Interiors: styling that celebrates the wonder of childhood

Step inside Ruby’s room, a space that inspires discovery and celebrates the beauty and wonder of childhood.

Tash Stokes is a Hamilton-based wife, mother and photographer. She has an eye for sweet details and an appreciation of subtle beauty. Tash intentionally celebrates the wonder of everyday life and her lovely home reflects her knack for seemingly effortless styling.

For families with young children, interiors can fall into one of two extremes: ‘kid clutter’ taking over every corner of the house on the one hand, and carefully curated rooms where children are styled out of their own spaces on the other. Tash has found the balance, as seen in her daughter Ruby’s calm and inspiring bedroom where play, reading and rest are encouraged in equal measure. From cuddling up and working through a pile of picture books to jumping on the bed, this is a room where a kid can be a kid and making a bit of a mess makes the room look even more inviting. 

What was your inspiration behind Ruby’s room?
Ruby herself! Ruby is strong, bold and quirky. She is also all things girly, so we built her room around that.

What is your favourite aspect of her room?
We especially love the artwork. We created a gallery wall and it’s a bit of a mish-mash of all the things she likes, but somehow it works quite well.

What is Ruby’s favourite aspect of her room?
To be honest, Ru loves to jump on her bed!

What was your biggest splurge and your best bargain?
Ruby’s bed is the only piece of furniture we bought brand new. We got it from IKEA. We love the character of vintage items and look for those over brand new store-bought most of the time. Her drawers, for example, were a lucky secondhand find for $40. We painted them to give them a new lease on life.

How will you change the room as Ruby grows?
I think we have chosen items that will grow with her quite well. I love to constantly change bits and pieces around our house so Ruby’s room is also always evolving. I can’t wait to see how different a teenaged Ruby’s room is to the colourful, girly space it is now!

Any tips for styling kids’ rooms?
Don’t be afraid of colour and clutter. This is the one time in our children’s lives where chaos and toys appeal to them, so why not let them showcase all the things they’re into – items that reflect the special little people that they are. My advice is also to explore secondhand options – you don’t have to spend loads of money to style a great room. And finally, let your children have the biggest say in what goes where in their room. You might be pleasantly surprised by their design ideas!

Photography and styling: Tash Stokes, blackrobinphotography.co.nz

Marta Abad Blay Irene print, $28.50, and Alimrose Colette 52cm doll, $74.50, littlewhimsy.co.nz; Liberty of London Saville Poplin fabric in Petal and Bud, $38 per metre, thefabricstoreonline.com; Lily and George Stardust unicorn mounted head, $49.99, shutthefrontdoor.co.nz; Djeco ballerina night light, $99.90, alliuminteriors.co.nz; IKEA Minnen extension bed frame with slatted base (mattress not included), $299, urbansales.co.nz; Città Forget Me Not organic cotton muslin cot blanket, $89.90, cittadesign.com; Living & Co 25cm ceramic wide cylinder vase with lip, $10, thewarehouse.co.nz, Città rainbow hand loom cushion cover, $59.90, paperplanestore.com; Olli Ella Minichari bag in natural, $69.50, thegatheredstore.com.