Olivia's Adorable Bedroom in Southern Sweden

As a mamma bear to three (two daughters and a bonus son!) I'm often on Pinterest looking for inspiration for children's bedrooms. That's why I was so excited to discover my friend, interior designer Genevieve Jorn was re-doing her daughter Olivia's bedroom (everything Gen does turns to gold so I knew it was going to be beautiful!). I've got to know Olivia through the various photoshoots we've had over at Gen's place and she is one of the cutest 4-year-old's I know - not to mention a great photo shoot assistant, offering us 'pancakes' from her makeshift kitchen whenever we're low on energy! She's so funny! These days, she's also one of the luckiest 4-year-olds I know, her new bedroom is sooooo lovely! I couldn't resist heading into the centre of Malmö with my camera and a notepad to grill Gen on the details!

Profile
Owner: Olivia
Age: turning 5
Room size: 25 m2 (269 f2)
Favourite pastimes: loves to read, draw and run her own restaurant

What was your over all aim with the bedroom?
I wanted to keep a similar style to the rest of the home but also wanted to give her a fun and inspiring room. I've been working on the children's section of the IKEA catalogue this year and was therefore really inspired when I decided to redo her room. I went for a soft pink wall color (code NCS S1005-Y70R) and picked a bolder dark red accent (code NCS S6030-T90R) to give a little punch to the room - which was greatly needed in such a big space! I also used a Kelim rug as a basis for the colour scheme.

What are the challenges when it comes to designing a large children's room? 
Admittedly, that is quite a luxury problem! Normally when I design a room I usually start with a colour or a product that I want to highlight. Something has to be the hero or focal point. In Olivia's room it was without doubt her loft bed (Wood Collection Mini+ low loft bed from Oliver Furniture), which turned out to be her favourite place to sit and read. So I started from there. I painted a rectangular shape behind it. Then came the challenge of the ceiling lamp. I think in such a big room, it makes sense to go for a large lamp to balance the proportions. So when I found the Big Dot lampshade from Afro Art I was really pleased!

"Olivia loves to go up into her bunk and wrap herself in her hand quilted blanket (from Camomile London) and act out her favourite characters from her books." 

What are the essentials to think about when designing a children's room?
I guess it's the same for all rooms: it has to be connected to it's inhabitant. I know that my daughter loves to move around. She can sit very still for a long time creating stories or she can move stuff around and be completely disorganised. So I wanted to create different areas that would support all her needs.

Children's Room Essentials
- A soft and comfy place to chill and cool down
- A place to play and be creative
- Good lighting to support all needs
- An ergonomic place to sit and create (with place for more to join the party)
- Plenty of storage options (drawers are a great way to store things away quickly).
- Tactile textures to soften up the space and help children feel cosy and comfortable.

Did you hand draw the kitchen?
Yes! I love drawing and sketching, it's an easy way to add personality to a room (for me at least!). It takes some time but it's definitely worth the hard work. Especially when it's for my little nugget!

Gen's 10 Step Guide to Creating a Wall Mural
1. Decide on the type of wall mural you would like to create
2. Search Pinterest and other sites for similar murals
3. Once you have an idea, sketch it onto A4 paper
4. Amend the sketch until you are happy with it
5. Draw it again to size on tracing paper using a pencil, make sure the proportions are correct
6. Trace over the lines on the other side of the tracing paper with a pencil
7. Tape the tracing paper to the wall in the exact position you would like the mural
8. Draw over the lines once again on the tracing paper with a pencil (this will leave lines on the wall)
9. Remove the tracing paper from the wall
10. Draw over the lines on the wall with a sharpie / marker pen

What has turned out to be Olivia's favourite corner?
I would have to say her bed! Whether it's the top bunk or the hidden space underneath. She loves to wrap herself in that cosy blanket too. She also loves the Upperlig bench. We often find her sitting on the edge of it drawing or making one of her famous lists!

Thank you so much Gen and Olivia for inviting me over, it was such a pleasure to visit you. And Olivia - the soup you made me was the best yet!

I put together a list of all the items below (gifted items have been marked with a *) - give me a shout in the comment section if I've missed anything, or you have any questions!

Get the look

1. Oliver Furniture Wood Collection Mini+ low loft bed* 2. Amayadeeme, Paulina poster* 3. Large House Cushion* 4. Ochre Single / Twin Hand Quilted Blanket / Camomile london* 5. Ink Fitted Sheet* / Camomile London 6. Mini Check Duvet Cover in Coral* 7. Rug by Gur, Cararina Carreiras 8. Afro Art Big Dot Lampshade (L) 9. Ikea upperlig bench 10. Ferm Living Kelim Rug (large) 11. Ikea Ingo table painted in Lady pure colour Industrial Blue 12. Ikea Flisat stool 13. Ferm Living clothes rack 14. Ikea Nordli chest-of-drawers

***

Aaaaaa, such a lovely children's room, don't you think?

Is there anything you love in particular? I love the antique wardrobe in the corner - I wish I had space for something like this in my children's bedrooms.

Just in case you're curious, you can see more pics for Gen's fabulous home here: kitchen, sitting room, bedroom and office.

... and more pretty children's bedrooms in this archive (if this pops up first, you know the drill - just scroll passed!).

Have a lovely day and see you Friday!

Niki

READ MORE...

6

An Eclectic 19th Century Swedish House

Jennie Moraeus, Jon and their children Olle (5) and Esther (3) moved into their dream house in Örnskoldsvik (try pronouncing that!) on Sweden's North West Baltic coast six years ago. Over time, they've painstakingly renovated 'Elfvinggården' to transform it into the warm and inviting family home is is today. But acquiring the 1850 house wasn't without it's pitfalls. It was a chance meeting on a cross-country ski track that led them to obtaining the keys! I caught up with Jennie to hear more about the move, her love for DIY and how the family restored the space on a tight budget to become the beautiful home it is today. 

How did you find the house?

"Actually, the house was in an area we weren't very interested in, but we met the estate agent out on a cross-country ski track and she told us we must come and look at a house that was coming out on the market a few days later. When we were at the viewing I mostly went around swearing!! We put in a bid way under the asking price (but the maximum we could afford), never expecting to get it. So when the estate agent called to say it was ours, we simply couldn't believe it! The seller chose us over the higher bidder!

// affiliate links marked with *//

William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper

Did you have a strong vision of how you wanted to decorate it?

After the bidding, we went on honeymoon and I lay on a sun lounger dreaming about the house. Built in the 1850, it was full of light and felt cosy and welcoming even though the rooms were large. When we arrived home we got the keys which was one of the happiest days of my life!

Print by LisaLov, Beni Ourain rug*,  Amelia sofa, Octopus candleholder*

What kind of improvements have you made?

Over the last six years, we've made a series of small and bigger changes. We've mostly carried them out ourselves, with a little help from our parents - and always on a low budget. We didn't actually plan this in advance - it was more that we were careful to ensure each project cost as little as possible. Often you don't need to do re-do everything to make a big change, colour is a great way to transform a room!

How would you describe your style?

I have quite a varied style: a little vintage, a little bohemian, nordic, art deco - all in a crazy, eclectic mix! I still think that the aesthetic is fairly swedish: it's quite common to mix new and second hand pieces to create a cosy living space. 

The wallpaper in Jennie's bedroom was a flea-market find. Etsy is a great source for vintage wallpaper. 

I note from your Elfvinggården blog and instagram that you're a bit of a dab hand at DIY, have you always been creative?

I love DIY! We have loads of furniture such as armchairs and sofas which I've pimped up with the help of new legs. I'm always collecting old pieces even if they're in need of restoring. I feel it's in my blood as my grandmother was also a collector - I believe everything can be given a new lease of life!

Molntuss wallpaper, floor painted in Bright Calais by Nordsjö

What do you love the most about your home?

It's difficult to put my finger on it, I love so many things about it! That it's old, the handblown glass windows, the big light-filled stairway that allows space for my beloved carpenter's bench, the mature garden  - everything works together to give the house a wonderful feel!

What's next on your list of projects?
Right now we're building a chicken coop (we were hoping to have it ready in time for summer but never mind!). We're also dreaming about building a terrace and greenhouse!

And finally, do you have any favourite Swedish blogs you can recommend?

I wish I had more time to read blogs, but Krickelin, Elsa Billgren and Mokkasin are some of my favourites! 

Loving this hallway floor, it's so striking and relatively easy to create!

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home Jennie!

For more pictures check-out Jennie's inspiring Elfvinggården blog and instagram where she documents her latest home improvements.

Is anyone else dreaming about a similar renovation project - or simple acquiring one of these incredible 19th century Swedish manor houses? Imagine!

Just in case - you might also like to take a peek at this 19th century house on Gotland, an old Swedish house with an outdoor oasis and a beautiful home in Malmö. 

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

PS We're still in holiday mode here in Sweden (currently on the stunning Danish island of Anholt in the middle of the Kattegatt sea) - I hope you don't mind that I will continue to blog every other day during the holidays in order to spend a little more time with the man and our crazies!I hope you're enjoying some down time too!

READ MORE...

7