Lovely Lady Luck Lampshades

Hello everyone - yet again I have been neglecting my blog, but hope to get things back on track very soon. Meanwhile, I was contacted by Irene from Lady Luck Lampshades about their great range of shades and thought I would share them with you. They have a fab children's range, and I'll show you a few photos of my favourites, but they do a great range for all rooms of the house.

My Top 5 storage tips for your child's room- for real children

You may recall that in my last post I mentioned that I am doing a blogging course. I am finding it very inspiring and it is really making me think about how I want my blog to be and how I can make it more enjoyable for my readers. Hopefully in the next few months you will start to see the fruits of my labour in that course come into play here. Please let me know if you have any comments, criticisms or suggestions- and also if there is anything you'd like to see me cover.

As part of our homework this week, we have been asked to come up with a list of our top tips or suggestions in our area of expertise. I thought I would share my top 5 tips for storage in children's rooms, not just from an interior designer's perspective, but also from a mother's perspective. We have all had a quiet chuckle looking at beautiful photos of kids rooms and thought "yeah, but give it half an hour with my 5 year old then see what it looks like." Well, the chance of keeping it looking good is in direct proportion to how much storage you have. So, here are my top 5 mother tips to having a great looking kids room.

1) You don't have to use wardrobes for clothes. I used old school lockers in Jake's room for clothes storage.(see the picture above taken from his Shop 4 Kids shoot) As a boy he really doesn't have much to hang up so everything can be folded. I wouldn't recommend this for girls though because as soon as they can stand up they need hanging space for all those dresses! In my experience, girls seem to need about twice as much clothes storage as boys. I know, it's not fair, but they do. In Lola's room I have a huge chest of drawers and a small-ish wardrobe. You could also think about drawers under the bed (try Domayne's Charlie bed) , bookcases with pull out sections to use for clothes as well as open shelves for books and toys, like Ikea's Expedit System (see above). Just remember, whatever you choose needs to be accessible. You will hate any storage system that requires you to be a contortionist whenever you have to put the laundry away!

2)Put away clothes (and toys) you don't use. Store the out of season clothes in drawers under the bed, in the attic, in vacuum bags, anywhere but with the rest of the clothes,. It just makes life so much easier to keep them separate. If you can do this with toys too then that's great, but I find that the "rotate the toys" system really only works for very young children. Over about the age of 3, the minute you store one of their toys it will be required for immediate use and you'll be getting it out again,

3)Cull, cull, cull. Every time you change the clothes over for the season, get rid of the stuff that is too small, worn out or simply not likely to ever be worn again. If they didn't wear it this season, they are unlikely to ever wear it again, so give it away, sell it on ebay or donate it to charity. If you can convince your child to do the same with old toys, you are very lucky. I sometimes offer to buy a new small toy for every 10 old ones donated to charity (or to a younger friend.) I also point out to my kids that if Santa thinks you have too many old toys that you don't play with, he might not bring many new ones. Mean mummy, but it usually works for a pre-Christmas clean up.

4) Give kids room to store their junk. My kids have several tubs with lids on that they can store all their own bits and pieces that I would be inclined to chuck out. McDonalds toys, broken hairclips, unidentified craft projects, you name it, they go in there. Then every 6 months or so they go through it and get rid of the things that aren't important anymore. What seems like junk to us can be very precious to small children- it's important to remember this, and give them somewhere to put it all where it won't drive you crazy.

5) Bulletin boards. My kids are not allowed to stick things on the wall, but my son in particular is a huge hoarder of every flier, party invitation, canteen menu, business card etc that he comes across (his favourite store is Officeworks- do I need to say any more?) We put up cork bulletin boards on the back of the kids doors and they can put whatever they want up on them. (Although I drew the line at the Jim Beam bumper sticker- I mean, he's 6!) And unless I am in their rooms with the doors closed, I don't have to look at them, and no-one knows they are there.
If you want to try to pretty them up, cover them in fabric to match the decor.

There you go- hope that helps! And remember, although it sometimes seems easier to let the kids rooms slide into disarray, the more you teach them to keep them tidy, the more likely it is to eventually sink in, and they will do it themselves. That's the thought that's keeping me going, anyway!

MIA

Hi everyone- sorry I have been missing in action for so long! The last month has sort of gotten away from me, but hopefully I will be posting a lot more soon. I am about to start a blogging course with run by the fantastic Holly Becker from decor8. I am very excited about getting into this course- it seems like it will be amazing. Anyway, I think that will keep me a bit busy for the next 4 weeks but hopefully you will all notice a transformation of my blog by the time I've finished!

Tim Crawshaw's fabulous "arty farty" photographs.

When a photographer releases a collection of prints called the "arty farty" package, it's a pretty safe bet that their work has a sense of humour about it. Tim Crawshaw's lovely photographs printed on canvas are vibrant and fun, and would look brilliant in a kid's room or playroom. Imagine how stunning the pink pipe and the clothes pegs would look in a white room, with cushions or furniture in co-ordinating colours. Teens would also love these pictures, and the website has lots more to choose from. Prices start at $795, so they are an investment piece, but your child will never out grow them, and they would look fabulous anywhere in the house. Check out the whole collection, plus packages like the "arty farty" collection at www.timcrawshaw.com.

Sleepi Spaces Moses Baskets

Nothing satisfies that nesting instinct more than choosing your baby's first bed. What expectant mother has not spent many happy moments smoothing down the covers of that little bassinette or Moses basket, dreaming of the baby who would fill it. (Most of us are not dreaming about the many hours we will spend trying to get the baby to actually go to sleep in the bed but that's the beauty of hormones....)

Sleepi Spaces Moses Baskets launched in May of this year, and they make a lovely option for that all important first bed. They come with a babysafe mattress, mattress protector, fitted sheet, matching minky backed blanket and a large dust storage bag. You can choose from the classic fixed stand or the Sleepi Rocker, and both come in a choice of natural timber or ivory. Sets start from a very reasonable $340.

Vintage ballet room

Firstly, I apologise for being missing in action. I seem to have been caught up in the details of everyday life and have been neglecting my blog. My bad.


One of the things I have been working on is a gorgeous vintage ballet room for a 7 year old girl. Have a look at a few of the things I have found. Makes me want to get out my tutu!

The beautiful black and white posters are from All Posters and the lampshade is made from Cath Kidston's ballet fabric- which seems to have been discontinued. Hmm- better start searching on Ebay.

Okay, I admit it, I want this for myself.

Looking at an email from the fabulous kids product blog LMNOP this morning, this gorgeous MoMA Modern Play House jumped out at me. It comes from the Museum of Modern Art Store in New York, and includes 6 nesting boxes, 8 mix and match furniture pieces, 12 removable vinyl clings and as it says on their site "endless possibilities". There is a play family available too. Yes- just think of the fun I could have! The problem would be keeping my daughter away from it. I am a very selfish mother...

And yes, they ship internationally. Oh dear.

Oodles of great art at Nootles

Sheridan from Nootles (so called because her son can't pronounce "Noodles") contacted me this morning to tell me all about her company. I visited her website and loved what I saw. What fresh, vibrant children's wall art! The thing I like most about it is that a lot of these pieces will be great as the kids grow up- or in a teenagers room now. They have a real "pop-art" feel about them- a bit Andy Warhol-esque but in a child friendly way. They would also look fab in a playroom, or even in grown up living spaces. They are printed on high quality canvas and have a fast turnaround, so you won't be waiting forever for your masterpiece. Check them out and start your gallery now!

Children's Lighting

If you are looking for something to light up your little one's life, check out new online store Children's Lighting. They have some cute, original lights for kid's rooms- and that can be hard to find. I really like the flower ball and the ABC ball (it would be very cute in an alphabet themed room). And at these prices you can afford to change them later on when your child grows out of them.

Babiekins Magazine- featuring us!

The lovely Priscila from Little Miss Heirlooms has just launched her online magazine "Babiekins". It features lots of great articles and lovely photography- and an article by me about making vintage decor work in a modern room. Check it out and make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an issue!

Boy do I want to hitch my little Red Wagon to this site!

Yesterday I had an email from Brooke from a company called Red Wagon, asking if I would be interested in having a look at some of their products. I clicked on the site and fell instantly in lust. Just look at this wallart! And if you love the pictures but don't have a spot to put them on your wall you can buy them as pendants and wear them around your neck! The range also has great bibs, toys, gorgeous felt food, cushion covers, wrapping paper, party invitations....I could go on and on but have a look for yourself. If you'd like to order anything, stockists are listed on the site or I can order the wall art for you- just drop me an email. Prepare to fall in love....

Something different for your walls- BaldiBearART

I love it when I come across something competely original, don't you? Have a look at the lovely prints and stationary from BaldiBearArt. Justine Brentnall's new company specialises in quirky, unique nursery art and baby stationery. You can see more on her website here or check out her etsy store which can be accessed via her website. Fabulous!

The Owls are Hunting

Ok, so the other morning I was going through my emails and like most other mornings, there was the daily update from Decor8. Now, I love Decor8, but most of the time I look through designers portfolios from all around the world, or read about a photographer from the US with a kind of detached admiration. But this particular morning I stopped and scrolled back. These gorgeous lampshades were calling out to me - "look at me, look at me". They are right up my alley (most of you already know that I have a thing for pom-poms) but I assumed they were from some little etsy shop out of the States and would be in the too hard basket for my Australian clients. Well, you can imagine my reaction when I saw that the company who creates them, The Owls are Hunting, is based in Canberra! Yay!

Jo Kent is the creative force and leading light behind The Owls are Hunting. She creates beautiful, handmade lamps and lampshades using vintage and new materials. She also restores the bases so you can buy the whole lamp from her. You can get more info from www.theowlsarehunting.com and purchase them on made it.

Little Nest Chairs & Tables- fabulous!

Check out these fantastic children's chairs and tables from Little Nest! They are inspired by classic 20th century designs (you will recognize most of them) and they are simply gorgeous. If you are after a real statement piece for your child's room or play room, this is the site for you. The best thing about going with pieces like these? They're classics- they don't go out of style. They are available in Australia and the US. The Yolk is my favourite- what's yours?

My son is famous (well, he thinks so, anyway...)

Some of you may remember back in November Shop 4 Kids did a shoot using my son Jake for their regular feature "In My Closet". I'm thrilled to say that the issue came out yesterday and the photos are sensational. He, of course, now thinks he's famous and is trying to convince his sister and I to wait on him hand and foot, but that's not going to happen. Even Maddox Jolie-Pitt has to do his homework.

For those of you who are not familiar with Shop 4 Kids, it's the children's version of Shop til you Drop, and is full of drool worthy clothes for babies and kids, as well as toys and decor products. It will be on the shelves for the next 6 months or so, so if you are in a newsagency pick up a copy.

Meanwhile, let's hope it doesn't go to Jake's head....

Custom artwork for your little Pipsqueek.

This lovely wall art is brought to you by Pipsqueek. Jayne Davis makes custom artwork for kid's rooms- and very cute it is, too. She uses a combination of elements including felt, ribbon, lace, buttons and fabric, and she will work with you to make something to fit into your existing theme or help you create a theme to build your room design around. You can see a selection of her work on her Facebook page or buy it online at madeit.com.au/pipsqueek. She will also be at the Norwood Market for Child and Baby in SA from April. You will need to allow around 5 weeks for an original creation, or she can make a reproduction of one of her existing pieces in around 3 weeks. Well worth checking out. Thanks for sharing this with us Jayne!

The Little Kidz Closet- Jacob and Bonomi bedlinen

Check out this lovely bedlinen by Jacob and Bonomi which is now available from The Little Kidz Closet. The Little Kidz Closet is an online boutique store with a unique product collection for the modern child. They carry a large range from fashion to furniture, exclusive bedding and decor, unique keepsakes and more. I'm coveting the kid's size Eames chair!

Throw a tantrum about Lulu!

Ok, I know this blog is usually about kid's decor, but I couldn't resist sharing these cute kids' accessories from the Tantrum range by Lulu Australia. They make lots of cute kids things, from lunchboxes, bibs, sleepover bags and backpacks. Check out their website here- very sweet.

Soft Earth Art- how amazing!

Hello everyone- this week I wanted to show you something that was totally new to me. Marie is New Zealand based needle felt artist who makes really unusual artwork which would be great for children's rooms.She's only been needle felting for 3 years but has already had exhibitions of her work. Look at these amazing pieces! Marie has an etsy store so check out her shop for other examples of her work.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday season. It's hard to motivate myself to get back to work- especially with one child still at home, but I have so many gorgeous things to show you all that I thought I'd better get started!

This first post is to introduce you to the delights of MiniMi which was founded by Steph from Melbourne when she was on maternity leave with her second child. What started out as a quest to find cute artwork to decorate her child's nursery has turned into a business. I love the freshness of these cute prints- I think they are perfect for a baby shower gift or for adding that personal touch to your child's room. Children love to see their own name in print- I always try to incorporate a child's name into their room decor in some way- and I'm sure I will be recommending MiniMi to my clients.

Don't forget to check the blog over the next few weeks- I have got lots of cool things to show you. And if any of you out there have some cool kid's decor items that I haven't featured, feel free to send them in to me at carmen@retrorooms.com.au