How To

Before + After: Styling A Kid’s Bedroom That Will Stand The Test Of Time

Being a parent is a journey marked with big milestones: from the day you turn that spare room into a nursery, to the day when your baby suddenly needs a ‘big kid bed’, and with it, a new bedroom!

Watching your kid grow up is bittersweet, but transforming that baby’s room into a kid’s bedroom doesn’t have to be.

Today we’re sharing our advice on how you can make the room transition seamless, with some clever pieces of furniture from Koala that both you and your little one will love.

Written
by
Christina Karras
|
Photography
by
|
Art Direction
by

Annie Portelli

|
Styling
by

Sarah Hendriks

Supported By Koala

Striped Cushion from L&M Home. Wicker Storage Basket from IKEA. Artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Baby cot from IKEA. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Crane Mobile from The Little Toy Shop. Play mat from Pure Baby. Sea Animal soft toys from Oli Ella. Wicker Doll House from Oli Ella. Suffolk Armchair from Koala. Hand Printed Cushions by Oat Studio.

Striped Cushion from L&M Home. Wicker Storage Basket from IKEA. Artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Baby cot from IKEA. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Crane Mobile from The Little Toy Shop. Play mat from Pure Baby. Sea Animal soft toys from Oli Ella. Wicker Doll House from Oli Ella.

Baby cot from IKEA. Suffolk Armchair from Koala. Hand Printed Cushions by Oat Studio. Checkered cushion from Bonnie & Neil. Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Giant Miffy from The Memo. Wicker Storage boxes from Wika. Rattan Terry Basket from Ollie Ella.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Daybed cushions from L&M Home. Artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Pepe side table by ELLISON STUDIOS. Setage &Tradition Lamp from Cult. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Hand printed cushions on bed and armchair by Oat Studio. Striped artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Rattan Daisy Wall Basket from Ollie Ella. Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Beaded Coaster from Pan After.  Toy Car & Camper van from Lego. Striped red bowl from Pan After. Telephone wire bowl from Pan After. Bell Table Lamp from ELLISON STUDIOS. Striped Box from HAY. Wicker Storage boxes from Wika. Striped Bin from Pan After. Striped Floor Cushion from Oat Studio. Suffolk Armchair from Koala. Hand Printed Cushions by Oat Studio.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Daybed cushions from L&M Home. Artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Pepe side table by ELLISON STUDIOS. Setage &Tradition Lamp from Cult. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Hand printed cushions on bed by Oat Studio. Striped artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Toy Car & Camper van from Lego. Wicker Storage boxes from Wika. Striped Floor Cushion from Oat Studio.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Hand printed cushions on bed and armchair by Oat Studio. Striped artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Rattan Daisy Wall Basket from Ollie Ella. Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Beaded Coaster from Pan After.  Toy Car & Camper van from Lego. Striped red bowl from Pan After. Telephone wire bowl from Pan After. Bell Table Lamp from ELLISON STUDIOS. Striped Box from HAY. Wicker Storage boxes from Wika. Striped Bin from Pan After. Striped Floor Cushion from Oat Studio. Quinn Basketball Hoop by Nauge Interiors. Suffolk Armchair from Koala. Hand Printed Cushions by Oat Studio.

Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Toy Car & Camper van from Lego.  Striped Box from HAY. Wicker Storage boxes from Wika. Stackable storage crates by HAY. Ceramic pencil holder by Ella Reweti.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Striped artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Rattan Daisy Wall Basket from Ollie Ella. Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Beaded Coaster from Pan After.  Toy Car & Camper van from Lego. Striped red bowl from Pan After. Telephone wire bowl from Pan After. Bell Table Lamp from ELLISON STUDIOS. Striped Box from HAY. Striped Bin from Pan After.Quinn Basketball Hoop by Nauge Interiors. Suffolk Armchair from Koala. Hand Printed Cushions by Oat Studio.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Hand printed cushions on bed and armchair by Oat Studio. Striped artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Rattan Daisy Wall Basket from Ollie Ella. Balmain Bookshelf from Koala. Beaded Coaster from Pan After.  Toy Car & Camper van from Lego. Striped red bowl from Pan After. Telephone wire bowl from Pan After. Bell Table Lamp from ELLISON STUDIOS. Striped Box from HAY. Wicker Storage boxes from Wika. Striped Bin from Pan After. Wicker Storage Basket from IKEA.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Pepe side table by ELLISON STUDIOS. Setago &Tradition Lamp from Cult. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Hand printed cushions on bed by Oat Studio.

Joey Bed base from Koala. Daybed cushions from L&M Home. Artwork by Emmanuelle Mc Glade. Pepe side table by ELLISON STUDIOS. Setago &Tradition Lamp from Cult. Lazy Sunday Throw from Koala. Hand printed cushions on bed by Oat Studio.

Writer
Christina Karras
Photography
Art Direction

Annie Portelli

Styling

Sarah Hendriks

10th of October 2024

Kids are notorious for quickly outgrowing stuff: clothes, shoes, and even toys.

But furniture is one of those things that can (and should!) be used for years on end, if you pick the right pieces. And it all starts with the collection you buy when the time comes to turn the baby’s room into a proper kid’s bedroom.

Here are our top tips on how to style the perfect retreat that your kid will love today, and well into the future.

1. It’s all about the bed

Now that your little one is growing up, perhaps the biggest change is upgrading from a cot to a more grown-up bed!

The Joey Bed Base from Koala features adjustable height legs, to help make the transition a bit less daunting for your little one. The timeless timber base is designed to evolve as your kid grows up, starting on the low legs to be closer to the ground, before eventually graduating to the full height bed. There are also handy optional guard rails you can add to keep wriggly toddlers at bay.

2. Maximise storage

You can never have enough storage in kid’s spaces. In our room transformation, we’ve added Koala’s Balmain Bookshelf to display those cherished books, toys, and sentimental objects. Made from warm, solid ash timber, it’s a piece that will last well into their teen years.

We also added a mix of boxes and rattan baskets to store clutter out of view, making it super easy to tidy up after playtime.

3. Inject personality

One of the most fun parts about re-styling this room is that it’s an opportunity to inject some of their unique personality into the space. Start with finding the right colour: in our example, the gender-neutral backdrop of mint green is refreshed with neutral tones of brown, oatmeal and more playful pops of red and blue.

And rather than repainting the room in your kid’s favourite colour (which they’ll inevitably change their mind about) perhaps invite them to help you choose or create some art to personalise the space. We also added a cork board, which is a great way for them to display drawings, posters, or photos, that can be changed up frequently.

4. Create a quiet zone

In addition to being a place for playing and sleeping, every kid’s bedroom should have a dedicated ‘chill out’ zone. Something like the Suffolk Armchair from Koala is another comfy option, and the washable covers mean you don’t have to panic about any stains or marks ruining the plush fabric.

On the day bed above, we used an abundance of cushions in various patterns to create an inviting reading corner, made extra cosy with Koala’s Lazy Sunday Throw blanket. It’s now perfect spot where they can have some quiet time after a busy day — something we all need, no matter how old you are!

Visit Koala’s website to shop their full range of Australian-designed furniture.

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