HOW TO CREATE A READING CORNER

photo from Nayviah's room

Two words: reading corner! As a Mom and in creating designs for clients, I love when I get asked for a reading corner. There is something so magical about what happens over the years here; snuggles, night time feeds, those eye gazing stares with your little one (my favourite!) and lots of stories.

photo from Xavier's room

photos from Miles' room

There are really only only a few things you need to create a corner like the ones you see here.

1. A good chair is an essential in a baby room; this chair should be comfortable for whoever will be up during the night with baby and I always recommend either a pouf for a footrest or a chair with a built in footrest. Putting your tired feet up should be make as easy as possible.

2. A pillow! This might not seem like a necessity but a small pillow seems to aways come in handy for relieving a sore back or even resting baby's head.

3. A blanket is handy to have to cover cold toes or even to wipe up spilled milk in emergencies!

3. Somewhere to rest a drink / lip balm / cloth. This can either be a side table if you have the space or, as in Miles' room above, the window toy storage acts as a surface for a drink due to the low height of the chair, which in this case was the perfect fit for Mom.

4. A book shelf doesn't have to be big, in fact, even a floor basket would work if the walls above don't. The idea is that books are accessible and will therefore get pulled out and read regularly.

5. A dim light (optional). While some people think a night light or lamp next to the chair is an essential, I have found that many clients prefer to have a dimmer switch for the overhead light that they can turn off when they leave the room. Either way, some form of lighting is a great addition.

6. Last, but not least, books! Reading to your little one can start even before birth; we have read at all different times of the day throughout the years but it has always been a daily special pre-bed activity that we all look forward to. 

OH MONDAY!

1. Loft hideaways give me all the happy childhood vibes and I adore this one by Musk Studio in Melbourne.

2. Thank you so much for your kind words about Miles' baby nursery over the past few days; I'm so glad you love it as much as our little client does! Your words of encouragement are always very much appreciated.

3. I've being doing lots of e-designs lately and love this sweet little girl nursery I designed so much! The space that this was created for is super tiny and the little cloud rug is just the sweetest little mat for a room that a big rug won't fit.

4. With all that sun we had last week, I've pulled out the kids sandals. Saltwater sandals are our absolute favourites for all three kids! If you haven't tried them, they are great for everyday wear, grip well and are designed to go in and out of water! 

5. Some of you might think I'm crazy but I'm a morning person. I was always the first to get up as a kid and on days where I'm not entirely sleep deprived, I like to be the first up now. This quote perfectly summarizes why.

Have a great week!

MILES' BOHO MONOCHROME NURSERY REVEAL

Our latest room reveal is here!!! I am SO excited to share our newest project, little client Miles' monochrome nursery!!!

This house may look familiar to you; Miles' baby room is right next door to Ella's toddler room (his older sister) that I shared a couple of years ago. 

CEILING LIGHT

“I love ceiling lights like this one that still let plenty of light shine through. Install a dimmer switch so you can achieve just the right amount of light desired.”

Miles' room is our take on a monochrome boys room. The entire space was based on black and off-white but we wanted to keep the overall feel light and airy with lots of natural wood touches. Stars always feel fitting for a kids room; and this room has nods to space in the 'I love you to the moon' print, the 'dream moon' artwork and the rocket nightlight too. Miles' space is set up to be a dreamy place to sleep but also a perfect place to play.

COZY RUG

As Miles started to move, the fireplace became more and more of a point of interest and safety risk. The chalkboard cover (just a piece of plywood painted with chalkboard paint) works perfectly to add such a special detail and covers the fireplace well, keeping little fingers out. I can't wait to hear how much fun he has with this feature when he actually finds out he can draw all over it!

Pillows are perfect for setting up cozy spaces for little ones to relax. I love this knot pillow so much as it not only looks amazing but is lots of fun for babies to grab as well. It functions both as an accessory and toy, which is ideal. Isn't the polar bear adorable too? He's so soft and such a sweet softie to grow up with.

The round mirror over dresser is still one of my favourite set ups for kids. Kids LOVE mirrors and this one will last for so many years to come. I can absolutely see Miles liking this mirror as much as a teenager as his parents do now. Miles' mom didn't want to have a change station as by the stage we designed the nursery, he was wiggling around too much and diaper changes were being done on the floor.

The dresser was an existing IKEA Hemnes one; we simply opted to change the handles to add a special detail that I think adds so much. The leather drawer pulls were found on Etsy.  

I love how small details like the light box and little nesting dolls add a playful touch when decorating kids rooms. The key is using items that are both educational and decorative so (at least) two functions are covered off in one item. 

STAR DECALS

Use decals as a more affordable way to create the look of wallpaper…perfect for kids rooms as you can easily just peel them off as kids grow!

I don't know what side of this nursery is my favourite but the crib corner is sure up there! It's simple but dreamy and the star decals provide all the magic the wall behind the crib needs.

Right under the window is the best little bench for young ones who are just learning to stand. This bench was originally going to be a window seat but as soon as we put the bench there, Miles LOVED it just as it was!!! This is his favourite place to play, pull out toys on his own and look out the windows!

SHOP THE LOOK…

For those who like to see what the room looked like before, here is a photo of the space when I first arrived. It's always amazing to look back on where we started!

Just like in sister Ella's room, Miles' mama wanted a little shelf with hooks beneath it right by the door. It is such a functional set up for providing a landing place for sweaters, etc. when you walk in the room and helps to keep the space tidy.

Miles sure is one lucky little babe! Rooms like this are such a dream to create and knowing that he will grow up with memories of his time here is the absolute best part. 

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OH MONDAY!

1. We have a very exciting week coming up!!! Our newest little boy nursery is being revealed on the blog this Wednesday! I can't wait to share it with you all.

2. Totally inspired by this incredible indoor slide in a home in Kiev, Ukraine designed by Ki Design. Getting to the living room would be so much quicker (and SO much more fun!). Totally worth going to their site to see the whole space. I love it.

3. Kaia and Noelle had 'crazy hair day' at school last week and their ideas were so amazing that I had to share. 

4. Did you see local Vancouver company Petits Vilains' newest Spring collection? Their gorgeous line of children's clothes are divine and are designed and made right here!

5. For those of you that are still reading, thank you!!! Thank you for following my blog, for continuing to read even when I'm not 100% consistent, for allowing me to try different things, for following me on Instagram, for sharing your love of all things kids, understanding this crazy journey we call parenthood and the magical ride it is. Thank you for your support and your time; I truly appreciate it.

Have a great week!

15 CALMING YOGA BOOKS FOR KIDS

Do your kids ever get overwhelmed? Mine sure do! Since us adults still struggle to pull out the right tools each time we feel frustrated, angry, annoyed, etc, imagine how kids feel! This list of amazing kids books centred around yoga is a great beginning to help your little ones understand and start talking about ways to help them feel calm and thoughtful through yoga!

Our local kids yoga studio, Yoga Buttons, right here in Vancouver has been such a positive influence on our children and they often remind each other (and me!) to take a deep breath and try to be calm. It's been so helpful for us and I hope you can find a book here to share with your little one too. Hand picked by the studio owner (thanks Carolyn!), these recommendations come straight from our favourite kids yoga teacher who deals with dozens of kids every day!

01. // You are a Lion; 02. // Yoga Bunny; 03. // Rachel's Day in the Garden; 04. // Peaceful Piggy Yoga; 05. // ABC Yoga; 06. // I am Peace; 07. // Little Monkey Calms Down; 08. // Move your Mood; 09. // Yawning Yoga; 10. // In the Garden; 11. // Good Night Yoga; 12. // Peaceful Piggy Meditation; 13. // Good Morning Yoga; 14. // By the Sea; 15. // Breathe Like a Bear.

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