A Small Bedroom
The project next up is Bedroom Number Three: a snug, bright space which calls out for a few richer, slightly darker colours to counter the bright sunshine which enters the medium-sized window here. Hence a switch from the originally intended sunny yellow - to rich mauves, purple, various mid to deep blue tones rather than pale blue and just a touch of warm mid-century pink. This goes to show that ultimately it is the space itself which dictates the design, or should be! Don't be fooled by the relatively sober colours below: the white and black are a mere backdrop for the pops of bold colour which are to be included in this room scheme.
The project next up is Bedroom Number Three: a snug, bright space which calls out for a few richer, slightly darker colours to counter the bright sunshine which enters the medium-sized window here. Hence a switch from the originally intended sunny yellow - to rich mauves, purple, various mid to deep blue tones rather than pale blue and just a touch of warm mid-century pink. This goes to show that ultimately it is the space itself which dictates the design, or should be! Don't be fooled by the relatively sober colours below: the white and black are a mere backdrop for the pops of bold colour which are to be included in this room scheme.
Just like Little My (Tove Jansson, Moomin books),
this page is just snoozing before springing into action.
In case you haven't guessed, the wonderfully mid-century moomins
will figure prominently in this bedroom design, along with some equally
mid-century flower power curtains and lampshade and more besides....
And did I mention, without wanting to rock the boat, that the teak mid-century bunks featured came off an ocean liner?
Intrigued? Not long now...just dreaming of holidays...
The smallest bedroom in a property (even if it's just a 'box-room' ) needn't be the forgotten room - the room the door gets closed on. Go all out to ensure it's a room to be proud of, and there's no reason why it needn't be. It might be a children's room or a nursery, a playroom or a guest bedroom (of course it might also be an office/study or even a 'book room' (see Little Book Room); but for the purposes of this section, we will presume it is a bedroom.
Whilst it's rarely cosy for a bedroom to be minimalistic as such, in order to stop it from feeling crowded and messy, the obvious thing to do with a small bedroom is to be clever with storage spaces and minimize clutter. It doesn't mean there won't be any clutter: that's something which is largely unavoidable whether in a children's bedroom (or a teen's, even more so!) or a spare room. However, the clutter needn't be on view: decorative or attractive elements do not count as clutter when cleverly laid out and not overly heaped up; ugly but necessary 'clutter' should be tucked away in desks, wardrobes and under-bed storage: it's surprising how much space can be found, although it's true that there are never enough cupboards so don't stint on these!
Before decorating a bedroom, it is wise to live with the space a little bit first to get a feel for the room and to observe things like how the light falls during the course of the day and where additional lights might be needed, for instance.. A few things need to be considered: will reading/studying be an important activity in the room? will it be mostly used for sleeping in? is it a cold room - or alternatively is the sun exposure too dazzling? Does it have original features (fireplace, built-in cupboard,etc) which must be worked around? What are the hopes and preferences of its main occupant? (for the latter, it may be necessary to compromise a little: if you love orange, for instance, but the child/teen for whom the bedroom is destined dislikes the colour, it would be slightly unfair (as well as unwise!) to insist on such a scheme. With a little discussion, a collection of materials and samples, a 'mood board' and potentially a theme as starting-point (for us it was the Moomins- albeit in a way which is true to its mid-century roots) it should be possible to build some excitement around the scheme and to skillfully steer it in a tasteful direction in keeping with your home's overall mid-century modern style.
Which brings me to a key point regarding interior design: many designers seem to impose their own will on an interior design scheme, 'forcing their hand' effectively, and sometimes upsetting the individual for whom the scheme is intended by not taking into account their preferences and day-to-day needs (they are the ones who have to live with it, after all!) And equally, not taking into account sufficiently the needs or character of the property itself. I believe it's possible to have the final word in good taste and certainly to demonstrate one's own flair, but at the same time respect both the property itself and its owner's expectations. Certainly there will always be customers whose taste is so questionable that it might be impossible to entertain their ideas; in such a case it might well be appropriate diplomatically to suggest alternatives and hope that some may please. A good compromise, however, which would work in most such cases would be to create a tasteful style and presentation whilst going along with the client's favourite colours where feasible and incorporating one or two key ideas they have mentioned. With clients whose taste is evidently impeccable in many if not all regards, it's far more clever of the interior designer to take on board their aspirations for the room and deliver - albeit with their own stamp of good taste and originality - what they were hoping for. I love to ask what colours people like - it's then possible to tone down the shades if necessary and add in a complementary shade or two and design a space which they will love to live in, thankful that their preferences have been respected. The same principle applies to children's bedrooms: certain colours may make them feel warm - or safe - or happy: use these where possible and you will have an appreciative customer and a more harmonious household!
(see tips & ideas below).
Whilst it's rarely cosy for a bedroom to be minimalistic as such, in order to stop it from feeling crowded and messy, the obvious thing to do with a small bedroom is to be clever with storage spaces and minimize clutter. It doesn't mean there won't be any clutter: that's something which is largely unavoidable whether in a children's bedroom (or a teen's, even more so!) or a spare room. However, the clutter needn't be on view: decorative or attractive elements do not count as clutter when cleverly laid out and not overly heaped up; ugly but necessary 'clutter' should be tucked away in desks, wardrobes and under-bed storage: it's surprising how much space can be found, although it's true that there are never enough cupboards so don't stint on these!
Before decorating a bedroom, it is wise to live with the space a little bit first to get a feel for the room and to observe things like how the light falls during the course of the day and where additional lights might be needed, for instance.. A few things need to be considered: will reading/studying be an important activity in the room? will it be mostly used for sleeping in? is it a cold room - or alternatively is the sun exposure too dazzling? Does it have original features (fireplace, built-in cupboard,etc) which must be worked around? What are the hopes and preferences of its main occupant? (for the latter, it may be necessary to compromise a little: if you love orange, for instance, but the child/teen for whom the bedroom is destined dislikes the colour, it would be slightly unfair (as well as unwise!) to insist on such a scheme. With a little discussion, a collection of materials and samples, a 'mood board' and potentially a theme as starting-point (for us it was the Moomins- albeit in a way which is true to its mid-century roots) it should be possible to build some excitement around the scheme and to skillfully steer it in a tasteful direction in keeping with your home's overall mid-century modern style.
Which brings me to a key point regarding interior design: many designers seem to impose their own will on an interior design scheme, 'forcing their hand' effectively, and sometimes upsetting the individual for whom the scheme is intended by not taking into account their preferences and day-to-day needs (they are the ones who have to live with it, after all!) And equally, not taking into account sufficiently the needs or character of the property itself. I believe it's possible to have the final word in good taste and certainly to demonstrate one's own flair, but at the same time respect both the property itself and its owner's expectations. Certainly there will always be customers whose taste is so questionable that it might be impossible to entertain their ideas; in such a case it might well be appropriate diplomatically to suggest alternatives and hope that some may please. A good compromise, however, which would work in most such cases would be to create a tasteful style and presentation whilst going along with the client's favourite colours where feasible and incorporating one or two key ideas they have mentioned. With clients whose taste is evidently impeccable in many if not all regards, it's far more clever of the interior designer to take on board their aspirations for the room and deliver - albeit with their own stamp of good taste and originality - what they were hoping for. I love to ask what colours people like - it's then possible to tone down the shades if necessary and add in a complementary shade or two and design a space which they will love to live in, thankful that their preferences have been respected. The same principle applies to children's bedrooms: certain colours may make them feel warm - or safe - or happy: use these where possible and you will have an appreciative customer and a more harmonious household!
(see tips & ideas below).
Tips & Ideas
- As with other rooms, after careful consideration - and ideally living with the space for a while- decide on a key colour scheme : mine usually comprise a key 2-colour combination with a third colour which is used more sparingly. Black and white are 'assumed' as part of my schemes since they are a mid-century modern main-stay and backdrop to practically everything.
- Think carefully about soft furnishings : these are of particular importance in the bedroom: the bed makes up a substantial part of the room visually as well as physically, so will tend to set the scene: avoid tackiness and things which clash and remember your mid-century modern theme! This still leaves brilliant scope for a range of colours and patterns: since you can mingle a burst of 70s bold or bright quite effectively within a mid-century modern streamlined and understated theme, it's possible to be fairly self-indulgent and creative! On the bottom bunk I conform to the streamlined ship-shape theme, but the top bunk rings the changes with its floral 1970s duvet cover : the connection is 'Moomins' - at once white and black and simplistic in design, their setting in mid-century floral meadows allows the introduction of all sorts of elements. A child's bedroom should be just a little bit quirky, as well as stylish! An imagination fueled early on can lead to great things...
- If it's a spare bedroom rather than a children's room, it will obviously be worthwhile considering the comfort of the guest likely to use the room the most often, if such a thing is known. The beauty of mid-century modern is that it suits both sexes equally (unlike the overly feminine and fussy florals of the eighties); even the floral and patterned fabrics are fairly geometric or bold, or stylized in a way which can appeal to either sex. And if a guest bedroom is done in a more sophisticated style, it's easy to make it child-friendly when the occasion demands by popping a couple of cuddly toys on the bed and some children's books/comics on the bedside table.
- Younger children's bedrooms are bound to be filled with books and toys - but with a little creative thinking these can form the room's decorative element rather than appearing as a cluttered jumble. Home in on your child's favourite fiction characters or toys (some good mid-century or otherwise retro ones to 'encourage' might be Tintin, Miffy, Thomas the Tank Engine, The Hungry Caterpillar, Moomins, Babar the Elephant, Madeline, and so on! Pick up on the most frequently recurring colours for the character selected along with other elements and subtly build the room around it.
- Including a mix of old and new elements make for a more meaningful space, but if including vintage toys in a younger child's room, be sure that they comply with 'safety' in terms of small parts, and lead paint: if in doubt keep out of the bedroom or on a high-up shelf for decorative purposes only!
- The best vintage items for children's bedrooms are soft toys which have been passed down through the family, or vintage books with great illustrations. Vintage books which are past their prime can be given a new lease of life by the thoughtful framing of favourite illustrations - a good way of adding pops of colour to the walls and reinforcing the main theme.
- In the gallery below, a budget example of creating artwork for a bedroom is to make use of the previous year's picture wall-calendar in a theme which pleases. Here we have used full-colour Moomin pictures for the bottom bunk gallery, and black and white Moomin calendar pictures for the top bunk gallery. Simple white frames are inexpensive to buy and as the artwork itself is highly affordable, it can be chopped and changed over the years if desired (can't see us wanting to change these gorgeous Moomin pictures though...)
- The iconic Tam-Tam stool (available in various vibrant colour options from Habitat and other online sources) is a great way of adding a super pop of colour to complement a room theme and help make up for a lack of space. It can be a bedside table or is comfortable enough for an older child's occasional chair. The lid lifts off to reveal a secret storage compartment: very useful! One word of advice: don't use them to stand on to reach things: the middle has a tendency to snap into its two component elements (we have got round this issue by superglue-ing the top and bottom together!)
- Consider bunk beds for a small bedroom: this might seem counter-intuitive in terms of fitting in, but the reality is often surprising: pick a non-bulky model and they will provide a handy extra layer of space or spare bed. An older child will appreciate the extra bed and possibilities for sleepovers even though the room is small; a younger child may appreciate the cosiness they create, especially if curtains are added -( please do this safely with no hanging wires, etc: the teak bunk pictured has an inbuilt curtain track and a curtain track can be fitted to most bunks: net curtain wires and similar are to be avoided). A bunk bed moreover suits a small bedroom better visually than it does a large bedroom in which it would look a bit lost: in a small bedroom, the impression of a ship's cabin is far more easily created along with a cosy, compact look which is spot on ship-shape.
