews about it. I also visited our local Ikea first to see it in person, but I was pretty much sold straight away. Luckily my daughter loved it too. It extends to 3 different lengths and we are currently using the mid option (165 cm). The bed extends up to 180 cm which is the size of a standard size bed. It was easy to assemble (according to my husband) and is very comfy. Of course we got the extendable sprung mattress to go with it too. The house shelves are few years old from H&M Home and the sleepy eyes wall stickers were an impulse purchase from Amazon. I do love how this little corner has turned out.
Since my daughter is at school, I knew she needed a proper desk. I didn’t want to buy kids furniture anymore. She’s 7 and uses our dining room table and chairs without any issues, so I figured she can use a grown up chair and desk too. The Micke desk from Ikea is the perfect design and size for this room. It’s small and sleek. It can also be extended with add-on units (if we feel like we need more storage space in the future). My daughter specifically asked for white furniture, but this desk is also available in black and oak effect. I paired the desk with the Eiffel chair (Eames inspired) from OnlyHome. It was the only shop that seemed to stock them in this divine pastel pink colour. We also bought the seat pad to add some extra comfort. If you’re planning to use this type of chair as a desk chair, you’ll need some padding.
I found the perfect paper bin from Umbra to go with the Micke desk. It’s such a pretty shade of pink and (almost) matches the chair. I always think it’s worth splurging on accessories as they tend to really transform the space. Plus they can be easily moved around the house if you fancy a change! Also, you may have noticed I’ve used quite a lot of wooden surfases in this make-over. If you’re going for a minimalist Scandi interior scheme, it’s really important to soften the look a little. Adding different textures (wood, rattan, feathers) adds extra cosyness to the room.
My daughter is trying really hard to keep her desk clean and tidy. We wanted to make sure that everything has its own place and is kept organised. Pens and stationery are always put away, so her younger sister cannot reach them (she still can’t be trusted). Personello kindly sent her this large personalised wooden treasure box (*gifted). It’s adorable, isn’t it? They specialise in personalised gifts that are perfect for any occasion. You can browse some Mother’s Day gift ideas here.
We installed the floating cube shelves ages ago and I still love them, hence I didn’t want to get rid of them. Floating shelving can give your home a little more room to breathe and an illusion of open space. They are great for displaying decorative items, but I wouldn’t place anything too heavy on them. I really do think they look best when they are kept clutter free. The white desk lamp was a total bargain (£15) from Habitat. It’s not adjustable, but since the desk is pretty small it does the job perfectly.
The pink reversible glass vase (*gifted) from Block Design looks perfect on the white desk. I always like to add a bit of colour with accessories when going for a minimal Scandi look. The gold wire wall grid is a few years old, but you can buy a similar one on Etsy. Always remember to pay attention to the details! I made sure we used gold nails to match the gold wall grid. Screwfix and ebay have a pretty good selection of decorative nails. I tend to use see-through Command hooks for lighter items.
I had to get rid of all the Hello Kitty wall art and replace it with something a bit more grown up. My daughter loved this Swan print (*gifted) by Brighton based Rocket Jack. Rocket Jack is a family business founded by husband and wife, Hannah and Simon. Simon designs and prints all the artwork, while Hannah takes care of pretty much everything else. I love their quirky, colourful prints and that the background colour is customisable. Naturally my daughter chose the pink background. I had it framed locally but you can also find some affordable A2 frames here.
My daughter wanted a bedside table that would be both functional and pretty. We decided to steer clear from matching furniture sets. There is no need for them really, yet most furniture stores would try to sell them to you. Anyway, don’t bother and feel free to get creative with the furniture in stead. I’ve been admiring the Kartell componibili storage unit for a while now and I knew it would be ideal as a bedside table in my daughter’s room. It’s perfect for storage either in the bedroom or bathroom. It’s particularly handy in the kid’s rooms as they’re really spacious inside and easy to use. I love this unit so much that I’m considering getting the bigger version for our bathroom. We chose the Umage feather lamp (size mini) as the bedside lamp with this table. It’s such a cute lamp and the perfect size to go with the componibili unit. It’s also a very safe choice for children’s rooms since it’s made of metal and feathers (ie. unbreakable).
I found the perfect chest of drawers from Argos. The Scandi inspired Bodie 3 Drawer Chest suits this space so well and it’s a really good size for storing clothes or linen. It took a long time to assemble though (few hours), but I was very happy with it in the end. You could buy matching furniture for this set, but like I said before I prefer to mix different styles together in stead. Also, if you have very young children, don’t forget to attach the furniture to the wall to prevent overturning.
I’m not a fan of the beige carpet (or carpets in general) and ideally we would have wood/laminate flooring in this room. Luckily Amara came to the rescue and sent us this pretty pink ‘Hippy Stars’ rug (*gifted) in colour vintage nude. It’s such a pretty shade of pink. I feel it really softens the look of this room. We also needed to add a bit of colour to this space and an area rug is perfect for the job. The rug is hand made in India and machine washable (which was a huge selling point for me). I haven’t washed it yet, but I’m sure it’ll be fine as long as you put it on a delicate cycle in 30 degrees. I love the star pattern and the size is ideal.
Amara also sent us the most practical wall tidy which is by Danish Ferm Living. This children’s dusty pink wall storage (*gifted) is a must-have in children’s rooms and playrooms. I love the house shaped design and that it has 9 different size compartments. It’s perfect for smaller toys or stationery. My daughter seems to have the tiniest toys these days and they just keep multiplying. She loves storing her most precious items at the top, so her little sister cannot reach them (yet). Don’t you just love sibling rivalry?
Eat Sleep Doodle also gave us a lovely Notebook pillow case *(gifted) to test. The washable pillowcase comes with wash-out fabric pens that you can draw and doodle with. My daughter had a lot of fun creating her designs and it washed perfectly in both 40 and 60 degrees (although they recommend 40 degrees). Such a great idea for birthdays and/or sleepovers! You can get 10% off with code DESIGN10 (discount code limited to one use per customer).
So, what do you think? I’m really happy with our little make-over and my daughter loves her new room (which is the main thing). It is such a grown up space compared to her old Hello Kitty room. It definitely was the right decision to stick to adult size furniture and accessorise with different shades of pink to give it a girlie feel. I’m also hoping that extendable furniture will save us some money in the long run. The room feels totally different and we didn’t have to do any structural changes or even change the wall colour. Easy peasy!
P R O D U C T L I S T
Minnen Bed – Extendable Sprung Mattress – Micke Desk – Desk Lamp – Eiffel Chair – Seat Pad – Cube Shelves – Gold Wire Notice Board – Pink Vase (* Gifted) – Swan Art Print (* Gifted) – Kartell Compinibili Storage Unit – House Shaped Shelves – Pink Bed Spread – Pom Pom Garland – Umage Feather Lamp – Light Box (*Gifted) – Treasure Box (*Gifted) – Wooden Waste Bin – Laundry Storage – Hippy Stars Rug by Amara Living (*Gifted) – Iittala Mariskooli Bowl – Gold Hanging Photo Frame – 3 Drawer Chest – House Shaped Wall Storage (*Gifted)- Washable Pillowcase by Eat Sleep & Doodle (*Gifted) – Woven Wall Hang (*Gifted, similar) – Seagrass Basket
