For those who don't know, my family and I are currently in the process of a rather messy renovation project (you can come and see more of the chaos at ThreeBoysAndaPinkBath). We moved into our sad and very much unloved Victorian coach house in Nov 2020. Our boys (Teddy aged 5 and Reggie aged 3) had nowhere nice to play or sleep :-( so we decided to focus all our energy on transforming just one room in the house, creating a space for our boys that would need to work extra hard as both a playroom and a twin-bedroom our boys could share.
* A rather kind estate agent picture of the before!
When you are not blessed with tall ceilings, good old-fashioned white paint is always going to be your friend, it will open up any space, creating the illusion of height. It's also great if like us, you are trying to patch old and dirty walls as a temporary fix.
We painted over the wallpaper in this room which was quick and easy (eventually the whole space will need to be re-plastered once the ceiling has been removed). By painting the walls and woodwork white, the room instantly looked fresh, clean and brand spanking new, we hope you agree?
Once the white paint had done it's thing, it was time to inject ALL the colour, personality and fun into this twin boys bedroom. There are so many ways to add colour without covering your walls in it!
Here's our top tips for adding colour to a white space:
1) Consider block colour flooring.
This flooring works perfectly in a kids bedroom, it adds all the fun factor and a massive injection of colour but without closing in the space like painted walls would have done. It's also so much more practical than carpets too! It's from Online Carpets and this is their Honey Yellow shade!
2) Upcycle your old furniture by using a lick of paint (or get searching on eBay like we did).
This wardrobe was an eBay bargain, it was pitch-pine orange, and cost us a grand total of £15, we picked it up from a few miles away and transformed it in an afternoon with just a lick of paint. This beautiful soft sage green works perfectly with the mustard shades in the room and we are now the proud owners of wardrobe that is truly unique to us, winner winner!
3) Use multiple shades of your colour scheme throughout the space.
We focused on adding several different shades of mustard yellow and sagey greens into the space. Using multiple tones like this (and not being too matchy-matchy) really adds extra interest, depth and style in that 'oh this old thing...we just chucked it all together' effortless vibe.
* Bedding La Redoute
* Floor cushions Vertbaudet
As well as us wanting to inject colour and fun, we needed to try and zone the space effectively, with each of our boys feeling like they had a part of their room that was JUST theirs. To achieve this we needed to distinguish between sleep and play, a tall order, but this is how we tackled it ...
1) Use a play mat or rug to create a clear 'play zone'.
We LOVE our friends Totter and Tumble play mats, they are such great quality, reversible and come in many stylish patterns and shades. This one is their captain play mat which has a rusty orange and a leopard side, both look amazing on top of our mustard flooring. The play mat creates the perfect 'play-zone' for out Little Hoppa.
When the boys were little, our award winning wooden baby bouncer lived in here too. It's the natural, beautiful alternative to a plastic baby jumperoo, and it earned its spot in the room.
* Our Little Hoppa Baby Bouncer in the 'play-zone' looking right at home.
2) Use curtains, drapes or canopies to create privacy in sleep areas.
We placed the boys beds on opposite sides of the room and purposely made each of their corners feel quite different and uniquely theirs . We used a large canopy to be able to zone off the sleep zone and remind the younger Reggie, that this corner is just for sleep and not for play!
And there you have it, in one long weekend, with a little paint and a lot of love, we transformed what was a sad and dusty bedroom, into a multi-functional kids space that our boys just LOVE. It works so well as a dual bedroom and play-room space, and to be honest, we will be VERY sad when the bulldozers arrive and we have to say goodbye to the mini-makeover twin-bedroom that turned out so much better than we ever could have dreamed.
Here's a few more details and tips for you:
* If you have vaulted ceilings like us, peg hooks will allow you to add details to walls where you can't put up art.
* Painted MDF boards in our green and mustard colour scheme break up the white walls further and look great just resting on drawers or on the floor (no need for nails either).
* This hanging chair is the boys favourite thing in the bedroom, they literally spend hours spinning and swinging in it, not only is it beautiful but it's also sooooo much fun!
* Layering flooring, rugs, play mats and blankets creates super comfy reading and relaxing zones. Our Mono Mountains play mat is always a firm favourite for stories and chill.
* Plants maketh a room! And if you aren't green fingered, go faux fabulous like we have ;-)
We hope you enjoyed the tour? and can't wait to share more of our kids interior room-tours over the coming months. Please drop us a reply if there's anything you'd like to ask or like to see next time.
Love Sofie
x
When I found out that I was going to be a mum, I was thrown into the land of parent decision making...a land where there are sooooooooo many decisions to make! Decisions about things I had never even thought about before!
Which buggy should we choose?
Which cot would work for now an in the future?
Should I breastfeed or bottle feed?
Should I return to work or stay home?
My mind was literally blown, and the 9-month clock was ticking!
So if you have just started this journey - we totally get it! Your brain is probably boggled right now! We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get everything right for your little one, and I’m certainly not in the business of dictating what parents should and shouldn’t do, or even passing judgement.
This is a safe space.
Here at by Sofie, we are champions of choice! We know that ultimately, you must do what’s best for you and your family.
So this blog comes only as a useful guide for anyone starting to explore the subject of eco-baby products, as I did myself 4 years ago!
So.....
here I was, surrounded by all these choices. For the most part, I didn’t really know where to start. But, there was one thing I made up my mind pretty quickly on, though: I wanted to avoid as much plastic as possible when it came to the little people in my life.
Choosing plastic-free baby essentials
There were SO many reasons why I wanted to minimize plastic, but these were the two biggies for me.
First, plastic waste has an impact on the planet and secondly our health too. Most types of plastic take thousands of years to break down. Isn’t that crazy?! It really played on my mind. What’s even crazier is that the chemicals in plastic can also affect us - even when we’re being told they are “safe” materials. (I was so shocked when I saw recent studies suggested that BPA-free plastic can be just as hazardous as its predecessors).
And if I had to be really honest, as a design lover, who had spent many years creating a family home that was beautiful and functional too, I also really just disliked the design of plastic, mass-produced baby products.
I am a firm believer in never having to compromise when it come to design, be it on products or in your home!
There are lots of alternatives out there that look the part, are functional and kinder to the planet and our babies too!!! Surely that should always be the goal?
It took me a while to research the best products. So if you’re looking to make one or two easy changes to your home and be kinder to the planet, this is a great place to start! Every little helps as they say.
Just think, if all parents made ONE little change with one of these alternatives, together we could make a huge difference.
The best eco-friendly baby products
Bottles
With concerns about the health and safety of BPA-free plastic bottles, many parents are now switching to safer, non-plastic alternatives. Medical grade silicone and tempered glass options don’t leak chemicals, don’t change the taste of the drink and are more hygienic due to their non-porous nature.
The Kid Kanteen range is so trendy right now, and it’s not hard to see why. They are lightweight and sturdy, dishwasher safe and also offer different teats to grow with your little one.
If you prefer something a little more traditional, Peace with the wild offer a great glass alternative. I really love the rubber surround you can buy for when they’re a little older and want to start grabbing at the bottle themselves. It’s genius if you ask me!
Teethers
Teethers are one of those toys that kind of need to integrate with playtime, so they can have a quick chomp down when those gums start to get sore. Our mountain tree teethers are made from natural rubber, so free from any nasties. Plus, their cute shapes mean they can be used as standalone toys or with our Little Hoppa bouncer and activity table.
Changing bags
When it comes to changing bags, I’m all about the backpacks. It means you can stay hands-free when you’re out and about, without having to put anything on the floor in public bathrooms. Tiba + Marl’s eco elwood backpack is made from 100% recycled materials, and is also wipe-clean to keep it looking fresh as the years go by.
Toys
So as I said earlier, the thing I really didn’t like when I was a new mum was that most toys availbe were plastic and in garish, clashing colours. They just looked so out of place in my home and made me shudder when I saw them! There were so many of them too, they just seemed to accumulate over time and my kids grew out of them pretty quickly. That’s why I designed Little Hoppa. It’s a 3-in-1 solution that transforms from a baby gym, bouncer to an activity table along with a range of interactive toys that can be used independently of the system too. Made completely from sustainable materials, it grows with your little one from birth to 4 years.
I also really love the really beautiful and practical toys and lifestyle pieces featured on Natural Baby Shower. They bring together some of the best plastic-free baby toys on the market, while keeping playtime fun.
High chair
The Stokke Tripp Trapp chair is the ULTIMATE high chair for your little one. It’s made entirely from wood, it’s been named a “chair for life” as it truly grows across each different phase. I am in love with the beautiful Scandi design - it really blends in seamlessly to your kitchen decor, don’t you think?
Nappies
When you’re looking after a newborn, you soon realise that they go through a lot of nappies! You’re sleep deprived during those night changes, so you need something that’s quick to change and easy to handle. But you also are increasingly aware of the sheer amount of waste that’s produced through disposables. This part of the eco baby product world has come a long way in the last few years and I must admit this is news to me.
If you want to go down the cloth nappy route, I can definitely recommend Babipur. My little ones loved the bright colours and cute prints - it made changing them so much more fun. You can either choose an all-in-one version or wraps with absorbent inserts, depending on your preferences. I found the poppers and velcro straps are particularly handy to make sure they’re fitting perfectly as they grow. Babipur also does training pants for older children, so the range grows with them until they are fully toilet trained. Hurrah!
If you like the convenience and swift clean up that disposables offer, why not try Kit and Kin nappies? These hypo-allergenic nappies are highly absorbent and work in just the same way, but are made entirely from plant-based and sustainable materials. This means they will degrade much quicker than a traditional nappy, without releasing harmful microplastics into the environment.
It started with a list on a scrap of paper
And so, right there, whilst feeding my baby on the sofa, I wrote a list of all the things as a Mum with a keen interest in design, and a desire to invest in more natural, planet friendly products, I could not find!
