Room of the Day: A Cozy and Cheerful Girl’s Bedroom
Colorful wallpaper, fun decor and comfy places to play and read make this room a sweet retreat for a 3-year-old
Transforming a once-bare bedroom into a little girl’s dream retreat was the assignment for interior designer Jacinda Malloy. The goal was to create an eclectic space for the 3-year-old girl, one that would also work with the rest of the home’s decor. “It had to be fun, girly, with touches of vintage and modern elements,” Malloy says. Each of these components have been included with flair, and the little girl, Scarlett, loves spending time in her special space.
BEFORE: The space was a blank canvas with ample natural light. The bed and a dresser were the only existing furniture pieces, and Malloy worked with them.
AFTER: Amber and Daniel Yates, Scarlett’s parents, asked Malloy to create a fun and eclectic space for their little one. They also wanted Scarlett’s dollhouse integrated into the decor, as it’s one of her favorite toys. “Scarlett received the dollhouse for her third birthday and loves to play with it, so both parents are happy that it was a feature of the room and works with the color scheme,” Malloy says.
Cherry Tree Hall dollhouse: Little Lola Boutique
Cherry Tree Hall dollhouse: Little Lola Boutique
The wallpaper is one of Malloy’s favorite elements of the room. She had been wanting to use this design, called Kaleidoscope Dreams from Mr. Perswall, for some time, but hadn’t yet found clients brave enough to cover their walls in it. “As I walked through Amber and Daniel’s home, I could see they were daring with their interiors and knew this wallpaper would be perfect for Scarlett’s room,” Malloy says.
One of the biggest challenges Malloy faced with the design was persuading Daniel that the hanging chair seen here would be safe. To ensure safety, the chair was hung at a low height. Decorated with a soft and snuggly pink throw, a pillow and one of Scarlett’s dolls, the chair makes for a perfect reading spot.
Coco mini hanging chair: Byron Bay Hanging Chairs
Coco mini hanging chair: Byron Bay Hanging Chairs
BEFORE: A bare wall awaits decoration.
AFTER: Colorful artwork and a dreamcatcher are combined with a potted plant and whimsical objects on the dresser to bring the wall to life.
If you’re decorating your child’s bedroom, Malloy recommends sticking with your own style and avoiding trends. “Monochrome kids’ rooms are really popular, but if you love color, ignore this trend and go with your heart and use lots of it!” she says.
Artwork: Pete Cromer
If you’re decorating your child’s bedroom, Malloy recommends sticking with your own style and avoiding trends. “Monochrome kids’ rooms are really popular, but if you love color, ignore this trend and go with your heart and use lots of it!” she says.
Artwork: Pete Cromer
“Use Houzz as a tool and save your favorite 10 kids’ rooms [in an ideabook], then take a look and see if you can find common threads. This will help you discover what you like,” the designer adds. You may find that all of the saved rooms have blue tones, animal themes or sweet looks, for example. Malloy says finding common threads will help you eventually find a theme you like.
Though Scarlett will most likely develop her own style as the years go by and will want to add some of her own flair to the room, for now she simply loves her fun and colorful bedroom.
Browse photos of kids’ rooms
Browse photos of kids’ rooms
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Size: 118 square feet (10.9 square meters)
Designer: Jacinda Malloy of Hide & Sleep Interior Design
Scarlett’s bedroom is the first room you see as you walk up the staircase to the home’s second story. Malloy says the bright and happy wallpaper acts as an instant mood-lifter.