Two Kids, One Room

When we were expecting E, preparing her nursery was a simple task: We lived in a three bed house and were blessed with a spare room and a study. The two rooms could be combined, leaving the smallest room for her. We painted it before we knew she was a girl, and the colour was chosen specifically to let us add pink or blue touches.

However, a lot of our friends live too far away from us for a day trip and so, perhaps rather selfishly, I wasn't prepared to give up my spare room/study when we found out number 2 was on the way. So we decided that they would share. Practical? Brave? Who knows, time will tell, but our middle room is plenty big enough for two with space to play, so I set about planning a room that would be girlie enough for E, and can be made more girlie if this one is pink too, or can remain neutral enough if this one is boy-flavoured...

Hours on Pinterest later, dreaming about rainbows, some frantic furniture rearranging, a coat of Dulux "Pewter" and this is what we've ended up with. Baby 2's mark is not yet made, and I've held off hanging some things until we're sure of where the cot will go, and until we have two finger print trees from Baptisms etc, and I STILL haven't finished crocheting the rug, but we (three) are thrilled with the room... In fact, it's probably my favourite room in the house. It's calm, it's colourful, it's happy, it's light, it's everything a room where small people hang out should be.

This room is designed to be set up as a double bedroom, so the plugs are all in the "wrong" place for how we want to use it. Cue retro chrome standard lamp from Argos, perfect for book reading! 

The rainbow cusions are "Skarum" from IKEA, the blanket was a gift for E as a newborn from Mamas and Papas. We kept the curtains from the room as it was before, which had a teal theme... Transpires they work really well! 

A gift from my auntie, these rainbow door hooks from Great Little Trading Company offered the perfect finishing touch.

Coincidental colour coordinating toys... 

Stumbled across this lampshade in B&Q when buying a curtain rail. It's so simple and gives off a lovely soft light, but brings in just enough rainbow! Proof as well I think that you can get some unusual stuff in the most unexpected places!

Another IKEA cushion, that matches fabulously with E's bedding, which was a bargain last year in the sale in Tesco! 

I trawled the internet for some free fabric samples in bright colours and added in a few bunting triangles of fabric that I already owned to help break up the wall behind E's bed. Toddler beds are so dinky and low to the floor that the walls can end up looking huge and I think this is the perfect finishing touch... Thank you, pinking shears! 

The rug is still hand made work in progress... 

I couldn't resist this when I was picking up a few bits in Kiddicare last week... Perfect, and a right old bargain! 

Handmade items aside, the room is finished and functioning well; E has settled into it perfectly. I'm hoping the weather will get better soon so I can upcycle the bookshelf I bought in 2012 which is still dark brown and unpainted... That's another project and another blog post I imagine.

So all this room needs now is E's little brother or sister to make it complete. Not long now baby, we're all SO excited to meet you!