Love and whimsy

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

The primary school years are a delight. No longer an infant or toddler requiring care throughout all hours of the night, but not yet a teen with the corresponding attitude, children this age are generally full of fun, love and whimsy.

If you have a daughter in this age category, it’s time for her to have a bedroom that reflects her big-girl status yet still retains the beautiful innocence of childhood.

Full of cheerful touches, this bedroom gets everything right: feminine details, cute printed linens, a cosy throw that ties the scheme together – and playful elements like the crepe paper flowers and the painted flower hook rack in Resene Blanc and Resene Just Dance. But it’s the softly coloured tonal palette that steals the show.

It’s hard to find a better colour for a little girl’s bedroom than pink, and these walls in Resene Sorbet certainly fit the bill. But, choosing to layer in dustier sunset shades such as Resene Just Dance on the curved headboard and vase, Resene Santa Fe on the lamp, Resene Soulful and Resene Just Dance on the bedside table and Resene Moccasin on the stool, can keep the space from feeling too sugary sweet.

Similarly, incorporating a few other colours beyond pink will help balance things out. A floor in Resene Triple Blanc keeps things light and airy while bringing in bedding and accessories in golden, buttery or terracotta tones like Resene Noosa, Resene Moonbeam and Resene Desperado can bring further depth to the space.

Unless you have a budget that permits new furniture every few years, you’ll want to choose a bedroom set that can grow up with your daughter. This room is delightful now - and its simple, basic shapes will have no problem handling a more mature palette, bedding and accessories when the teen years arrive. Just give them a fresh lick of paint in whatever colours suit her fancy.

But while she is still young, why not let her have a go at adding some of her own personal touches through a few small DIY projects? With a testpot in Resene Just Dance, a hook rack in Resene Blanc becomes the perfect canvas for a few sweet flowers to be painted on. Or, pick up testpots in Resene Sante Fe, Resene Soulful, Resene Just Dance, Resene Moccasin, Resene Sorbet, Resene Triple Blanc, Resene Noosa and Resene Moonbeam and a couple of pre-stretched canvases let her try her hand at making some artwork that perfectly coordinates with her current colour scheme. She can even bring new life to some old second-hand hardbound books by giving them new covers painted in Resene Sorbet, Resene Soulful, Resene Just Dance and Resene Sante Fe, just like the ones sitting on the lower shelf of the nightstand.

On the wall, the statement flowers were made from layers of crepe paper glued to paper plates. To make yours more robust and to add even more visual texture, make them out of cut lengths of your favourite patterns from the Resene Wallpaper Collection – they’ll stand up better to occasional dusting and won’t fade in the sun.

Styling by Melle Van Sambeek. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2019