Two little girls share the perfect bedroom, thanks to this designer’s tailored solution
The brief? A playful yet sophisticated shared space for two little girls with plenty of storage. Designer Angy Ertel tailored every element in the room for a perfect fit
SISTER ACT After moving to Sydney’s Paddington, Angelika and Andreas Zenkl turned to designer, Angy Ertel of Ertel Design (erteldesign. com.au) to create a playful and functional space for their daughters, Aimee and Camille. “They wanted a fun kids’ bedroom, but still wanted to keep the zone sophisticated,” says Angy.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE “The key feature is the curved shelving” says Angy of the joinery unit, made to her design by McGee Projects (mcgeeprojects.com.au) with a polyurethane finish in Dulux Lexicon Quarter. Books and toys are displayed on open shelving, with a gap below one section to allow it to be used as an extra desk.
VARIETY STORE Aimee and Camille’s room was designed with storage in mind, with its mix of open and closed shelving. Large toy drawers under the shelving unit and bench seat feature pull holes rather than handles. “I wanted to keep the detailing simple, and I like this as a playful touch,” says Angy.
COME TOGETHER The shelves flowf seamlessly into a window bench seat. “Since it’s quite a small space, I wanted everything to connect,” says Angy. The soft furnishings are an opportunity to add colour, with the seat upholstered in a Warwick fabric and Lucky Boy Sunday cushions. “If the room needs to change, they could remove the shelves and keep the bench,” says Angy.
SWEET DREAMS Angy designed the bunk bed with an American oak railing and ladder and brass details. “I designed it with flexibility in mind so that if the girls don’t want to share further down the track, the top bunk can be removed and the room will still look great,” she says. A drawer under the bed holds a mattress for sleepovers.
INNER SPACE The built-in wardrobe also features a white polyurethane finish, with American oak recessed finger pulls and an open shelf above adding a point of difffference. “The joinery looks more interesting with the timber detailing,” says Angy. Expansive drawers at the base of the cupboard are easy for the girls to access.
MAKE AN ENTRANCE “A normal shelf would’ve looked quite bulky as you entered the room, and from the hallway,” says Angy of her undulating design for the shelving. “The curves lead you into the room and allow it to feel more open, which is important for a small space.“
COSY COMFORT Each bunk bed is almost a room within a room, with individual black and brass ‘ Wallace’ wall lamps from Onefortythree and cute self-adhesive wall stickers from Groovy Magnets creating comfy spots to relax and hang out.
UP HIGH ”I designed a wall at the foot of the bunk bed so I could add some shelving for books, which is accessible from the bed and the desk behind,” says Angy of these timber niches. This end wall stops short of the ceiling to make the room feel bigger, while also allowing the sunlight from the tall window to reach the top bunk.
IN THE NAVY The wall behind the bunk beds was painted in a deep blue (Dulux Precision) to add depth and contrast to the prevailing white. “I wanted to create a cosy feeling in the bunk beds for the girls to relax, hang out and of course sleep!” says Angy. Apart from this, colour comes mostly from accessories, art and textiles.
FINE LINES ”It was tricky to fit in a bunk bed, desk and lots of storage but still leave space for play,” says Angy. The American oak desk features fine brass supports, which are visually light and maximise floor space between the desk and the wardrobe. A stool from IKEA is a flexible choice.
“You have to design a kids’ room with both their needs and interests in mind” ANGY ERKEL, DESIGNER