A little whimsical room
Thanks to her clever mum, little Dulcie Mae has a place for everything, and everything in its place.
Tania Hussey is one half of Tate Design, an interior design team based in Wellington which specialises in bringing to life nurseries, children’s bedrooms and play spaces.
She gave us a peek inside her daughter's bedroom. In designing Dulcie Mae's room, Tania gave particular thought to even the smallest of spaces, to make sure there was a home for every one of her little girl's special treasures.
What was the inspiration for the room?
Tania: Dulcie Mae was about to go from her cot into a big bed, so it was time to update her room from a nursery to more of a space for a toddler. I changed her artwork, swapping out simple ABC charts with old-world-style maps, but still keeping with the eclectic vintage theme. I also updated some modern everyday pieces. Dulcie Mae is a 'girlie-girl', so I have surrounded her bedroom with pretty things. It's a lovely room for her to play, dream and explore.
What were the tricky or challenging issues you faced and how did you solve them?
Making room for the king single bed was a little challenging, but after a play around, I got it right. Also, there was no built-in storage, so I had to find a way to incorporate more storage than just a chest of drawers.
I purchased a beautiful stand-alone wardrobe (urbankids.co.nz), where Dulcie Mae’s clothes are kept, but it also has drawers and open shelving. Also, with the new bed in place, I purchased two big open drawers on wheels that are easy to access under the bed and store so much, but also look great.
How will you update the room for Dulcie Mae as she gets older?
I think once she starts school we will incorporate a desk or work area. We are forever changing things and updating artwork, so she is a very lucky girl in that respect.
What is Dulcie Mae’s favourite thing?
Dulcie Mae takes so much pride in her room – even at three and a half years old, she looks after everything and keeps it all in place. She has an eye for detail and will notice the tiniest change straight away. It’s lovely having a wee girl who appreciates nice things.
What is your favourite part of the room?
My favourite part of the room is the lighting. She has her gorgeous bunny lamp that is safe to stay on all night. She also has copper fairy lights placed through the bunting that look so pretty when turned on, as well as an upcycled lamp by her chair. We hardly use the main, bright normal lighting. The added lighting creates a calming, magical atmosphere.
What have you done on the back of the door?
I like to utilise the back of bedroom and wardrobe doors, as they are usually such a blank canvas and wasted space. On Dulcie Mae’s door, she has a corkboard for memorabilia and also a painted duck-egg blue chalkboard area. It’s a great way to free up wall space for other things.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING: TANIA HUSSEY, TATEDESIGN.CO.NZ
1 Oobi apples bunting, $39, kidscaravan.co.nz
2 Fairy door, AU$36, fairydoorstore.com.au
3 Tea Pea lazybones cushion, $74, teapea.co.nz
4 Cloud cushion, $8, Kmart
10 Djeco Wooden Shelf Cloud, $85, alliuminteriors.co.nz
11 Rare Rabbit wooden geo cut wall hook in pink, from $35 each, teapea.co.nz
12 Shadow boxes (set of three) RRP$59.95, mocka.co.nz
13 Bronx Store It, RRP$149.95, mocka.co.nz
5 Heico Germany bunny lamp, $189, teapea.co.nz
6 Alimose Little Red Riding Hood doll, $65, kidscaravan.co.nz
7 Letterpress wooden letters, $5.95 each from Typo
8 Belle and Boo Together cushion cover, $65, kidscaravan.co.nz
9 Incy Interiors Mia metal bed (king single), $1090, gorgi.co.nz
Thanks to her clever mum, little Dulcie Mae has a place for everything, and everything in its place.
Tania Hussey is one half of Tate Design, an interior design team based in Wellington which specialises in bringing to life nurseries, children’s bedrooms and play spaces.
She gave us a peek inside her daughter's bedroom. In designing Dulcie Mae's room, Tania gave particular thought to even the smallest of spaces, to make sure there was a home for every one of her little girl's special treasures.
AS FEATURED IN ISSUE 31 OF OHbaby! MAGAZINE. CHECK OUT OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE BELOW
