Plus baby: a stunning shared master bedroom

We first caught up with Whangarei mother, graphic designer and photographer Hannah Whitehead, when she shared with us her daughter Frankie's 'big girl' room. Since then, Hannah and her husband Dylan have welcomed a son, Leo, to their family and it's our privilege to take a peek in the bedroom Mum and Dad share with their baby boy.

How did you set up your master bedroom to accommodate your newborn son?
Hannah: Our entire home is in need of renovating so we were lucky in the sense that we could create a new space from scratch. Our master bedroom was the house's original 1940s lounge, so it is a decent-sized room with plenty of space to pop a cot in the corner. I loved the idea of having an actual cot in there, instead of just the bassinet, as I knew he would realistically be in with us for quite a while. (We are renovating on a budget so it is slow going).

How do you keep the room restful, avoiding clutter?
We tried to go with a very simple colour palette for the room, keeping it light and bright. Lots of natural woods to add a bit of warmth and calmness - a restful space for a baby to hopefully sleep a lot! We really try to keep our home free of clutter, which I know can be hard when it comes to children. Focussing on key pieces that will be really well used was a must for us, as opposed to filling the room with items that will date quickly. Leo has some of my favourite little wooden toys displayed on the mantel near his cot, with the rest popped away in a wicker basket. We share drawers and a wardrobe, which sounds tricky, but seeing as we just stick to the essentials, this works well for us.

What are the essentials and what can you leave out?
Essential items for us were a bed and cot that would work well together. Dylan made our black steel-framed bed and Leo's cot is a simple wooden IKEA one which goes with pretty much anything! We chose not to buy a change table this time, as we wouldn't have anywhere to put it, and also we found that we didn't really use the one we purchased when Frankie was a baby. Instead we opted for a change basket, which is a super cost-effective option!

Best buy?
Our best buy is 100% the old mantel! We bought the beauty off TradeMe and it needed quite a bit of work to get it back into shape. I love that it sits on the wall where the original lounge fireplace was before the previous owners boarded it over - kind of a fun little piece of history there!

How long will you share and where will Leo go next?
Leo is going to be sleeping in our bedroom forever - ha ha! I am in denial that he will ever grow up. I think he will stay with us until we renovate our third bedroom - whether that is six months, one year or longer, I am not sure, but I am in no rush at all to move our little love out.