Bedroom makeovers for bubs & teens (and those in-between!)
Decorating your little one’s nursery is the golden egg of nesting! It’s fun, creative and of course, important to create a slumber sanctuary. But if you’re artistic skills are limited to scribbling smiley faces, relax. Super stylist Megan Morton has waved her interior wand over hundreds of rooms, transforming drab spaces into very special places. And here, Megan shares her expert advice to create the perfect nursery for your newborn…
Your No: 1 decorating tip is…?
“Don’t go overboard! This is the biggest risk for new parents dressing nurseries. One idea is usually enough to carry through the whole room. When people decorate they aren’t short of ideas, inspiration or time – just the foresight of editing. Going overboard can create a room that is confusing and hinders play. Whereas a single idea is a more sensible backdrop for the actual living, using and practical requirements of kid’s rooms (something Pinterest never talks about!).”
Best nursery colour palettes for …
… boys “Grey and white. I love this handsome palette and just like nailing a good boys’ name, the idea here is to select a colour scheme that will work with your son as a newborn, toddler, tween and onwards to young adulthood. Grey is the ideal background for so many other sensational colours. I’m also exploring some nice ideas around themes including tartan and pegboard (I can’t get enough pegboard!).”
… girls “Grey, lilac and white are my go-to palettes for little ladies. It’s the ideal coordinate with raspberry reds, fuchsia, navy or metallics. Ideally you want a room that works with the rest of the house but still has a signature that expresses the views or loves of the girl who inhabits the space. This is where putting your own personal wishes aside can really help in getting a room perfect for `her’, not `you’! I love Jane Reiseger’s removable Tutti Fruti wallpaper, www.janereiseger.com, for girls who don’t want ballerina or Princess themes.”
… unisex “Grey or lilac – both look incredibly beautiful, peaceful and unisex.”
Storing mega toys in mini spaces: any solutions?
“Use the space under the bed and the overhead areas for storage. Toys can be stored underneath one single bed – you really don’t want more toys than this anyway, unless you like to spend your days matching LEGO pieces! I’m a believer in not being overly sentimental [and hoarding]. Though this has got me into trouble in the past, as I am ruthless at times! My advice is to decide on a handful of decorative toys and items that are on display for visual effect (both parent and child should agree) and store the rest out of sight.”
Decorating rented properties… help!
“Renters have the same lament – terrible carpets and bad Venetians. This is the opportunity to work on ‘distractions’ to the room, basically making sure you can avoid as much eye contact with these areas as possible! Choose some statement pieces – loud, ‘look at me’ feature pieces like artworks, rugs and floor standing lights. I rationalise the renters’ carpet conundrum by realising that children and nice floors are not ideal playmates – renters’ carpet is actually the best option for young children. When I rented a home I removed the Venetian blinds and rehung white matchstick blinds (they are hard to find though so I bought natural ones and sprayed them white).”
Best buys to transform a room?
“I love poster art for boys – it’s affordable, heartily graphic and very easy to source boy themes. I also have a floor standing light in my own house that doubles as a hanger for caps, sporting gear and medals. Floor standing lights require minimal floor space, have big visual impact and are ideal bedside reading lights. The Jielde light by Euroluce, www.euroluce.com.au, is great – it’s one part coat hanger, two parts feature piece!”
What about teen and tween spaces?
“I have a 14 year-old and a 4 year-old so I am constantly reminded of their different worlds! I just got the thumbs-up from my teen to create a relatively simple, low maintenance cactus farm for her windowsills. Potted in various tins, vessels and mugs she loved from childhood, it has given her a sense of room pride.”
Last words… “A child’s room is where so many formative things will be shaped and played out. I have such fond memories of playing in my room as a child (it was not styled by any means). It was a haven of unrestricted and creative play and chaos. I want an element of this opportunity for my own children and that of the children whose parents I am working with to make their rooms wonderful.”
Megan Morton is a stylist first and foremost. She runs a styling school called The School where the most talented artists, makers and stylists teach their techniques. She works mostly in the realm of interiors and aims to make ‘everything beautiful’ daily. Her work can be seen at www.meganmorton.com
