I’ve always been a homebody, but since having Tallie I’ve spent more time in one room than I ever have – our bedroom. In those early fuzzy days (which incidentally I’m already forgetting – how quickly do those blurry days slip by?!) we snuggled into bed as we got to know one another, and my word, those moments were precious. Fraught sometimes, yes. Scattered with tears and frustrations, certainly. But oh so wondrous. Since then, I still spend a fair bit of time in our room, as I shush and pat. And shush and pat. And sometimes even manage to sleep myself. As one who has always found comfort in a tidy and cosy home our new mini addition has added a new dimension to our decor. Suddenly practicality seeks to rule over pretty. Substance over style. Certain fabrics and colours seem off limits. But thankfully, I don’t think you need to totally give into these practicalities. Instead I think there are a few things you can bear in mind to balance out your bedroom’s style and kid-friendly nature.
OPT FOR NO FUSS FABRICS
Linen is perfect. It is literally a no fuss fabric. Straight out of the washing machine, dried however is easiest (chucked over the bannister in our home…) and then straight onto the duvet cover. Crumples add to the life of the sheets, making them extra cosy and lived in. Who really has time to iron their sheets anyway? As an added bonus, linen has a beautiful way of helping you keep your cool. Especially when you’re smack bang in the middle of the breastfeeding night sweats. I love my soft grey linen sheets from Soak & Sleep as they feel so cool and fresh, even on hot summer nights, and the lighter shade of grey is very forgiving on spillages and stains!
PILE UP THE CUSHIONS
Happily ticking both the practical and pretty boxes are cushions and pillows. And lots of them. If you’re going to spend days on end in bed, or nights sat up with only a restless babe and your iPhone light for company you might as well be comfy. We recently swapped our bed for this beaut, which even has a handy shelf sort of headboard (on non shoot days anything can be found there, from empty baby bottles (hers) and phone chargers (his) to muslin cloths (her again) and water bottles (mine). Even with it’s padded headboard I find myself stacking up the pillows to prop myself up, whether I’m feeding or rocking or shushing or snuggling. A bad back is not a mama’s best friend.
RELISH IN THE DETAILS
While the crawling and walking days are still a way off for us (although if the days continue to fly by they’ll be here before I know it!) my mind has already turned to that of baby-proofing our home. As a fan of minimalism and clutter free interiors, I’m hoping this might be a little easier for us, as I don’t have umpteen knick-knacks around the place. But if you do love little mementoes and accessories, why not opt for hanging items instead? Not only will they be out of reach of little hands, but they’ll also brighten up a nursery nook or otherwise plain white wall, adding character and life. I made the little embroidered hoop (with hidden night lights) following along with a Mum Made box. I’m pretty chuffed with the results!
LAYER UP A BEDSPREAD
It stands to reason that if you have little people, they will most likely end up in your bed at some point. And even if you have the pretty and practical bed linen as mentioned above, you might want to try and keep it clean to save you sticking it in the wash every day. This is where throws and blankets come into their own. Not only do they add warmth to a bed, but they’re also super handy for putting on top of bed linen, to keep spills and stains at bay. Your little one will probably love the extra cosy feel too! I added this kid’s bedspread to our bed, and for snuggle or play time I pop Tallie on it and then when the inevitable sick ups happen, I feel less precious about the sheets getting ruined!
KEEP ESSENTIALS HANDY
When your bedroom becomes your kitchen, living and dining room it’s natural for ‘stuff’ to accumulate. There are certain bedside essentials I won’t be without – namely a water bottle, breast pads, iPhone (and charger), headphones, a ton of muslin cloths, handcream and Calpol. But if these are all out on display I can get a little twitchy, so the basket is my friend. Keeping everything close on hand, but hidden out of view baskets are a super handy addition to your bedside area.
