HOME INTERIORS / A Little Girl's Modern Bedroom Idea

Styling a girls bedroom using modern and Scandinavian elements.

Planning Giulietta's room was one of my happiest projects to date. The thing is, I have never decorated a room for a little girl and this was my first opportunity. We always had the nursery which was very neutral as we never knew what we were having and when the kids were 3 and 5 they moved in together and shared a room until now.

was coming was already going to be great for these two but they had naturally come to a point when I knew they were ready. OK Etta was definitely more ready than Raph, but in reality he was also ready and has proved that since. 

I knew that Etta's character would pretty much dictate that she would spend a lot of time playing in her room. She really likes to be on her own and I knew that she was ready for space where she could do her own things. She is also a soft toy fanatic and hoarder by nature so with her love to dance, sing and play I really wanted to give her some space to just be herself. 

Etta's room started the replastering project of the whole upstairs area really. Her whole room was stripped, boarded and replastered which then led out to the hallway, stairs and eventually Raph's room. Having put in our lovely dark radiator in the bathroom we decided that we would put matching ones in the kids' rooms. Its amazing how one item can quickly update a room. The dark chunky radiators are the new modern feature to many homes and I can see why. They are so comforting, I just want to sit by them all day! knowing that the room was going to have such a bold feature allowed me to then collect my other ideas from more Scandinavian based designs. Straight lines, bare wood and the use of block colour became the focus of and execution.

Etta was adamant that she wanted a blue room. In fact she was adamant that she wanted a room that I simply hadn't picked the colour. She isn't defiant but she was just trying to have input. I was sent a paint card from Cox & Cox and on it was a sample to their colour 'smock'. A perfectly pale pink, almost dried plaster like, which having lived with the colour of dried plaster for some time was really on the top of the list of my favourite colours. I decided that was the way we were going and got a colour match from B&Q (a much less expensive option). Although this is certainly pinker, it really is a great shade for a small bedroom as it brings in a lot of warmth but doesn't make it feel dark. As soon as she saw the first brush stroke on the wall she stated how much she loved it. By the time coat one was done she told me that she just couldn't imagine what it would look like and once the room was complete, the idea of a blue room had become a distant memory.

The lovely thing about this shade of pink is how well it complements the wood colour of pine. From early on I knew I wanted some kind of wooden feature and eventually, after much inspiration, I settled on this peg rail idea that ran round the whole room. This is such a nice feature and has since then become the only way to display anything. No nails in this girl's wall!

Rob made the peg rail entirely from scratch with strip wood and dowl. It took a few evenings of cutting the dowl to peg size and wood gluing them into holes. We had already cut the lengths and then pegged accordingly in the best way to make the size look the most consistent. The rail itself is attached to the wall via screws. Having since framed lots of paintings I have really enjoyed making Etta's fabric hangers, to suspend her prints on.

As Etta's room is the smallest in the house I wanted to make sure I gave her the most floor space I could. With already quite a few bits of play furniture I knew she didn't have space of side boards or multiple clothes storage. Getting her a pine bed with full size underbed drawers has been a game changer. All of her soft toys fit in one which means they can be put away so easily and all her bigger sports clothing for dancing, tennis and outdoor things along with bags and random stuff fit in the other. It keeps it away neatly.

Her formal wardrobe is an old one from my parents; it had been mine then my sisters and was in an attic room empty. It was the best price for us (free) and I knew with a bit of love the old, drawn on pine shoe cupboard (as it was called) could be beautifully restored to look like something new. That is the lovely thing about old wooden furniture, it really can be updated so well. Having purchased wood paint (in the exact colour match to the walls) I was able to update the cupboard from its bare wood state, to something that looked up to date. I love the idea of matching furniture colours to walls. It instantly tricks your eye into thinking there is more room because it blends in. 

Etta also has one of her Grandma's old desks in her room. A lovely small desk that only comes out 50cm meaning that it doesn't take up that much space. Sitting it behind the door too also helps create an open look as you walk in. Etta can be found at this desk daily, one of the items I knew was essential to her. To match it we gave the iconic Ikea Bekvam stool another coat of paint (can't keep up with how many it has had) in a sunny yellow. I love the idea of using yellow in this room, a real stand out colour.

We have had the upstairs wooden floor boards painted white for many years now. It helps reflect light in this small house and even though it shows up dust so easily, it makes a big difference to creating the illusion of more space. There are no dark corners and the light bounces up well.

Etta's decoration is a mix of modern prints and classic flowers. Some of it is grown up, others are childlike. The consistency of the wooden frames with the other wooden features round the room help keep the consistent use of natural wood a running theme.

All that's missing from the room is a head board which I have been waiting to come into stock. However since completing Raph's room with his pine headboard I have been working on a similar idea for hers. I suppose we will just have to wait and see. 

I have added a shopping list below to all products used.

Paint Colour

Pine for peg rail

Bedding Similar colour

Rainbow quilt

Wooden rainbow

Stool

Bed frame and underbed boxes

Picture frames

Dolls House / Dolls crib / Highchair / Ukulele 

Bead garlands are homemade see THIS POST

Art Work see THIS POST

This room is perfect for a young child in a home where space is an issue and you want to maximise natural light and flow. Etta's room works great for all of us and maintains a sense of calm as you move through it that is important when you don't have lots of room.