Kids' bedroom: Oh, I do love to sleep beside the seaside!

Create a space of calm for your child with inspiration from this relaxed, beach-themed bedroom.

Transitioning your child from a cot to their first bed is a big moment, it makes sense you want to create a special space for their next stage. Colour has a big impact on a space so choosing colours that have a relaxing feel to them, that will put your little ones at ease and make them want to be in their room (and sleep!) is essential. This neutral, easy-to-live-with palette is a great option and will see your little one through for years to come.

In this room design we've used a split wall paint design which is easy to achieve, looks modern and has high impact. We measured 1.3 metres off the floor and then taped the line in painters masking tape to section off the area. Resene Dusted Blue is a lovely soft hue and looks great teamed with rattan and natural elements.

This room scheme has three main colours at play – flooring and the top part of walls in creamy, light wood tones while several tonal Resene blues are used throughout the spaces in furniture and accessories. To add texture we incorporated these fun rattan sea creatures, rattan pendant, jute pouff and rug.

PLAYROOM AND STORAGE

Storage is key in any room, and if you don’t like clutter, baskets are your best friend. Not only are they a great option for storing all the little bits and pieces kids seem to collect over time, they are also great for organising things into groups – soft toys, blocks, shoes, books etc. They can also be customised to suit your décor as we have done here by painting a few in tonal blues. A coat rack is a great way to keep jackets off the floor, plus a good quality chest of drawers also helps keep the room tidy and organised and will last them for years. Having a bench seat, stool or ottoman in a kid's room is also handy for putting on shoes and all manner of things.

Above: Henley Teepee in natural, $99.95, Jute Pouf, $69.95, and Knot Knitted Cushion in oatmeal, $49.95, all from mocka.co.nz; Saidee Knitted Cushion in cream, $64.95, freedomfurniture.co.nz; Linen Cushion Cover in dusky blue, $19.99, hm.com; Wooden Wave Stacker (painted in Resene Rhino, Resene Lynchpin, Resene Casper and Resene Buff), $16, 2 Square Boxes (on second shelf down on the left in bookshelf), $12 each, Mini Colour Vehicles (painted in Resene Quarter Pavlova, Resene Dusted Blue, and Resene Bermuda Grey), $3 each, and 3 Rectangle Baskets Set (painted in Resene Bluff, Resene Casper, and Resene Dusted Blue), $18, all from kmart.co.nz; Rattan Ollie Octopus, $159, inkah.co.nz; Liewood play Yelena Wooden Toy Clock in blue, $159, littlewhimsy.co.nz; Long bookshelf (painted in Resene Bermuda Grey), pot plant on bookshelf (painted in Resene Quarter Pavlova), books, teddy, and round baskets with lids (painted in Resene Dusted Blue and Resene Quarter Pavlova), stylist's own. 

Above: wall painted in Resene Rice Cake. Lower wall painted in Resene Dusted Blue, resene.co.nz/colorshops.

Above: Play Studio Pre-school Wooden Number Puzzle (painted in Resene Bermuda Grey, Resene Buff, Resene Rhino, Resene Lynchpin, and Resene Dusted Blue), $7, thewarehouse.co.nz; Liewood Play Selma Wooden Toy Phone in blue fog, $77.50, littlewhimsy.co.nz.

HEADBOARD

Headboards can be expensive, so if you’re up for a project give this cute arched headboard a go. Ours is made from some inexpensive 90 mm thick mdf board, 1.2 m high and 92 cm wide. We simply drew an arched end with pencil, and using a jigsaw, cut off the excess wood. Give a light sand to remove any rough edges then apply two good coats of Resene Lustacryl in your desired colour (we used Resene Rhino). Use a pencil to draw the wave design onto the headboard and paint – our waves are painted in Resene Dusted Blue. Pop up behind the mattress and voilà! Instant wow factor.

BUNTING

To add some personalisation to this playroom space we took some pre-cut bunting (ours was from Kmart but you can buy this from many places) and painted the pieces. We used Resene Regent Grey, Resene Rhino and Resene Casper. We then painted a mix of designs and letters to spell the word play. Once all is painted and dry, thread twine and hang.

Small planter with faux succulent (painted in Resene Bluff), and wooden crab toy, stylist's own; DIY bunting.

POM POM MIRROR

To make this cute raffia pom pom mirror we took an inexpensive round mirror (from Spotlight) and painted the rim and sides of the mirror in Resene Black White. Then we glued on the raffia pom poms (from Kmart). So cute!

Above: Jolt Slim Drawers (painted in Resene Bermuda Grey), $319.95, mocka.co.nz; Embossed Wood Wall Hooks (painted in Resene Rhino), $20, kmart.co.nz; Oversized Denim Jacket in bells light blue, $49.99, cottonon.com; Meri Meri Toy Large Cosmo Octopus, $199, and Alimrose Blanket in charlie blue (in basket), $89.95, littlewhimsy.co.nz; ribbed planter on top of drawers (painted in Resene Rhino), shell dish on top of drawers (painted in Resene Quarter Pavlova), large woven round basket (painted in Resene Rhino), shoes, and bench seat painted in Resene Lynchpin), stylist's own; DIY pom pom mirror – see above for instructions).

Very top image: Top wall painted in Resene Rice Cake. Lower wall painted in Resene Dusted Blue. Headboard painted in Resene Rhino, with waves painted in Resene Dusted Blue. Ribbed bedside table and bench seat painted in Resene Lynchpin; Plant pot on bedside table painted in Resene Casper, resene.co.nz/colorshops. 

Home Republic Ultra Soft Jersey Quilt Cover – double, $159.99, and Standard Pillowcase (part of a set of 2), $59.99, both in powder blue, Organic Kids Sheet Set – single, in dusky blue, $109.99, and Home Republic Newport Chunky Knit Throw in natural, $239.99, all from adairs.co.nz; Coast Cove Cushion (on bed) in indigo with fringe, $89.90, bedbathandbeyond.co.nz; Domani Toscana Linen Cushion (on bed) in blue slate, $69.99, farmers.co.nz; IIuka Large Floor Rug, $239.95, mocka.co.nz; Rattan Cecil Crab, $159, inkah.co.nz; Rattan Woven Clip On Pendant Shade, $57, kmart.co.nz; Curtains, bench seat, ribbed bedside table, plant and pot, wooden toy camera, and trolley, stylist's own.

Art direction + Styling: Vanessa Nouwens

Photography: Wendy Fenwick