Interior designer Eleanor Horwell (eleanorhorwelldesigns.co.uk) explains how she designed this vibrant nursery in North West London for one of her clients.
PH: What was your brief for this room?
EH: The brief was to turn a loft room, which was being used for storage and junk, into a nursery for a new baby. The client wanted a room that would last well into the baby becoming a toddler.
PH: What inspired the nursery’s overall design?
EH: The attic room had some lovely light flooding in through three large Velux windows, and in summer was a gorgeous sun trap, so the design I came up with played to the benefits of the light, with some inspiration from Scandinavian design, and a feel of a beach house.
Customised Mamas & Papas wardrobe with Zara Home knobs
PH: What was the thinking behind the colour scheme?
EH: My client didn’t know if she was having a boy or a girl, but I’m pretty against having specific colours for boys and girls anyway. So instead of baby blue or soft pink I chose a palette of white, with hot pink and orange (such a happy combination), splashes of green and blue and beiges and creams to add softness and break up the colour. My main colour rule when choosing the accessories was to avoid red as it was too harsh for the look of the room, and avoid grey (which I am usually obsessed with) as it was to all feel as warm and bright as possible.
Wardrobe customised with Zara Home knobs
PH: How did you go about decorating the room?
EH: All we did was rip up an old laminate floor, put down plain skinny oak floorboards, and paint them white. Walls were painted in Farrow & Ball All White, woodwork in Farrow & Ball Pointing. Super simple and super cheap, with a really striking effect. All in all, it was the least costly room that we refurbished in the house, but in some ways the change made the biggest impact.
Vintage crate-on-wheels toy storage
Get The Look
Wardrobe (and cot, not pictured): Mamas and Papas, with the drawer/cupboard knobs changed to ones from Zara Home. It’s a two-minute job and makes a world of difference.
- Green bookshelf: Anthropologie.
- Rug: Madeline Weinrib
- Blue chair and crate on wheels: Vintage
- Teepee: Great Little Trading Company
- Most of the cushions, blankets etc, and the wall decals are from Ikea.
