AD – collaboration with I Love Wallpaper

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I often think that children’s spaces can be amongst the most difficult to get right in the design stakes. It can be such a balance between something that suits your child’s personal style and interests with something that is a pleasure for adult eyes too. And nowhere is this more apparent than where I am turning my eye this morning – the playroom, particularly one downstairs where the space tends to be more communal, sociable and multi-functional. So today, I am sharing some of my favourite examples of stunning papers that really work from wallpaper website I Love Wallpaper.

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Little minds can be so full of Lego, Star Wars, princesses and general plastic that navigating a successful design for a childrens room that doesn’t disappear down a hole that aesthetics forgot can be a real challenge. One of my favourite ways to bridge designs is to use nature and nature motifs in decor as they are pretty well universally liked, and add unifying element in design.

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I love these bold murals and patterns that all take their cue from nature as they make a striking backdrop and add style to a space, detracting from and camouflaging the inevitable large amount of toy storage required in a play room. I adore the painterly feel of the Vintage Explorer mural above, it’s exactly the kind of design that feels chic and appealing to both adults and children. But if you want to add truly adult and luxurious designs, a well picked pattern that mirrors nature can also look stunning.

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I have selected these two designs, the Plantain Leaf and Etched Palms, which may be more traditionally at home in a sophisticated adult space, but which I think create great tension and surprise when used in a kids space, whilst also not jarring with the rooms purpose. I would team the pink Etched Palm design with neutral walls in a deep beige, the Banana Leaf I would suggest having the other walls a crisp white but would paint skirtings, doors and windows in black to emphasise the monochrome design.

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There is so much creativity in children’s spaces nowadays, and  using child friendly wallpapers is no longer confined to cliche nursery prints. Looking towards more traditional designs, I Love Wallpaper stock a plethora of diverse designs, I am most drawn to those with a Scandi minimal theme. From adventurous Mountains to the cute Hibernate bears design, these are prints which would work perfectly with a vintage themed child’s room accessorised with wooden toys and storage, and a couple of well chosen kitsch vintage pieces.

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My final selection are patterns inspired by the scallop trend of recent years. The monochrome design I have selected packs a real punch of vibrancy that doesn’t look at all overwhelming thanks to its minimalist colour scheme and would look perfect in a home that already utilises lots of black and white accents. It would be equally successful in a nursery (since babies vision doesn’t differentiate colour for the first few months), as a more grown up child who would enjoy the fun of this design without feeling infantilised.

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And then my absolute favourite design is this, the scalloped Blue Boho Mermaid design, which is also available in pink. I love the simplicity of this pattern which creates a great canvas for height play, where floor storage will recede against the blue and wall displays can really sing against the upper white part. This is a design which will give ready-made cohesion, playing on the concept of paneling with a more child friendly edge.

Below are a few mood-board sketches I have made with I Love Wallpaper designs, which one would you choose for a child’s play space. I’d love to hear which is your favourite in the comments below.

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This post is a paid collaboration with I Love Wallpaper.