Curbly

Makeover Tour: A Colorful and Quirky "Big Girl Room" Bedroom Makeover

I'm super, super excited about our Makeover Tour today! It's kids and pets month here at Curbly, and to celebrate we're getting a behind the scenes look at this colorful, personality-filled bedroom any kid (or grown-up) would love. Check it out!       

About:

Bobby Rabbit - For Little Treasures (www.bobbyrabbit.co.uk) was founded in November 2012 by Nicky King, a mum from the UK with a passion for unique and stylish children’s interiors, beautiful toys and innovative party ideas.

Having built her career in Paris and London creating inspirational children’s spaces, Nicky combines her unique vision and eye for beautiful products with her experience as a mother of two young children to bring you a source of exciting ideas for your little ones. This includes product reviews, exclusive giveaways, and bespoke interior design and room makeovers.

Named after her very own favorite childhood soft toy, Bobby Rabbit unites the very best products and brands for babies and children under the age of eight in one place, under one roof. These “little treasures” are carefully hand-picked by Nicky, with the aim that one day, they will be as special and memorable to your child as Bobby was to her.

Name:  Nicky King, founder of Bobby Rabbit

Project: “Grey and White, Neon and Bright”: Nicky designs and creates a magical space for her 2-year-old daughter as she moves from her first nursery into her “big girl room”.

Budget: £1500 (approximately $2,250)

Tell us a bit about this space and what inspired you to tackle a makeover!

Our home was built in the 1920s, with period features, high ceilings, large bay windows and lots of light. Since moving in just over four years ago, we have re-designed and re-decorated almost every room, leaving only the spare room which we had set aside for our daughter Eloise, now aged 2½. The room is at the front of the house and faces west, so is bright and sunny all afternoon and evening. It is a large space with plenty of room for sleeping and playing, and a beautiful bay window overlooking our neighborhood. 

With a new baby brother arriving in June, and Eloise outgrowing her nursery, the time had come to make the transition not only to a bigger bed but to a bigger room, too: A room that would excite and inspire her vivid, 2-year-old imagination; a bright and playful space that was at the same time stylish, beautiful and timeless.

Did you start with a clear vision for this room or did the design evolve over time? What elements did you simply have to have?

I had a pretty clear vision. I wanted to create a space that reflected Eloise’s vivacious personality, appealing to her now as a 2-year-old but that she wouldn’t outgrow too quickly. A space that she would grow to love, and in return, would grow with her.

Pink and princesses were a no-go. Instead I saw a simple and unfussy setting, layered with eclectic, colourful accessories that would inject a youthful and playful energy into the room.

I was inspired by an image of a hand-made fabric play den on Pinterest – I loved the neon ribbons and trims on the contrasting crisp, white fabric. Transforming this image into the overall room design, I opted for clean, white gloss furniture with bright neon room accessories. In addition, I chose a medium soft grey for the walls – a calm, neutral colour that worked beautifully with the white gloss whilst setting off the highlights of neon.

The play den became the key feature of the whole room, and the rest of the room design grew from there.

What were your main sources for design inspiration?

I sourced the original image of the den through Pinterest, which is an incredibly inspiring place for ideas.

At the same time, by researching content for the rest of my blog I was seeing a big neon trend (in particular in fashion) - and I was keen to experiment with bringing this look into children’s interiors. In particular, there are some fabulous French brands that specialize in children’s design and are already responding to this trend within their  collections, including OMY and Deuz (who designed most of the wall art in Eloise’s bedroom), and La Cerise sur le Gateau (who designed the cushions). In the UK, Showler & Showler have a bold and colorful, graphic style that is appealing to both children and adults.

Any setbacks, hiccups, or unexpected design dilemmas? How did you solve them?

Finding the right shade of grey! I never imagined it would be so tricky - too lilac, too blue, too green, too warm, too cold… I quite literally tried fifty shades before finding the perfect color for the walls. 

What is your favorite new feature of this space? Eloise's?

The cloud wallpaper by Swedish brand Farg and Form really helps to make a statement and tell a story by setting the scene for the play den. It also helps to distinguish the den corner from the other areas of the room. The ceramic bird light suspended above the den, as well as the flying penguin print complement the cloud wallpaper, giving the corner an imaginary outdoor feel.

Eloise’s favorite element is the rabbit night light next to her bed (which she has named “Peter Rabbit”) – we hear her talking and singing to the rabbit way past bedtime, and we nearly always find him tucked up in bed with her a few hours later...

Your proudest DIY moment?

Making the den was a challenge – but a worthwhile one! The result is something totally unique and special that cost significantly less than other ready-made playhouses.

What advice would you give others about to start on their own room makeover?

Plan, plan - and plan some more! It’s a good idea to set out by gathering images of rooms, color schemes and specific products that you like. Pull them together on a mood board to cement your vision for the room and consider how they all look together. This was really helpful when picking the accessories for Eloise’s room. For example, when choosing the wall art, I could ensure that the colors worked together despite being from different sources and designers. I realized that I could unify them further by using the same size of print, and the same frame.

Secondly, set a budget and find ways to stick to it. Splash out on the bits that are really crucial to the room - and you love - and find ways to economize in other areas. We achieved this by purchasing the wardrobes, play table and picture frames from Ikea, and by hand-making the den and the curtains. DIY can add an incredibly personalized touch to a room.

What’s next for you? Any other makeovers or exciting DIY projects on your list?

With a new addition to our family (13 days old today!), I’ll be pretty busy being a mum to baby Jasper and his big sister Eloise for the next few months… All whilst… Continue Reading