Your Cart is Empty
Free shipping Australia Wide for orders over $200
After a hiatus from our blog, we are getting this up and going again this week by chatting all things kids rooms to Brooke Ford - the talented stylist, nurse and Mum to her little boy Ethan who is also behind the Handful of Adventures blog. Yep, she is one busy lady and luckily for us also has also been one of our most loyal and supportive customers!
Where did you find the inspiration for Ethan's room?
When planning out Ethan's room I found my inspiration from a key piece I used and built his room up from there. The monochrome room was built up from a large white teepee his Nanna bought him. I then added monochrome prints and toys to complete the room.
With the colourful room, I used the Clown print I bought from Wiggles Piggles as my inspiration. The yellow balls he is juggling is where I took the mustard yellow from. Using hints of mustard yellow allowed the room to really pop. I still use the monochrome wooden toys because they still add a lot of character to the room and Ethan loves them.
What sort of style were you wanting to achieve for Ethan's nursery when you were planning?
Ethan's nursery has been through two types of styles. The first style was monochrome and 4 months ago I transitioned it to a colourful palette focusing on the colours grey, white and mustard yellow. The monochrome was surprisingly calming for Ethan and I loved the new options available online for monochrome toys and decor.
The recent colour changes were made to bring a bit of creativity into his life. Colour is an exciting part of childhood and I didn't want Ethan to be stuck with monochrome forever.
Monochrome has been a big trend in kids rooms over the last couple of years, what initially drew you towards it?
The part that drew me to the monochrome style was because there was so many options in many stores allowing me to create this look. Also if I ever wanted to add colour (which I now have) I knew it would be easy to change.
You have since added some colour into his room, what pieces have helped you achieve this?
Originally the monochrome room had no colour (which I liked), because I felt the colour took away from the calming effect the room had. Once I changed the room to full colour I made sure I was careful with how I added the feature colour mustard yellow. I didn't want to over do it, so I only have 4 items that have the mustard yellow. If I put too much of that strong colour in, then I worry it would become over the top and not complement the room anymore.
Are there any key pieces in a nursery that you recommend splurging on?
I don't think it matters what item you go all out on, whether it's furniture or a fancy toy. However having at least one item of value is important. It brings a level of luxury to your child's room and as long as you complement that piece with beautiful affordable decor, the whole room will appear as if you spent more then you have. Avoiding large stores that make generic cheap toys is key. You want unique decor items and be able to support small stores. Not only will you feel better making someone's business grow but your nursery will look better too.
How have you struck the balance between style and practicality in Ethan's room?
I always made sure no matter what that Ethan's room was practical. It's not fair to have a nursery a child can't play in, plus what's the point putting so much money and effort into it if your child is in trouble for pulling it apart.
Don't get me wrong I hate cleaning up toys but that's why Ethan has a beautiful chest of draws which has a draw designated for toys, one for books and another for his favourite - shoes!!
It makes it easy to hide mess and still have it accessible to him when ever he wants.
How has Ethan's room evolved as he has grown?
Colour is the biggest change to Ethan's room since he was a baby. We went from no colour to lots of colour but on a controlled scale. Also now that he is a lot more independent I made sure he can access anything he would like to without having to find me to help him get to things such as toys or books.
In what ways have you incorporated his personality into his room?
Ethan is such a fun and cheeky boy, so using the clown print as the main focus around his room seemed appropriate. He loves pointing at the print too. He must know that was my inspiration for his room.
For more inspiration find Brooke on Instagram and Facebook.
To get Brooke's look, here are a few pieces she has used from our store that you will be able to find available now:
