Huxley’s room is probably my favourite room in the whole house. Instead of going for the smallest room for the nursery, we gave him the second largest bedroom as logically we use the nursery several times per day whereas a guest room we use a lot less often!
The bedroom originally had a fireplace in it but it wasn’t a working fire and with the big stone slab in front of it it wasn’t very practical so we removed it (and are storing it for when we might sell the house to new owners in future!).
Like any new house, the room was impersonal and a blank canvas, with wood floors and plain walls.
We got to work. Out went the fireplace…
I painted the walls with leafy patterns that I then faded out with a white wash over the top (I’ll upload a step-by-step how to with pictures soon!) to create a whimsical botanical background.
I incorporated lots of ferns, inspired by nearby Richmond Park, as well as lots of leaf types and plants found in nearby Wimbledon Common.
I painted over the built-in cupboard too (which has become the linen cupboard).
Then up went the curtain and in went a soft jute carpet for crawling on (and also because the floor boards had gaps big enough for little fingers to push things through).
Then to protect the jute, I lay down an inexpensive IKEA rug.
I had found a gorgeous second-hand wardrobe from a reclamation place in Dorset (called the Dorchester Curiosity Centre) which fit perfectly in the alcove.
Then I found a stunning hand-painted second-hand chest of drawers (they just needed a new back and a little TLC) on Facebook Marketplace.
Perfect for keeping nappies at the top, and toys in the drawers he can access!
To create a cosy reading nook, I used some clear acrylic bathroom shelves from IKEA. They were shallow shelves, which was exactly what I was after as it meant the books could face outwards.
In need of a better reading light (that little wooden book on the bottom right shelf lights up when you open it! But at this age Hux keeps snatching it and throwing it so not very practical), I got a simple standing lamp from IKEA.
For above his cot (the Stokke Sleepi – another second-hand find on Facebook Marketplace) I found a laurel leaf canopy on eBay, and used the fabric from the Amour canopy to hang on the inside (I did this by simply cutting out the circular bit in the middle, but leaving the ribbons so I could tie the fabric on the canopy rails).
The metallic starry blanket was from Pottery Barn at John Lewis.
For his bed I found the perfect botanical print bedding, matching the pattern on the walls.
For his bed I also have this lullaby goose, which plays a song when you pull its feet.
Then for above his chest of drawers / changing table I created a wall of paper mache animals, with the lanky giraffe from Anthropologie, plus some new ones; a shaggy sheep, a paper mache stork, goose and owl, plus the felt bird trio and a little felt party mouse! I also added some fun woodland wall stickers, hidden around the room.
As a final touch for the room I created a little night light, using a rice paper lamp, some wadding and a hot glue gun, then dropping some LED battery operated lights are inside.
And that’s it! That’s how we got from this…
To this…
