Fresh ideas for kids’ bedrooms
Create a space for your kids that can evolve as they get older.
Double the fun
Artist Olivia Botha of Swellendam and her husband Karel aren’t afraid of change, or colour. These two creative DIYers regularly swap rooms and move furniture around to keep their décor fresh.
Their sons, Le Mar (4) and Tre Monne (2), are best of friends. When Olivia moved the boys’ beds with their unique headboards (Karel’s handiwork) to the kids’ TV room and positioned them in such a way that the pair could scamper back and forth between them, it was a done deal: this is now their favourite space.
Almost every item in the space is handmade and tells a story, such as the photo blocks on the wall that capture precious memories. “We probably have 20 000 photos of the kids, which made it difficult to choose just a few!” says Olivia with a smile.
[ FILL IN THE DETAILS]
The children’s bedside cabinets (above and previous page) each have only four drawers, but were decorated with eight Supawood panels painted in different colours before the handles were fitted. Each boy also has his own armchair, upholstered in mom’s bespoke Art de Olivia fabric.
Second-hand steel lockers currently offer storage space for everything from toys and books to shoes; these versatile units were previously used in the bathroom, laundry room and kitchen, says Olivia. “We simply gave them a fresh coat of Rustoleum spray paint.”
Olivia says the sliding wooden blinds on rails work better than curtains. “They keep the room nice and dark at night but let in plenty of light during the day. The boys also love the farm-style look the blinds add to their room.”