Prepare to be amazed

Kids' Corner from Your Home and Garden magazine

Step up and give your child’s room a fun circus feel with bold stripes, checks and animal accessories.

A circus themed kids bedroom

Back wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Oxygen. Striped wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Gin Fizz with stripes in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Pursuit. Floor painted in Resene Walk-on in Resene Half Gin Fizz, from Resene ColorShops. Cold Swim Bethells art print by Grace Popplewell, (A4), from Endemicworld. Eclipse bedside table; Peyton bed (king single); both from Mocka. Grid linen duvet cover; linen pillowcases; powder blue linen sheet, all from Foxtrot Home. Skirt table lamp; Veja Esplar sneakers; Qeeboo bear rug; all from Smith & Caughey’s. Oyoy lion cushion; Jiggle & Giggle George Mouse toy, both from Allium. Treasure Island book; The Puffin Book of Big Dreams book, both from Little Whimsy. Gingham linen fabric covering ottoman, from The Fabric Store.

If you’re looking to add character to your child’s white bedroom walls try adding an easy checked pattern feature made from cork tiles, or take inspiration from the big top with some fun stripes to create an impact.

Checked cork tile wall

This wall idea adds great texture with the cork, as well as visual interest from the check – it’s also practical as a big pinboard for your kid’s artwork. First, measure the wall you want to tile, then buy enough packs of cork tiles to cover the wall. We used Home Lux Cork Tiles, 300mm x 300mm, (pack of nine). Separate the tiles into two even groups, leaving one set raw and lay the other set out on the floor. Roll two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Gin Fizz over the top. Once dry, attach the tiles to the wall starting at the bottom left corner and work your way over. You may need to cut some tiles with a craft knife and metal ruler if the tiles don’t fit the size of your wall. Depending on how permanent you want the cork tile wall to be, you can either attach the tiles using a strong PVA wood glue or removable adhesive tape.

Stripes

We used a base coat of Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Gin Fizz, but if your walls are already white you can use that as the base. Then you will need two rolls of painter’s tape, depending on the size of the wall to be painted. We opted for a 48mm width tape and kept the stripes an even distance apart. You could also opt to spread the tape further apart for a thicker red stripe. Once you have taped up your stripes, roll over two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Pursuit. Give the paint time to touch dry before carefully removing the tape so you don’t get any bleed.

Tip: Add extra contrast by varying the sheen level of your stripes and checks. Try Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss to contrast against lower sheen walls.

A cork pinboard in kids bedroom

Cork pinboard painted in a check pattern in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Gin Fizz. Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Oxygen. Shelf painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Pursuit. Floor painted in Resene Walk-on in Resene Half Gin Fizz from Resene ColorShops. Sweet Brothers lamp, and Qeeboo duck cushion both from Smith & Caughey’s. Knobbly wall hook, from Allium Interiors. Arnold circus stool, from Everyday Needs.

Circus themed bedroom accessories

Striped wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Gin Fizz with stripes in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Pursuit. Floor painted in Resene Walk-on in Resene Half Gin Fizz, from Resene ColorShops. Juno bookshelf and toy organiser, from Mocka. Nature Baby raincoat, from Smith & Caughey’s. Liewood Chas banjo; Little Bear book; Friends book,; The Body Book book; Hare & Ruru book; Good Night, Sleep Tight book; Konges Slojd toiletry bag; Liewood James backpack; Liewood Victoria four-in-a-row game; all from Little Whimsy. Mindfulness stacking stones game, from Kmart.

Resene Half Gin Fizz

Resene Oxygen

Resene Pursuit

Created and styled by Amber Armitage/Marigold. Photography by Wendy Fenwick/Flash Studios.

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November 2023

Kid's Bedroom Decorating Ideas
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