A very cool lamp…
You can’t help but feel better if you step through the doors of a Jonathan Adler design store. His bright and quirky designs make for great housewarming gifts, and recently I’ve noticed they are trying to launch a new “Junior” line for kids (although between you and me — most of it is not really my taste). I did however spot, and now worship, this giraffe lamp!! It kills me that the head sticks out of the top! Kills me. Not only is it perfect for a kids room but could work easily as a desk lamp. Selfishly, I am getting it for myself… not my kids.
-Dina
Our New Bunk Bed. The Pros. The Cons.
I was quite inspired by Natalie’s post a while back when she wrote about this absolutely beautiful bunk bed from Australia. Like her, I am somewhat obsessed with the idea of a bunk bed and it got me to thinking about getting one for my girls. When their recent birthday loomed, a plan was hatched to get one, and after months of hard-core research I decided to get this particular one from Room and Board (which is simple and beautiful in person).
We talked about its arrival for weeks on end – nailing out the details of who was on top, who was on bottom. Talking about how we would drape a sheet and make a cave out of the lower bunk AND how exciting it would be to have a bigger room with more space for toys! The excitement could barely be contained….Then it arrived… (more…)
What’s in a name?
Unless they’re called William III, or Jesse James Junior, you might have gone through nine months of nervous brainstorming — what should I call my new baby? I found it to be a very difficult task, and my husband and I have spent more than a few hours debating about it! I guess I like short, catchy names, because all our kids’ names have no more than 4 letters. I also like names that work in multiple languages. And they should work well with our family name (van de Paal).
Our first baby is called SARA van de Paal. I’ve always thought Sara is a beautiful name, very old-fashioned, but at the same time very simple and modern. I like how there are so many As in the first and last name. (more…)
Birdhouse Wallpaper
How cute is this Birdhouse Wallpaper I’ve just discovered?! I love the worn-out background and all the detailed little birds — and it almost looks as if you could actually touch the different textures. I think it would be so cute to cover a bedroom wall with this paper, adding a bit of colour/texture to a child’s room.
My husband and I have actually just bought an old, very run-down house in London and are in the midst of planning a complete renovation (exciting but terrifying!). So I am officially on the hunt for cute interior design ideas, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing my discoveries with you along the way. If you have any good tips or ideas — please share!
-Courtney
Klick Desk by P’kolino
I just ordered a pair of these Klick Desks by P’Kolino for my girls and I can’t wait for them to arrive! I have been on the hunt for a cute and practical workspace for them for a while now and I simply love the way these look — clean, modern and functional. The desk/chair combo snaps closed into a solid cube and there is storage space under the seat for art supplies and paper. Genius. I was also pleased to learn that the company was founded by two DADS!!! The website currently only offers three colors (red, green and orange) but definitely check out all that they have to offer as P’Kolino makes a bunch of really great things!!
-Dina
Ferm Living Wallpaper
I am in the midst of redoing our little holiday cottage in France. It is a VERY slow moving process as every summer I only have time to do a small part, but it is fun and gives me a great excuse to day dream all year long. It also means I spend a lot of blissful time leafing through interior decoration magazines and surfing the web, dreaming up different room ideas.
I stumbled over the Ferm Living Wallpapers the other day and now I am revisiting all my decoration decisions in my head. I got especially excited when I realised that they had a great kid’s selection, with some beautiful designs both for girls and boys rooms. Do have a look at the great Rush Hour wallpaper for boys and the Dotty wallpaper for girls. And even if you are not planning to wallpaper a room, Ferm Living also have a fabulous rage of wallstickers for kids.
- Emilie
Room Seven: Sweet dresses for playing and parading
I already knew that the beautiful bedding and bag range from Room Seven was absolutely stunning, but I had never heard of their clothing line until very recently. Maybe for the better, as it probably did save me some money! But now I’m in trouble… How sweet are these baby dresses, how perfect are the daring combinations of patterns, colours, frills and flowers, making them romantically old-fashioned but at the same time fresh and contemporary. Who can resist? Not I.
These dresses are just as perfect for playing as for parading, and they can easily be machine-washed, so not just for weekends.
BTW, is there something familiar to the Room Seven style?? Well Room Seven is the brand of Brechtje Olsthoorn, the talented daughter of Willem and Marieke Olsthoorn, brains and creative designer behind world-famous Oilily. Like mother, like daughter, we say.
xxx Esther
Eco Stickers
My kids are great but do have a tendency to get distracted. The amount of times I have found the water running in the sink or lights left on all over the place, it feels like we are wasting enough energy to power a small country. I just read about these little stickers today and thought they were definitely worth a post! These nifty little stickers are designed to be stuck beside sinks, bathtubs and light switches, to remind you to turn off your water and your electricity. As they need to be big enough to be noticed, a lot of thought has gone into making the stickers a reminder and a good looking sticker at the same time. I really love the designs — very simple and to the point!
In keeping with the ecological message the stickers are made in France in the most earth friendly manner as possible. The website is only in French at the moment. (more…)
World Map from Famille Summerbelle
Do you remember the beautiful hand-cut city maps from Famille Summerbelle? We’ve mentioned them a few times here on Babyccino Kids — clearly we are huge fans. Well, they’ve just this week launched their world map print and it is stunning! I love all the details, including the little idiosyncrasies of each continent, plus the sea life in the water. I think it’s probably just as fun for the kids to look at too, to point out all the animals, etc. You can buy it online from their webshop. And if you aren’t already familiar with their city maps, check those out too!
Oh, and you can also watch the film of the making of the map, which takes more than 20 hours of paper cutting and captures it in just two minutes. Pretty impressive!
-Courtney
Ladybird Prints
As you may have figured by now, I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to children’s books and I have a particular passion for old ones. That’s why I love this idea from Ladybird Books …
Ladybird Books started during the First World War (actually near my home-town in Leicestershire). Their aim being to publish ‘pure and healthy literature’ for children. Most of my generation will remember reading Ladybird books at home or school, especially the Peter and Jane series. They had some classic titles like ‘Learning is Fun’ or ‘Books are Exciting’.
Now Ladybird have put over 4,500 images from their archives (mainly from the ’50s and ’60s) online to order as prints or canvases. It is such a brilliant idea and with the array of sizes available it is so adaptable to any nursery or child’s room. Prints start as small as a photo and go up to A0 poster size, and canvases start at 20cm and go up to 125cm. Both can be ordered framed as well.
The images are not just front covers but pictures from inside the books and even the pencil sketches from the endpapers (like this adorable one from Bunnikin’s Picnic Party). The site is well worth a browse (even if just for the sake of nostalgia) but as there are so many to forage through, here are my favourites to get you started: (more…)
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
Blackboard Sticker by Wall Candy
There was a time, not too long ago, where no one had ever heard of wall stickers. I remember doing my first post about them… But now they are everywhere in all sizes, shapes and forms, and for good reason: wall stickers are a fantastic idea! Especially if you (like me) live in a rented flat, they are a fabulous way of adding a little bit of colour and individuality. Even better when they can be repositioned, as it is impossible to keep a child away from a wall full of stickers –it’s like the proverbial red rag to a bull…
I recently stuck the WallCandy blackboard apple wall sticker in our corridor and it has been a complete success. It has been “repositioned” numerous times and still keeps on sticking. My girls have a riot drawing on it and, for a blackboard, it requires a minimal amount of space. It also looks really cute and gives an extra something to an otherwise neutral corridor in our little flat!
- Emile
Miriam Bereson
Prolific Melbourne designer Miriam Bereson is the creator of these striking animal ‘collective nouns’ prints. Aren’t they fabulous? Strong punchy graphics is her signature style and combined with a quirky educational element I think they would make a gorgeous and effective addition to any playroom or nursery. Hmm… am I showing my ignorance by declaring that I had no idea these whimsical sounding ‘collective nouns’ even existed? ‘A Parliament of Owls’ — sounds so dignified! ‘A Memory of Elephants‘ — rather fanciful and poetic, don’t you think?
You can find Miriam Bereson’s products, including her equally stunning number frieze and alphabet frieze at stockists across Australia, NZ and online. You can also keep up-to-date on new products and musings on the Miriam Bereson blog.
- Sara
Sweet for Baby: Allison Jay Nursery Art from Happy Spaces
One of my favourite children’s book illustrators is the talented Ms. Alison Jay. If you haven’t laid eyes on her books or illustrations before, you should check them out for sure! I love her signature style with the sweet colours and cracked varnish, and there are always a millions things to discover in her artwork…
Courtney has already reviewed her Magical ABCs, and you can find more of her books in our bookshop.
Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found these two Alison Jay prints in the new Happy Spaces web-shop (an online art gallery offering wall art for children). And imagine my trouble selecting one of the two pieces for the nursery! I really like both of them equally, and even though in the end I chose the bunnies, I might have to get the bees as well…
If you’re looking for fun wall art to decorate your child’s room, have a look at Happy Spaces as they have an amazing selection — I keep thinking my son would love this vintage looking car…
xxx Esther
DIY Colourful Lanterns
My daughter made one of these glass jar lanterns at school for her Christmas dinner, and I thought they were so cute that I’d have her make a few extra — they’re just lovely on a summery (garden) dinner table! They’re really easy to make (a child can do it), and all you need are some empty glass jars, some coloured art tissue paper, Mod Podge, a brush and zig-zag scissors. Just cut squares of different sizes of the tissue paper and glue them on the glass jar, slightly overlapping. When finished, paint a layer of Mod Podge, let dry, insert candle and presto! Fun to make, and with great results. I’m planning on hanging loads of them in a tree for a summer dinner — I’ll have to put my daughter to work!
xxx Esther
Kouch
I absolutely love these children’s couches by KOUCH. Hand crafted in Melbourne, they are good looking, safe, sturdy, functional and built to last (with a lifetime guarantee to boot). And they don’t sport a single Disney/Wiggles character (so your living room won’t suffer in the name of your toddlers faddish inclinations). Although specifically designed for children 1 – 5 years, the Kouch has ample room to share with a ‘big’ person for a book, a play, a snuggle or best of all… all three!
It’s good to know that they are also endorsed by specialised children’s chiropractors for providing good postural support to delicate little spines!
For more information as well as color customised orders, just click here.
- Sara
Jane Reiseger’s gorgeous murals
I have long been an admirer of Jane Reiseger’s whimsical, child-like murals and illustrations. Whenever I take my children to our local burger joint Grill’d in Malvern I am positively drooling over them on the walls, the menus, the brown paper bags… (nevermind that the burgers are pretty average when the walls are so beautiful!! ). Chances are if you live in Melbourne or Sydney you have come across them too (At the Docklands on the huge billboards along the freeway? At Nest Homewares in South Melbourne? At the multitude of tramstops popping up around town? And her happy animal paintings are all over the walls of Royal Randwick Children’s Hospital in Sydney).
The good news is that by private commission, Jane will draw murals in homes like the one pictured here and these gorgeous examples. To see more of Jane’s stupendous work and to find out more about her private commissions, have a look at her shop Bee and Tree. Here you can also view some of her original artwork and canvases as well as her organic range of short sleeve onesies that feature sweet and simple motifs. Too cute to resist!
-Sara
MadeIt for unique handmade finds
Packed to the rafters with local designers and craftspeople, MadeIt is a virtual craft market containing a wealth of handmade housewares and goodies. It is my go-to source when I want something unique, affordable and hand-crafted. It is similar to Etsy but supports only local Australian talent.
What I love about the site, apart from the fact that everything is handmade and local, is that it brings you, in one spot, everything you can’t buy at your local shopping mall. It takes the legwork out of shopping for those unique, handmade goodies which I love to buy but can take me forever to look for. And of course there is something gratifying about buying a locally made gift, supporting your local economy. (more…)
Cool cushions from The Nursery Company
I love the look of these handbag cushions from The Nursery Company! The one in the picture is actually the one on my daughter’s bed (can you tell the sheets aren’t ironed?), and I think it’s so pretty!
If she weren’t sharing the room with her little brother I would probably get the matching curtains as well; I just love the mix of girly but not too sweet, and grown-up but not too sophisticated. And what a welcome change from everything princessy, thank-you-very-much!
The Nursery Company offers a cool collection of curtains, blinds and accessories. There are 15 different themes, from Sailing to Jungle to my favourite, Handbags & Gladrags. You can order samples of the fabrics online and finalise your order from the comfort of your own home (the step by step guides tell you exactly how to measure). Easy as 1,2,3!
xxx Esther
Decorating a kids room (part 1)
We are in the process of buying our first home after 13 years of renting. For the girl who was still playing ‘house’ when she was 13 (!) this is a big deal. Most evenings I drift into sleep dream-decorating and imagining how each room will look. The room that gets most of my ‘dream’ time is the kids’ bedroom. It is a small room but we have decided to put our 2 children in together — they like each other’s company and we like the idea of having a spare room for guests with the other bedroom. Over the next weeks I’m sure I will be posting various of my dream-decorating ideas but yesterday I made one of these ideas a reality — uh huh… I have made the first purchase for the room.
I found these lights from Swedish company, Nud Collection in Skandium. They are such a simple idea but beautifully executed (isn’t it always the way with good ones!). Textile cables with a porcelain lamp holder which takes an E27 light bulb*. My idea is to get 5 or 6 different colours (and my do they do great colours!) and group them together hanging them at different heights for a ‘chandelier’ effect. (more…)
