Today’s room tour comes courtesy of the lovely Lisa Levis (nee Stickley) who is a British textile designer, founder of Betty & Walter (who we featured last year) and mum to baby Edith. Scroll through the gallery to see her super-cute, vintage-inspired room, which contains lots of personal touches. Enjoy.
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Where do you live and what type of house do you have?
I live in a three-bedroom Victorian maisonette flat in South London, with lots of light and a cute little garden.
How would you describe the space?
Edith’s room is the smallest of our three bedrooms (being the smallest person in the house we felt this was most appropriate!) I guess you could describe it as a generously proportioned box room. The large sash window overlooks the garden and you can see quite a bit of London and great sunsets as it’s on the 3rd floor. When we moved into the flat we originally painted the room a deep teal colour and used as a studio/office.
What was your inspiration for the room?
When I was pregnant, I wanted to refresh the nursery-to-be and take it back to a more neutral colour palette. A blank canvas for me to layer lots of colour on top by way of accessories and furniture! I wanted to bring in a bit of character so I painted the walls in two chunky colour blocks, French Grey on the bottom with white on top. I think this makes the room look a bit bigger, and the soft hues work well with the black pepper coloured sisal carpet. A bright forest green was the next thing I knew I wanted to add, and having found a fabulous mid-century sideboard on eBay this was the vehicle for it. The sideboard was sanded down (with much help from grandma!) and painted white with the green colouring the drawers. More bold colour was introduced via some number posters I made, inspired by a vintage German game of mini dominoes I bought years ago. I enlarged numbers 1 – 9 and had them printed. Then granddad made some poster hangers and voila!
I then added some old school cloakroom hooks, shelving, a wardrobe and cot. The rocking chair is a hand-me-down from my mum and dad and was previously used to nurse me and my sister (a little while ago!). We made the curtains from Betty & Walter ‘Pink Pepper, Puddle’ fabric (Edie likes this print a LOT) and added some cushions (some made by me and some originals I have had for years from my grandmother). I also made Edie her mobile. I did this when I was about to pop and really enjoyed it. Proper cardboard cutting and painting!
Did you have a set plan for the room or has it evolved?
I did plan all the big stuff before I started decorating, and am so pleased it all works together in real life. The blank canvas allows for an easy change, which is great knowing how quickly Edie is growing already, I am sure it won’t be long before it needs further adapting. An ever-evolving project, I guess!
What are your three favourite things in the room?
I LOVE the sideboard, especially with its bold colour. I really like the posters too, and the poster hangers can be switched up easily with new imagery for the future, so a double like! My favourite bit has to be the mobile though I think.
Have you enjoyed decorating the space?
Loved it. From the initial inspiration research to the implementing it has been great fun. It is especially nice because Edith really loves her nursery. That makes me burst a bit… I am so pleased.
Where did you buy the key pieces from in the room?
We were very lucky to get lots of hand-me-downs, like the cot and the rocking chair, but we did go shopping for a few bits. The wardrobe is from Ikea, sideboard from eBay, and the hooks are vintage from Kempton antiques fair. We have some fab detail bits from Donna Wilson, Smug boutique in Islington, some wonderful wooden toys from Buttercup in Whitstable and some great books by Chris Haughton.
I also use my own products to dress the room. From our autumn collection, Treacle Toffee in Allotment which is a FAB bag for chucking literally everything in to go out and about, and good for storing stuff too. Coconut Candy, also in Allotment is great for holding all of Edith’s cuddly toys and a great print for Edie to learn about veg!. And Meringue in Geranium Brandy is just excellent for organising bits for the changing bag - you can have nappies on one side and a change of clothes or wipes on the other!
Any tips for decorating rooms/sourcing pieces?
Do your research and planning on paper first, then make a big list of all the bits you need to pull it together and keep your eyes peeled! Google is a great source for researching suppliers. eBay, second hand shops and antiques fairs keep things quirky and individual too!
Thank you for sharing Edith’s room, Lisa. We adore all your vintage and preloved pieces and that sideboard is pure genius!
Have you got a room we should feature on BG? Drop us a line at team@bambinogoodies.co.uk.
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