Nursery: a Scandinavian styled dream

Raffaela Jenkins shows us around her daughter’s idyllic nursery and playroom, a haven of calm and creativity.

Melbourne mother-of-two Raffaela Jenkins has always loved being creative, and one of her favourite outlets is decorating her children’s rooms. For Indigo’s room, the first thing she and her husband decided on was the colour. Knowing they were having a girl, they had to add a touch of pink, but they ensured the shade was soft and calming, to make it easy to style. After painting the V pattern on the central wall, they chose the main pieces, ie cot, nursing chair and rug, and then went about adding soft furnishings to create the dreamy and whimsical feeling they’d envisaged. 

What was your inspiration behind Indi’s room?
I love Scandinavian style but with a touch of vintage. I found a lot of inspiration on Pinterest when searching ‘Scandinavian girls nursery’, ‘whimsical nursery’, ‘nordic nursery’ and ‘modern vintage nursery’. I’m also a big lover of colour. However, I love to soften it with neutral furnishings and natural timber/wicker pieces. Pinterest was my best friend in the planning process and really got the creative juices flowing. I also found some incredible Australian handmade pieces on Instagram.

What is your favourite aspect of her room?
It would have to be her main wall with her Ikea kitchen and cot. I instantly feel calm whenever I peer in through her door. This is also Indi’s favourite part of her room, and it makes me so happy to see how much she loves her room too. Her favourite meals to cook are pasta and pancakes. She could spend hours in this corner. 

What was your biggest splurge, and your best bargain?
The biggest splurge would be the Armadillo and Co rug. I loved it even before I was pregnant. The other big splurge was her nursing chair – comfort was very important. My best bargain would be the wicker dolls cot. I found this beauty on gumtree for $10! I wanted one for months so checked gumtree and ebay every single day until one became available.

How will you change the room as she grows?
I’m now in the process of creating a ‘big girl’s room’. I’ve chosen a dark flower wallpaper from Minnie and Me interiors to make it feel more grown up, but love that it’s still young and girly. After all, she’s still my baby, so it’s important for the space not to feel too old, and to keep that whimsical dreamy feel.

Styling & photography: Raffaela Jenkins, Instagram: indi_and_Bear

IKEA DUKTIG play kitchen, $299, babydragon.co.nz; Olli Ella Piki small picnic basket, $49, teapea.co.nz; New Zealand long-wool sheepskin rug, $259, alexandcorban.co.nz;  Mia canopy, $99.95, mocka; Prabal round rug, $99.99, ezibuy.co.nz; Pip Studio cappuccino cup & saucer, $29, quiescent.co.nz; Sparkle lights, $14.95, mocka.