By Amelia Coote-Harris
When asked to picture a typical kid’s room, most people likely summon the classic pieces or themes – blue for boy, pink for girl, a rocking chair, a desk, and maybe a toy box. That would have been accurate a decade ago. Now, as we enter 2017, I’m pleased to say times have changed and kids’ rooms are no longer just about basics but are instead all about beautiful interiors.
The last decade has seen children’s bedrooms go from necessities to a designer’s dream space. Kids’ rooms have become extensions of a family’s excitement for their little ones, and their rooms are no longer forgotten as part of the greater home design. The dynamism of children’s rooms is especially exciting – whether it’s statement pieces hung from the wall, bold new art, or a twist on something vintage, kids’ rooms today are sophisticated representations of the bright minds living in them.
Key trends in the space will be on display at this year’s Life Instyle, Australia’s boutique trade event for anyone working in the interior design and retail space. With a whole section dedicated to the little ones, Kids Instyle, the event will showcase emerging trends, brands, and products on the cooler side of style and design. The following are a few trends bound to be big business in the next year – so count this as your sneak peek into the next big thing in the playful world of kids’ rooms!
Classic pieces, with a difference
We’re seeing a lot of designers holding on to the classic pieces you’ll find in nurseries or kids’ rooms, but adding a modern twist to them. Rocking chairs are a great example of this. This furniture item is still well adored, and incredibly practical for many nurseries, but they’ve undergone a transformation over time. No longer boring wooden pieces, rocking chairs are now modern staples, with a reinvention in style and comfort that provide a playful but perfect addition to any room. Hobbe Home create rocking chairs perfect for the modern home; made with longevity in mind, the style is elegant and fit for a kids’ room from toddler to primary school. This type of range proves that style is priority, and with matching ottomans and cushions, the most comfortable seat in the house will also, easily, be the most stylish.
Grey
Once maligned for being boring, grey is very quickly becoming one of the coolest colours to feature. It’s the ultimate neutral, not so stark as white, still with warmth to it, and absolutely modern. It provides a base for colour combinations to brighten up the room for smaller ones with pops of or yellow, and can progress to a palette of black and white, or modern navy and white – to will grow with children. Also a perfect gender-neutral tone, grey provides limitless design possibilities.
Animals
Animals have been, and always will be, a fun way to accesorise a child’s room. Each child has a favourite – the lion, giraffe or even a hippo, and featuring these majestic animals automatically brings excitement into a space. 2017 is all about animal expression, but the modern twist is to feature them as sophisticated images. Taylored Dots is the perfect example of this – with their handcrafted animal motifs the colours are neutral, but sophisticated enough so as to keep each feature modern and clean. Whether they’re statement pieces or the base for pairing complementary colours into the room, animals have never been more in style when it comes to creating a truly exciting room that will last until the little one is a lot older.
Wellness
Health and wellness has been a prevalent trend in the adult world for a long time, and while a child’s health is always a parent’s first concern, the ethos is moving from physical wellbeing to décor too. Accessories such as candles with relaxing scents, natural fibres for linen, and even crystals are accessories parents are choosing to build a child’s room. With more accessibility, these methods of restoring wellness are becoming increasingly popular. Stoned Crystals is a great example, offering an entire range of crystals to help centre energy, with display stands and jars too, bringing the dated concept of crystals into a modern room design.
–Amelia is event director for Life Instyle, in Sydney from February 16 to 19.
