Teen-Adult bedroom make-over …

April 9, 2019 by Hayley 4 Comments

Yes, teen-adult …
My daughter Lucy is 18, still a teenager but also an adult.
Her style, like most this age, is a little more grown up than unicorns and glitter, but still young and fresh.

Her room was tired and cluttered. She had a mish-mash of all the pieces of furniture that was left over from another house and we hadn’t bought anything new for her room. Her bed was actually the first bed that my husband and I bought together over 20 years ago, it had a fresh coat of paint, but was still not the style we were going for.

So, what style did we want to achieve?
That’s the hard part … Lucy is a typical teenager where she didn’t know what she wanted, but she did know what she didn’t want (yes, you might need to re-read that sentence to make sense of it)!
She did not want bright colours, wallpaper or excessive patterns.
I know, she’s no fun at all! This are all the things I love to decorate with and everything I showed her she assertively disagreed.

So basically, I kept putting this room to the back of the queue because I knew we were going to have a hard time agreeing on anything … Until I showed her this bedhead that I’d fallen in love with and she loved it too.
HOORAY!

While I’m talking about the bedhead, let me tell you what a joy this company was to work with.
The Bedhead Co. have an amazing range of ready-made design to choose from, or they can custom make your very own piece of art in one of 9 different bedhead shapes, with a fabulous range of quality fabrics.
We chose the Napa in Ticking for it’s timeless shape and classic stripes.

Finally we had a starting point to create a room around, and don’t tell Lucy, but she just broke one of her own rules and let me use a pattern – stripes. True, it’s probably the most neutral of the pattern family as it works with anything, but I was thrilled to have a little pattern!

I ordered a simple Oak bed base to pair it with. I also ordered a pair of Oak bedside tables, but when they arrived I was also giving Orlando’s room and update and I liked how they looked in there and decided to hunt for something else for Lucy. She also decided she needed extra storage, so we found a beautiful set of white bedside drawers. They have 3 substantial sized drawers and gorgeous details such as the blackened ring pulls and hand carved details.

Next up was linen, if you know me at all you will know that I change my linen often and I get bored easily. For Lucy’s room we decided to choose a doona cover that would allow us (that would be me) to mix and match different throws and cushion and achieve a fresh new look as often as we like. We chose a textured doona cover in a light grey. When I said textured, it actually has has a decorative spotty type pattern throughout the pure cotton fabric.
Haha Lucy, no patterns …. now we have stripes and spots!

Next thing we needed was a rug. Again, I ordered a beautiful blue and white herringbone wool rug for her room but it arrived while I was doing Orly’s room and it didn’t quite make it out of his room, sorry Lucy!
Luckily, when the grey linen arrived I had a lightbulb moment and remembered I had a grey and aqua blue striped rug in storage. I showed Lucy and she shook her head NO! I decided to try it out while she was at school and couldn’t protest. It doesn’t want to sit flat, probably because I had it folded, but I’m hoping it will relax after a little while. I popped a couple of aqua blue cushions on her bed to tie the colours together.
I loved it and patiently waited for her to get home … She loves it too!
YIPPEE!

The bedside lamps bring another little touch of feminine pattern to the room. Shhhh, dont tell Lucy, she either hasn’t noticed the pretty blue floral or she has given up …. maybe I can sneak the wallpaper in without her noticing?

I haven’t sourced any art for the walls yet as I’m still trying to convince her to let me (or sneak in) wallpaper. She has agreed to consider it as long as I find one she likes. So we are currently doing the wallpaper dance and hopefully we’ll find one we can agree on soon.

The gorgeous starburst mirror was a gift from one of my best friends Mum’s many years ago, I love it and always find a spot for it.

Lastly, and probably the biggest change to her room was the window coverings. Lucy’s room had cedar shutters, I understand that they are expensive and sought after window coverings, but they also restricted the light and gave it an overall dark vibe. We removed them and replaced them with beautiful 100% linen sheers, the amount of light that streams into this room now is incredible.

This room is not perfect, it has been achieved with a limited budget and it is still a work in progress, but I think the best spaces evolve over time. I’d rather wait and find the perfect pieces and let the space grow with Lucy as long as she’s still living at home.

Apparently they don’t leave home until their 30’s these days, WHOA!

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reply with a message, send an e-mail or pop over and say hello on Instagram. I’m always happy to share.

Hayley x

If you like Margarita’s …

January 27, 2019 by Hayley 1 Comment

Yes, I know the Escape song is about Pina Colada’s but that didn’t stop us singing it about our Margarita’s at the top of our lungs … our poor neighbours!

It seems that many of you love a good margarita too.

When I shared mine on my Instagram stories I had so many messages asking for my recipe.
Partly because we all love a delicious cocktail, but partly because a few of you know that I have an auto immune disease (Hashimotos) and I struggle with preservatives. It’s not something I talk about much, I know your all here to see stylish interiors and great shopping finds. Nobody wants to hear about it when I am sick for days, covered in rashes or swollen all over. I don’t even want to know about it!
Luckily I am pretty good at knowing what I can and can’t eat these days and generally manage to avoid anything I know I’ll react to.

Which brings me to the reason I wanted to share this with y’all. I know many of you have similar issues with preservatives in food, we’ve shared many DM conversations about it. I’m sure there are even more of you out there and I just wanted to share something fabulous and delicious that that I’ve found, that I didn’t have a problem with, in the hope that it will be OK for you too.

Last week Williams Sonoma sent me a box of Margarita goodies. While it looked absolutely amazing, my initial thought was that I’d have to sit on the sidelines and watch someone else enjoy my delicious cocktails, until I read the packaging. The cocktail mixes are USDA certified and didn’t have any nasty numbers listed, not one. Trust me, I am aware that they can be hidden in other things like ‘natural flavours’ but there wasn’t anything that set off alarm bells.

I thought it was worth a go!

We had friends over for Australia Day and we decided to shake up some cocktails. We had the WS Organic Margarita Caddy which includes 3 flavours along with the WS Margarita Salt pack, we managed to ‘sample’ all of them, and they were all TOTALLY SCRUMPTIOUS!

Which brings me back to the recipe that everyone was asking for. That’s the easiest part about these mixes, you simply add tequila and ice and give it a good shake in your cocktail shaker.
Done, so easy!

To rim your glass with salt I worked out a quick little tip that really helps make it stick. Yes, I’m sure you all know this, but clearly I’m a little slow to the margarita party. Don’t try and get the salts to stick on a clean, dry glass … rub a little lime or fruit around your glass and then the salt sticks easily.

We used Espolon Tequila. I had not tried this tequila before, but it was so good and it will be a regular on our shopping list from now on. It is smooth with a hint of sugary sweetness.

Just because I’m a little bit ‘extra’ (according to my kids) I made some watermelon balls and cut up some strawberries the day before and popped them in the freezer. I served our margaritas over the frozen fruit to keep it cool.

We also added some tropical umbrellas to our beautiful new outdoor Sonora glasses and we got all the tropical resort feels right at home.

However, I know what you’re all wondering ….. how am I today? Surprisingly good, nothing that a big cup of coffee and buttery hot cross bun (oh yes I did) can’t fix.

My husband is thrilled to bits that I’ve found something that I love that doesn’t make me sick and he just asked me if I can buy the margarita mix in bulk, ha. No hubby, but I can buy it in 1 litre bottles and I may have already ordered a few.

Who wants to join me for my next Margarita party?

Cheers!

Hayley x

Orly’s big boy bedroom.

January 19, 2019 by Hayley 3 Comments

We loved Orly’s boat bed and nautical bedroom, it was super cute and made bedtime fun, but he is starting grade 1 at school this year and it was time for a change, something a little older, but still young and fresh.

Boat bed, Nautical bedroom, Kids room, Boys bedroom — ORLY’S BOAT BEDROOM

The first step was a big boy bed. We decided to move him into a Queen size bed for a few reasons … the most practical being that all three kids can share bed sheets, hopefully reducing the amount of bedding in my linen closet. The second being so we have more space for his friends to come for sleepovers and lastly, because rather than stepping up bed sizes gradually, this one should last him well into his teenage years.

I wanted something that was tough and hardy for my rough and tumble boy, but it also had to be stylish and fit with the aesthetic of our home. I chose the Dylan Queen Bed for its handsome traditional style with an industrial twist.

The detail that I really fell in love with on this bed was the castors on the bed end legs. They are only there for decorative purposes, but are functional and make it easy to move the bed to collect the 357 single socks that seem to find their way under there!

We still had a queen size mattress in storage from our last homes guest room, it was in good condition and had barely been slept on, but it was pretty hard and Orly wasn’t comfortable. I tried to do a mattress shuffle and swap with one of the girls but nobody liked it, maybe that’s why our guests never stayed long, ha!
Instead of splurging on a whole new mattress, we chose a SLEEPX mattress topper. It’s a great way to transform your mattress when you’re not quite ready for a new one. It’s made from memory foam and is super soft and luxurious.
We also got him some SLEEP X therapy pillows which are made in Australia from soft recovery foam, we chose the medium profile which is recommended for a side sleeper.

The bed has a matte black finish and I wanted to warm it up with timber bedside tables. I was still hunting for them when the tables I ordered for Lucy’s room arrived, I got 2 x Hampton Bedside Tables. I ‘temporarily’ popped them in Orly’s room, but they looked so good I decided to leave them there.
Sorry Lucy!
They are crafted from Mango wood in a traditional french design. I was originally thinking of something more industrial but I think these look so handsome and I’m really pleased with them.

Also ordered for Lucy’s room, was this beautiful rug. Again, it looked so good I couldn’t possibly move it, so it’s living in Orly’s room now. The Skandi Rug is a flat weave kilim style rug and it’s handmade from a soft natural wool. I chose a grey/blue herringbone design. It’s a great rug for children’s spaces as the pattern does a great job hiding any accidents and it is also reversible.
Orly sits here and play with his toys for hours, it’s so much more comfortable that the hard wood floors.

If you know me at all, you’ll know that I will probably change the bed linen a few times … I might be a little bit obsessed with textiles. For now, I couldn’t resist the Yarn-Dyed Nautical Stripe Quilt. It is such a classic design in a range of beautiful blues, it’s perfect for my home. It’s also timeless enough to ensure I won’t tire of it quickly and the simple stripes allows me to mix it with so many other patterns and colours.

I’ve kept the decor fairly simple so far. The stripe has been carried over from his last bedroom design, while I would like to do something more exciting, it works for now and I have a list of other things that need doing (Lucy’s room) before I worry about it. I already had the oars stashed in my garage, I hung a few on the wall to enhance the seaside feel. The anchor mirror was also from his Boat Bedroom.

I’m sure you’re all wondering about the Jumbo Teddy Bear on the bed too. Isn’t he adorable! Orly was having a little trouble adjusting to his big boy bed, along came Big Bear to save the day. He fills the empty space in the bed with a soft and cuddly presence and has been comforting for Orly at bedtime.
If you have a little one moving into a bigger bed, I highly recommend this tactic!

The other change we made in Orly’s room to prepare him for school was to introduce a study area. I’m surprised at how much he uses this space and can only hope it continues throughout his school years.
We chose the Elliot Desk & Hutch for it’s cool corkboard and savvy storage, along with a swivel chair with a soft cushion seat for comfort.
You can find all the details of Orly’s study space here.

I hope I’ve answered all your questions.
As always I’m happy to share where things are from or what I truly think of them, ask away!

Now, I better go and organise Lucy’s bedroom since Orly ended up with half her things.

Happy Shopping!

Disclosure : Some of these items were gifted to me, all of them were hand selected by me, all opinions are my own. Y’all know I don’t share things unless I love them, I love the quality and I love the brand.

Get a headstart on homework.

January 10, 2019 by Hayley 4 Comments

My baby is starting grade one this year,
I have absolutely no idea where those years have gone?
I swear he was just learning to walk yesterday!

My girls are 16 and 17 years old and luckily for Orlando, he gets to benefit from the lessons I learnt with the girls.
One thing I have discovered is that I need to implement good study habits from a young age, trust me, I am not going through the homework headaches with another child!

When Pottery Barn Kids approached me to see if I’d like to create a study space for Orly, I thought they might have read my mind!
Um, YES!
Of course I’d like to give Orly a space of his own and of course I’d like to work with Pottery Barn Kids, my go-to favourite kids store!

I decided to put the desk in Orly’s room to start creating those good study habits NOW.
I know what you’re thinking – ‘Are you serious? You’re making your 7 year old study already?’
No, he’s not cramming for maths and geography just yet, but by making his desk a fun space to play and work, we hope that it becomes a place where he wants to spend time.

I got Orly involved in creating this space right from the beginning.
We popped on to the Pottery Barn Kids website and looked at the desks and chairs together. We talked about options like colours, comfort and storage.
I found out pretty quickly that the things that were important to me, were not important to him, and vice versa. He wanted somewhere to display his artwork and Lego creations, while I wanted ample storage and a timeless style that would grow with him into his teenage years.
We chose the Elliot Desk and Hutch. It’s classic design, overhead cubbies, double drawers and fun corkboard ticked all the boxes and we both love it.

We already had the Madison 4-shelf Bookrack which is a great complimentary piece to use with the desk as it keep all his books within arms reach.

When it came to the chair, he wanted a furry seat cushion and ‘a chair that spins like the teacups at Disneyland’, while I wanted something sturdy and safe.
The Carolina Swivel Chair was the perfect fit, it’s a little bit playful and very practical.

Next on my list was lighting. I am an Optical Dispenser by trade, so I understand how important adequate lighting is. While reading and working in the dark will not cause permanent damage to your eyes, it may cause headaches and eye strain, these are completely avoidable by selecting the correct lighting such as the Solid Task Lighting with it’s directional gooseneck that can be angled to shine on their workspace.

Also on my list was desktop storage for easy access and quick clean-ups. The Shaped Lazy Susan was a winner for both of us, the compartments keep his pencils and stationary organised, while the spinning star keeps him motivated to clean up.

When the functional things were ticked off, I let Orly choose some comfort items to make him feel cosy at his desk.

If you know Orly, you will know he has a obsession with soft textiles, he loves anything fluffy or super soft. He wanted a blanket to ‘wrap up like a burrito’ when he’s working. I think this might be a case of monkey see, monkey do! #guilty
We chose the Stripe Fur Throw with classic stripes on one side and faux fur on the other.
As you can see by that toothless smile, he absolutely loves it!

Because I’m savouring every minute that he still wants to play with soft toys, I let him have this adorable west elm X PBK Bear to keep him company while he works.

We also chose this fun Best Day Ever cushion for a pop of colour and positive reminder to make every day your ‘Best Day Ever’!

When we had finished selecting our items, we placed our online order and awaited delivery.
A quick little tip here – the deluxe delivery service is worth every single cent.
The friendly delivery team brings the items to your home, assembles the furniture, places it where you want it AND takes away the rubbish. It was a little bit of luxury that was greatly appreciated in our busy life!

Orly was so excited on the delivery day, he was dancing around the house like it was Christmas.
He didn’t waste any time in making it his with all his special things.
He loves the corkboard and carefully went through his art folders to find his favourite pieces to display. I love that we can keep it fresh with new artwork now, but it will also transition to a great memo board for him as he gets older. We used the cubbie holes for his favourite books and vacation mementoes and his big sister made the ORLY letters from Lego for him.

He took great pleasure and pride in showing his space to both his sisters and instructing them that they had to ask him if they wanted to sit on his special chair. #siblinglove

He’s had it for a couple of weeks now and I am so pleased with the way he has been using it every day.
He plays with his Lego, does craft activities, colours-in and practices his writing. Not only does it keep this mess off my kitchen bench, but we are starting to develop those habits I was talking about … the study habits that I was hoping to implement. My first mission was to get him to use his desk, to sit and play or work independently and to enjoy it.
Mission accomplished!

Now lets see if we can produce a doctor with those study skills, or a nurse, or a builder, or maybe an astronaut … whatever makes him happy, as long as he tries his best, oh gosh I sound like my mother!

If you want to create a study space for your children you can find loads of inspiration here.
Or pop in to your local Pottery Barn Kids store, the shop displays are always full of fabulous styling and ideas.

Happy Shopping!

Hayley x

Disclosure : Some of these pieces were gifted, all of them were hand selected by me, all opinions are my own. Y’all know I don’t share things unless I love them, love the quality and love the brand.

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