Sophia Ferrari-Wills‘ home, @thiscolourfulnest on Instagram, looks like a pastel paradise, which naturally includes her little girls’ bedrooms and pastel playroom.

“When you’ve got kids, you have to compromise,” says Sophia with a wry smile. “Originally we wanted to make the playroom a shared space that was great for kids and also a snug for grown-ups. But we soon realised two children do not let you have a calm adult room. So we made it purely a playroom instead to match the girls’ bedroom.”

The family wanted colour throughout the house and, as they are surrounded by dark oak trees, they went for pastels – especially pink. The soft tones help to brighten up the space. “Pink is a happy colour that everyone loves and which ties the whole home together,” explains Sophia.

The playroom, which features a blue and white striped ceiling, has a creative and interesting use of pattern and texture. “Having a colourful ceiling adds a different level of interest as people don’t often think about decorating the fifth wall,” says Sophia. “It also helps to give a more complete look to the room.” The floor is decorated in a blue and white checkerboard effect, and if that wasn’t enough creative whimsy, the walls are covered in tree murals. 

The girls’ bedrooms

The bedrooms are equally colourful. Clemmie, four, has pink ceilings, bunting and a floral mural. Meanwhile, Minnie, two, has a room with an outdoorsy feel, a landscape mural and hot air balloons floating from the ceiling.

“The girls love the girly details like the canopies and balloons,” explains Sophia. “The balloons also help to give a feeling of height, which is good as we have low ceilings.” 

Every inch of their rooms is bright and fun – including the doors, which are painted with colour blocking and stripes. From the addition of light blue rugs to pink cushions and orange chairs, each room feels cosy yet dreamy, with murals adding to the creative look and feel. 

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“There is something so playful about a mural,” explains Sophia. “It can help to spark a child’s imagination, but even as an adult I find myself gazing into it.”

Wall storage has been used wherever possible to create more floor place for play and Sophia has hung neat wall-hung bookcases in both bedrooms. It is a design idea that gives the kids lots of space while keeping the rooms funky, uncluttered and beautiful.  

Sophia’s words of wisdom:

• Paint your doors. Leaving doors white is fine, but if they are the same colour as the walls, then they can help bring the room design together.
• Decorate the ceiling as a way to add intrigue.
• You can do a lot with paint – either through colour blocking or your own murals – and also wallpaper. 
• Choose the wallpaper first and then build the room around it rather than vice versa.
• While kids are little, chests of drawers save on space as you don’t need full wardrobes. Clothing rails are great for older children, as you can set out their outfits and let them to choose what to wear. 

Don’t forget to grab your October issue in newsagents nationwide, on the KBB magazine app or via Readly – on sale 5 September 2023.

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