Shared rooms can be so challenging – particularly when catering for a large age gap. Throw in a girl/boy combination and you basically hit every design hurdle out there. Cat Matthews (Styled by Cat) mother of Alice and Ted, has overcome every one of these challenges with style and grace, creating the most stunningly serene shared space for her 2 little loves.
We first saw Cat’s work in our 2017 Summer Edition – the first iteration of this gorgeous shared space. Cat’s ability to meet the needs of both of her children and keep her design aesthetic bang on is a feat to behold.
I am delighted to be sharing Alice and Ted’s room version 2.0 for you all to enjoy!
TELL US ABOUT THE OWNERS OF THIS ROOM:
‘This room belongs to siblings seven year old Alice and two year old Ted. Alice loves all things girly and pretty, but she is also liking things that are more ‘big girl’ these days, which in her words means “no cute stuff!”. Ted, on the other hand, is a typical little boy who loves cars, trains, planes, and “cute stuff”.’
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS:
‘Styled by Cat is my styling baby that grew out of my Instagram feed. I offer a variety of product styling and photography services, as well as interior styling. A lot of my work is with children’s brands, and with parents planning a new nursery or children’s room makeover, although I do love styling for home décor brands too. Some of my favourite work has been with stores such as Minimacko, The Mum Life, Norsu Interiors, Miss Amara, and Honeytree Baby.’
WHAT WAS THE BRIEF FOR THIS ROOM?
‘The brief for the room make-over was given by big sister Alice. “I want a big girl room, no more cute things because I’m 7 now!” However, she does still share with her little brother, and so the goal was to bring more sophistication to the room, pare it back a bit, but still cater to Ted’s needs and likes without being overly cutesy.’
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE SHARED ROOM?
‘Prints are always a key part of my room designs, and so my goal was to find a set of girl/boy prints that were sophisticated whilst still being suitable for children. The Linn Wold prints fit the bill perfectly, and subsequently provided the inspiration for the overall room design.’
HOW DID YOU SELECT YOUR COLOUR PALETTE?
‘I kept the colour palette fairly neutral so it would suit both Alice and Ted. So there’s lots of whites, creams, and greys. But Alice has a pop of pink on her side to keep her happy! I also wanted to lighten the room up by adding a light coloured floor rug over the dark grey carpet.’
ON THE WALLS:
Dulux Favoured in half strength
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FEATURE IN THE ROOM AND WHY?
‘My favourite feature in the room would be the new floor rug from Miss Amara. The colours are so soft and calming, and it really lifts and brightens the room. It also seems to anchor the space with the more sophisticated feeling that we were going for, and it’s so soft for the children to sit and play on.’
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
‘The biggest challenge was incorporating the needs and likes of a girl and boy who are four and a half years apart. Alice is in grade one now and feels like a big school girl, whereas her little brother is still a crazy toddler! Giving them each a ‘side’ of the room, displaying some of their favourite things, keeps them both happy, whilst the overall neutral pared back look of the room helps bring it all together.’
WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THIS SPACE?
‘I love the calm, serene feel in the room. Hopefully that will help them sleep like babies!!’
GET THE LOOK:
Hamden Raised Honeycomb Wool & Viscose Rug by Miss Amara
Little Sophia & Little Tobias Linn Wold Prints by My House Loves
Dreamy Canopy in champagne by Spinkie
Pom Poms from The Mum Life
Pale Pink Linene Wrap by Pear & Co
Ohh Noo Toy Pram from Monkeynmoo
Lucky Boy Sunday Pale Nulle from Minimacko
Pom Pom blanket by Namely Co
Stick Stay wall decals from Peppa Penny
Brooklyn Ottoman by Rocking Baby Chairs
Alimrose Delores Deer in Lavender by Honey Tree Baby
Jupiduu Rocking Horse by Honey Tree Baby
Bird & Berry Crib by Kukuu Furniture
Marsett Follow Me Lamp by Design Stuff
INSTA LOVE
@nr13b
@ stine.moi
@ella_and_tinyt
Photo credit: Cat Matthews
