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Woodlands Nursery
When you imagine a woodlands nursery theme you’d think of earthy tones, foxes, bears and all the other cute and friendly creatures that we find in the woods. Our next The Collaborative woodlands nursery room reveal has all of that and more. Instead of going too rustic we opted for a more modern look by adding more greys to the forest greens and browns and of course a pop of mustard is a must. Taxidermy soft toys has become a huge trend and La Fede will be launching a whole range or taxidermy cuties at Kamers Makers this summer. Catch them and some amazing brands on The Collaborative stand at…
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Floral Posh Nursery
Floral nursery by The Collaborative. Some combinations are just winners…. and florals, dusty pinks and a touches of greenery will without doubt always make a good design combo. This girly girl floral nursery nook can be replicated in a small area or a bigger room design with ease. The elements used in this setup can be easily transferred into an older bedroom setup as well as other parts of the house. We love the vintage feel of this room. We also like the fact that although it’s a girly room design, we have only used touches of pinks in the room. And can we just take a minute to adore…
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Monochrome Nursery
A monochrome nursery is always a winner and currently one of the most popular schemes for nurseries and even toddler rooms. It has become the go to scheme for gender neutral nursery themes for parents, and it is a great way of incorporating high contrast stimulation for promoting that teeny baby’s visual development. LittleME dangles are perfect for this. How do you create a monochrome nursery or monochromatic room scheme? Firstly you need to understand what monochrome schemes are all about. Monochromatic colours are all the colours (tones, tints and shades ) of a single hue. Monochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base hue and extended using its…
- Baby Interiors, Decor News, Gifting Ideas, LittleME, New Product Alert, sourcing service, Things I love, Trends
Pregnancy keepsakes
I love gorgeous keepsakes and special ways of keeping a memory alive especially when it comes to my kids. I love making and keeping imprints and prints of my kids hands and feet, just because they will never be that little again and the kids also love seeing how small they were. Although there are many ways of keeping these memories alive, there are a few that stand out quite a bit. I just had to share my current two keepsake crushes with you. Ultra Sound Embroidery You do get lovely frames, books and boxes to put your precious ultrasound or 3d Sonar pictures in but to have this embroidered…
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We heart South Africa nursery
We heart South Africa In the next nursery reveal we want to share how we love and experience South Africa. This country, located on the most southern tip of Africa has the ability to offer the best of everything this continent has to offer. South Africa offers an amazing canvas rich with colour and texture. With the use of natural raw materials like wood and concrete and colours mimicking the African landscape against this very white background we were able to create a modern minimaslist look into the beauty of this land. We ❤ South Africa…..This is our local! Suppliers used in this style session: La Fede Designs: Heirloom…
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The Collaborative – Cirque
Drum roll please…. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls…. get ready to get stunned by yet another amazing production by #TheCollaborative_SA. —–hear the crowd roaring—– We are excited to share with you the last room reveal of our 5th The Collaborative style session. This circus themed bedroom is a stunner and awoken every bit of creative play within us. Our brands really pulled out all the stops to make this an amazing reveal a real extravaganza. The circus is such a magical and fun place filled with laughter and games and we wanted that to reflect in this Cirque themed bedroom. Added to the vibrant primary colour scheme was quirky elements…
- DIY Ideas, Kids Educational Toys, Kids Interiors, Mood Board, On a Budget, Play Rooms, sourcing service, The Collaborative, Trends
The Collaborative – PLAY
To PLAY means to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. In the latest, The Collaborative room reveal we got to do just that, PLAY. We wanted to create an area with bold colours and a serious accent on FUN! We wanted to create an accent wall to create a focal point with the teepee, and I love how corners disappear when you paint them dark. How cute is the teepee bunting that we draped over the grey teepee! Another accent that we created was with the alphabet cards that was hung on the wall with wooden pegs on a string. We’ve added…
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Decorex 2017
This year Decorex SA has introduced the Milk Jug cafe to the Decorex shows, an area specifically dedicated to kids, surrounded by kids decor and interior inspiration. Little Interiors was honoured to have teamed up with an amazing group of kids decor brands to design a drool-worthy nursery space. My aim was to create a nursery design that will catch the eye of not just the expecting parent, and for the design to be a talking point by stepping out of the normal box of what a nursery should look like. I wanted to create an industrial Scandinavian look with pops of steampunk and an adventure theme combined. Concrete, steel…
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What to expect from an Interior Design Consultation
You’ve got the budget but you do not know where to start, it’s normal for anyone to feel overwhelmed by the choices and deadlines when doing an interior space. Sometimes it helps getting a professional in to help you in the form of an interior consultation to help with some small decisions or to take over the whole project. So what exactly can you expect when you hire an interior designer? Firstly I will need to know what kind of room you would like to do and what your own or child’s ideas and needs are in this room. You will then need to supply me with a budget for…
- Baby Interiors, DIY Ideas, Kids Interiors, LittleME, New Product Alert, Nursery, On a Budget, Product Reviews, sourcing service
No Fuss Nursery
Sometimes less is more and sometimes more is more. The brief for this nursery was to create a gender neutral, stylish and clutter free area form mom and baby. I did not use a specific theme in the room but the LittleME Cacti crib sheeting inspired a more tribal feel but I did not want the theme to overpower the room. The Umthi Meyer von Wielligh lamp is made from solid Ash wood and an amazing feature in this room. I added in pops of colour with the shelving, bedding and ottoman but I kept the rest of the colours and finishes very natural and neutral. The room is not…
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How to incorporate high contrast stimulation decor in a nursery
We get asked often to do the LittleME high contrast stimulation dangles in softer colours to fit into a specific nursery colour scheme, which we can do {and it has it’s place} but it defies the object of high contrast stimulation. Read more here about the benefits of high contrasting colours for infants. If you are doing a popular black and white themed nursery then you have no problem incorporating these kind of items in the nursery, but when your colour scheme is more neutrals or pastels you might feel that the black,white and red might be to harsh for the room. This is where functionality is very important in…
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The Collaborative: Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland The first chills of winter came creeping in this weekend and this means it is the best time to share our WINTER WONDERLAND room with you. This is one room that exceeded our expectations by miles. We used shades of blue and mint and played with pops of pink and green and loads of textures to create this tranquil, dreamy and light room design. We wanted to imitate a fairly tale like design, yet still sophisticated enough for older kids. The headboard is framed by fairy light filled stars hanging right above it, turning the room into a magical space when the lights go out and naturally doubles as a night…
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Guest Post: Come into My Room, My Small Playground
Come into My Room, My Small Playground Designing a child’s room is no child’s play. It must be a place where the little ones can have fun and indulge their sense of exploration and imagination. Another priority parents must not lose sight of is safety. And when you want to accomplish all of that in a small space, challenges will pop out and easily put you at your wit’s end. Well, there is no need to fret: Here are some fun playroom ideas for all budgets, styles and configurations. Start small, think big A large open-plan layout is preferable because it provides ample and flexible floor space for all sorts…
- Gifting Ideas, New Product Alert, Nursery, Shop @ Little Interiors, sourcing service, Things I love, Trends
New Product Alert: LittleME cot sheets
The LittleME by Little Interiors decor brand is launching an amazing, ONE OF A KIND range of cot sheets at KAMERS|Makers Autumn shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town. It is a beautiful range of illustrated fitted sheets in collaboration with illustrator extraordinaire Tracey Preston from Ten Eleven Twelve (#sectretcollab).The range is designed for the large sized cot mattress and is digitally printed locally on Bamboo fabric and packaged in a custom made fabric bag for easy gifting and storage. Apart from being an Eco-friendly resource, bamboo fabric has some brilliant qualities: The fabric is super soft, the more you wash it the softer it gets. Naturally anti-bacterial properties. Bamboo fabric regulates body…
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The Collaborative – Swoon
The hottest buzzword in the new season is “Swoon”. Not only because we’ve been anticipating the reveal of the new Swoon range by La Fede but also because it so perfectly describes the look and the feel of the next room reveal by The Collaborative. Think florals, dusty pinks, golds, greys, luxury and style! This swoon nursery was inspired by giant flowers and the lavish colour scheme and is right on the mark with current interior trends and style. Although very trendy, this is a style that is timeless. We created a more modern version of this look but it will look super stylish with more traditional furniture pieces. A…
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Holiday 2016 lust-haves {Win}
Whether we like it or not, Christmas holidays are around the corner and that means Jingle Bells, beach days, cocktails, and loads of fun in the sun. Here are my holiday season lust-haves for summer 2016. 1. Benbat OLY mirror: The drive to the beach is far for some of us, especially when you have a baby. I got this for my baby as his first Christmas gift. He was only 2 months old as I would have like him to remain rear facing in his car seat for as long as possible this was perfect. My little boy is now 2 and still asks me to switch on his “friend” as the mirror has…
- Baby Interiors, Decor News, DIY Ideas, Kids Interiors, Nursery, On a Budget, The Collaborative, Trends
The Collaborative – African inspired nursery
African inspired nursery This theme has always been my favourite nursery theme. Both my kids had a version of an African inspired nurseries. All our fellow South African suppliers had some awesome contributions for this room. The colour scheme was a wash of white and natural colours with pops of green coming from the Lielies kids nest, the Madiba doll from Fox and Moon and the pillows in the crib. Animals have been a very big feature in the nursery trends and nothing beats some of South Africa’s most loved animals. The Drakensberg shelf made an appearance again, and was a perfect fit for this room. By utilising items like the…
- Baby Interiors, Choosing colour, Decor News, Events, Grownup Interiors, Kids Interiors, Nursery, Paint, sourcing service, Things I love, Toddler Room, Trends
Decorex 2015 – my favourites
To me, this year’s Decorex was all about lights, textiles and wood and all I can say is WOW!! The show really had a lot to offer and the 100% Design South African section did not seize to amaze. Colours that are trending right now is oceanic blues, dusty yellows, rosy pinks and a gorgeous blue grey. Plascon has an amazing new palette for every trendy colour, see more trends here. The Plascon colour of the year 2016 is Atlantic Beach B5-B1-1. Visit the Plascon Space Showroom for expert advise on colour and products. Read my review of my experience at the Plascon Spaces Showroom here. View the Colour Forecast 2016 here. Here’s…
- Baby Interiors, Choosing colour, DIY Ideas, Kids Interiors, Mood Board, Nursery, On a Budget, Storage, Things I love, Trends
African inspired nursery
African Inspired Nursery Finally the nursery reveal that I’ve been dying to share. I had so much fun doing this nursery, it definitely came with its share of challenges for such a tiny room. I did not have a massive budget, so a lot of the items were DIY projects and it was a teeny-tiny space so I had to be very creative with the space layout. I will be sharing some of the DIY projects in the coming weeks. This was the initial moodboard I did for the room I made changes to the location of the crib and the type of changing station I was using. This was due to some…
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Staying on budget with Gumtree
Designing a nursery does not necessarily need to cost you an arm and a leg, you need those, and should be within your means. In today’s financial climate it is not always possible to spend money on extravagant items for a nursery, even the basic items can cost a fortune. Budget should not prohibit you from having the nursery you’ve always wanted. www.gumtree.co.za offers buyers (and seller) the opportunity to buy (or sell) products that are previously loved, securely and conveniently. I am going to design a nursery with secondhand items only found on the Gumtree site, in my area, proving that you can have the nursery you want ON BUDGET! Modern Upscale Gumtree Nursery:…
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Why should you use an Interior Designer for your nursery?
Every mom-to-be finds pride in doing her baby’s nursery. It is the process of getting the room done that makes most moms feel ready for the baby. After having your first child you realize what you actually needed and what you could’ve done without, this is where an experienced and an unbiased opinion like an interior designer’s can help you with clever decisions that can save you time and money. At Little Interiors I have different affordable packages to suite every mothers’ need and pocket. 1) You have a theme/colour scheme/some furniture and you need help to put it all together in the space, or you have an idea but you do not know…
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Roses are RED and nurseries TOO!!
Red nursery designs are not comon but as everything turns red during the month of love, it is just fitting to have some red inspiration. Red really does make your heart beat faster for a second when you walk into a room, that’s why you need to be extra careful when using red, but do not be afraid of it. It is a very passionate and warm colour and can evoke different emotions in different people, and can bring out some volatile behavior. For this reason we would not use red wall to wall in a nursery, but in accent colours around the room. You want your nursery to be a…
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Organize with peg boards
I found this brilliant tutorial on how to use a peg boards to organize your nursery and to add a perfect gallery wall. Rachael of This is our Bliss shared this useful turorial on how to make the peg board shown in her nursery reveal, below. Click here for the full tutorial to organise with peg boards. See some cute baby keepsakes here. Happy DIY Friday! {Mariette} Mariette SakelliouI am extremely passionate about creating stylish spaces that not only promote growing and learning but spaces that grow with your child. Apart from creating gorgeous, functional spaces I love doing DIY projects and I am devoted to share tips and tricks to create a happy and…
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Mustache a nursery
With the last of the Movember evidence gone, I find it fitting to tribute a post to the little men out there, with some mustache inspired nurseries. It is a cute theme and quirky accents can be used to add some fun details to a nursery. There are some fun DIY ideas too. Have fun! {Mariette} Mariette SakelliouI am extremely passionate about creating stylish spaces that not only promote growing and learning but spaces that grow with your child. Apart from creating gorgeous, functional spaces I love doing DIY projects and I am devoted to share tips and tricks to create a happy and healthy home for the…
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Out of Africa Nursery
For our first baby, we did not know the gender so I designed a neutral Jungle themed nursery. We are doing the same with the second baby and I am using some of the elements that I used in the jungle nursery in the new baby room. I used second-hand furniture in the previous room but I really wanted some new items to update the look a bit as we are in a different house too. I would have loved to source all the furniture locally but the Scandinavians, aka IKEA (Nevada Furniture), stole my heart with their simplistic design and good prices I might add. I am however sourcing local designs for the decor.…
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Superhero Theme
All boys adore superheroes, some never outgrow it either. I love the idea of doing a nursery in a superhero theme and of course what toddler would not love waking up to their favourite hero every morning. This is not only a theme for boys, so girls don’t need to feel left out. How to create the look: * Use bold colours like red, blue, yellow or green; bring in pinks or purples for girls. * Get inspiration from cartoons and the tv shows – use a pattern or image *You don’t need to use one character only. * Don’t be afraid to use different fabrics *Use some old toys that are still in…
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Buying a cot or crib? Is it safe?
Are you buying a cot or crib? Did you know that there are certain regulations regarding a cot or crib for your baby? Most people do not know about this here and are actually using cribs/cots deemed unsafe by these regulations, but luckily more South African manufacturers are working towards the UK & Australian regulations, which is great, but it is still not a big advertising point here as consumers are not educated about the regulations as they are not enforced yet. Using a hand-me-down crib or that awesome vintage find that is just gorgeous, may just be detrimental to your child or their health. And yes, our parents did survive those…
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Navy is the new Black
Yes it is true… one of the the hottest nursery trends for 2014 is NAVY! And we love it. The first thing you might think is that it can only work for boys. Navy is as neutral as you can get, so using it for a girls room and for a neutral nursery will be a perfect choice. (See my post about dark colours) Here are some boys, girls and unisex nursery inspiration with navy as the main colour. A trend that I see more and more is to use navy and brights together to create vibrant modern rooms. I am absolutely loving this trend. Some awesome colours that works perfectly…
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What do your really need in a nursery?
You’re pregnant and a you just can’t wait to start the nursery for your little bundle of joy arriving shortly. When do you start? What do you need? It can all become a little bit overwhelming at some point. I’ve done this already but early on in my new pregnancy I am also a bit flustered about the task ahead. Here are some my guidelines for the basic necessities in a baby’s nursery. A baby has very basic needs; Sleep, eat, bath & play; so as long as you tend to those needs they will be happy in their nursery. SLEEP For the first couple of weeks you will probably have…
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Once you go black……
I have recently had a conversation with a friend about a coffee shop’s decor, and I realized that the common perception of dark grey or black walls is still that it makes a room look smaller, dingy and cluttered. I have a different opinion about dark walls, the dark colours actually makes the walls appear receded. I am also one of those that like to dab my paintbrush into the lighter part of the colour card but I have always adored dark walls in a room. To me it feels that the wall disappears and everything you put on or in front of the wall becomes the focal point and…
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Washi Tape
I have recently been asked to consult on a room that was already done beautifully, but the designer aka mom felt like the walls did not look finished as she wanted it. Because of the roughness of the wall the border still looked unfinished. The most common solution would be to put a wooden half-round dado rail but because of the amount of wood already in the room it would have been to much. I opted to go for a washi tape that resembles a road as it compliments the motorbike design. It was a first time experiment with washi tape and I was really impressed. It is super easy…
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Oh so chic!! – GET THE LOOK
My friend, Elena recently posted a picture of her baby’s shabby chic nursery that she did. It is really a special space she created for her little princess. I’ve created a “Get The Look” board using her design as inspiration. Congratulations to Ramsey & Elena on the birth of their little baby girl, Alessia! She is gorgeous. Happy Decorating! {Mariette} Mariette SakelliouI am extremely passionate about creating stylish spaces that not only promote growing and learning but spaces that grow with your child. Apart from creating gorgeous, functional spaces I love doing DIY projects and I am devoted to share tips and tricks to create a happy and healthy home…
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Jungle Themed Nursery
This is the nursery I did for my little baby. We decided not to find out the gender of the baby, so I had to design a gender neutral room. I decided to go with green and brown as the base of the design and when we found out it was a girl at birth, splashes of pink crept in from everywhere. One of the colour additions to the room was her name that was done after she was born, shown bellow. I kept the brown background and bought pink bedazzled letters from Mr Price Home, as well as a cute photo frame. What I love about it is that,…
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Vintage Car Nursery
I was asked to create a “Mood Board” for a client with a Vintage Car nursery theme. I just loved the idea of using the stripes and the chevron stripes together. Using neutral colours in the stripes and in the big furniture you can create awesome splashes of colour with the art, fabric and accessories. My favourite items in this board are; the vintage race car at the top and the boxed up artwork using vintage cars. Ask dad to take out his sentimental childhood cars. This is ideal because you can give it to them to play when they are bigger, and are able to appreciate the value.…
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Theme: owls
These wide eyed creatures are seen everywhere from cellphone covers to tattoos, it’s a trend that everybody adores from grownups to kids. Without realizing it I have already invited two into our home, so today i’ve decided to write on how to develop a theme for a nursery or kids room around THE OWL. Firstly I’d start off with a neutral backdrop; pinks, blues, greens, beige or browns. These colours are just a guideline as they are the most commonly used by clients. I like to bring splashes of colour using decor such as bedding, artwork and accessories. Choose an accent wall that will bring your theme to life. Adding…
Living Well | Living Beautifully
