I remember when I was around 13, there was a girl in my school who only ever wore black.  Occasionally she would wear little hints of white or grey but the dominating colour from head to toe was always black.  I seriously thought she was the coolest kid I’d ever seen!  I’ve always loved black and even several years on this obsession with black has never waned.  When I see a piece of clothing in a shop, it can come in every colour under the sun and I will always be drawn to the black one.  Over the years I’ve taught myself to have more colour in my wardrobe especially for Spring and Summer but in Winter it’s back to black!  Now this black obsession is creeping in to my decorating ideas and I’m thinking of re-doing my daughters room in black and white.  So I’ve been looking around for kids room decorations that are not only black and white but are also simple, unfussy and uncluttered in their design.  These were my top picks:

1.  Heart poster… 2. Polka dot wall stickers… 3. Sheep mobile… 4. Striped blanket… 5. Striped cloud cushion… 6. Tica chair… 7. Mickey Mouse pillow.

Hope you all have a great weekend!  See you next week…

My brother and sister-in-law are total art lovers and wherever they travel they pick up a painting by a local artist as a souvenir.  I think this is such a lovely way of remembering your travels and combining your love of art.  They always try and buy an original because given a choice I think anyone would opt for this over a print and very often you can get your hands on originals for not a lot of money.  While there is a lot of great original art out there, it’s not often that I come across cool original paintings for kids and so when I saw these by Adriane Duckworth I had to share.  The art is delightfully simple yet striking and I love the uncomplicated nature of the drawings.  My favourites are the black and white animal paintings and I love the black clouds too but there are some bright coloured ones available as well.  While Adriane’s style is minimalist and modern, it has plenty of warmth and cuteness too!  You can visit her online store ADOP to see more or checkout her selection at Society 6.

If you read my post on Ferm Livings latest collection, you will know that I am obsessing over the whole black and white Scandinavian interiors look.  I so badly want to create my own version of this look in my living room but can’t for practical reasons.  My only hope is moving house but it seems a bit excessive to move just because I want to re-decorate the living room!  So while I wait I’ve been dreaming of how I would decorate, and this black and white wallpaper by Fine Little Day is one of my favourites.  In my next home I know I’ve got to have this somewhere.  The same print also comes as a baby blanket and a cushion cover both of which I love too.  I went looking around the web to see rooms where this blanket, wallpaper or cushion has been used and these were some of my favourite black and white rooms:

Isn’t this wallpaper so striking?  It just brings all these rooms to life.  I love the nursery at the top which is nearly all white but has that stunning feature wall.  I also love the last picture where this wallpaper has been used to frame a door.  And the 2 pictures in the middle show the blanket and cushion which are so chic.  Have a happy weekend!

Image credits: 1. My second hand life… 2. Babiekins mag… 3. Miluccia… 4. Design sponge…

Recently I have come across so many blogs that showcase beautiful Scandinavian homes and each home is more striking then the next.  Often the rooms are all white from floor to ceiling, complemented with black accents and gorgeous mid-century furniture.  I am so smitten by this Scandi chic look that last night I told my husband it was time to re-decorate our living room and draw from this style but with our own personal touch.  In my excitement I even showed him all the images I had been collecting.  He agreed but then quickly burst my bubble by pointing out the elephant in the room – the carpet.  To really achieve the look I’m after we need wooden floors but living in a period flat with a 4 year old, that just isn’t an option.  The noise would drive the couple below us insane!  While I know he’s right I can’t help but mourn the living room of my dreams.  So for now I’ll have to make do by fueling my love for all things Scandinavian by sharing more Scandi decor with you and today I’ve turned to an old favourite with a wonderful new Spring Summer 2013 collection.

If you haven’t already guessed, this is the new collection by Ferm Living.  Always chic, always minimal this new line is right up my street.  I love the use of lots of black and white with pops of bold colour.  That half moon wallpaper would fit like in a dream in my imaginary living room.  As I’ve come to expect with Ferm living, most of their pieces aren’t age or gender specific like those bolsters that would be fun in any space.  And that play tent, with it’s black and white stripes and hint of neon orange wouldn’t be an eyesore if your kids decided to camp out in the living room.  There’s a lot more to this new Ferm Living collection including some cool wall stickers like the ones pictured below.  Enjoy!

This week’s picks for mama and baby… more Christmas gift ideas for both but this time I’ve gone for a black & white colour palette.  Timeless, classic and always chic, you can’t go wrong with this colour combo:

1.  Modern Heart print for mama by Love Maki.

2.  Cable knit pom pom tights for baby by Hansel from Basel.

3.  Soft cotton mini blanket for baby by Fine Little Day.

4.  Liberty print pencil tin and pencils for mama by Liberty.

5.  Mustache body suit for baby by Beau Loves.

6. Handmade deer and wolf soft toy for baby by Lucille Michieli for Minikin.

7.  Reversible cape for baby by Wovenplay for Bobo Choses.

8.  Two tone wool scarf for mama by Aiayu.

9.  Geometry tea/coffee cups for mama by Ferm Living.

10.  Playsam black streamliner car for baby from Smallable.com

11.  Chunky copper and black bracelet for mama from Need Supply.

12.  Handmade hat with little ears for baby by Les Zigouis.

You can also check out my other Christmas gift guides which include lots of gift ideas for babies, boys, girls and mama’s. 

I love pairing black and white.  Be it in fashion or interiors, these 2 just work together like magic.  I don’t think I’d ever be bold enough to decorate a room using only these 2 colours, even though the end result can be quite stunning.  But the thought of using them as a backdrop and adding bright pops of colour really appeals to me.  And that’s why I fell for the kids room pictured above.  The all white room has been complemented with lots of black and then there is an abundance of colour in practically every shade under the sun.  That’s the best bit about a black and white backdrop – absolutely no other colour is out of bounds.

After finding the first room I felt very inspired and continued hunting to see what else was out there.  I soon stumbled upon this wonderful room which again has the same backdrop complemented with lots of colourful bits and pieces.  Both these rooms can be for boy or girl and would be super easy to re-decorate when the time comes.  The only problem with finding beautiful kids spaces like these is that it makes me want to re-decorate my daughters room each and every time…

image credits: 1. Petra Bindel and 2. French by design

I’m a complete wallpaper addict.  Nearly every room in my home has wallpaper and I’m always looking for more for those rooms that don’t have any.  So when I saw this hip wallpaper by Dutch Onszelf, I couldn’t wait to feature it.  If you’re looking for a cool nursery or kiddy room then you can’t go wrong with this stuff.  In addition to the wallpaper, Onszelf also make large wall stickers that are so unlike any other wall stickers I’ve seen.  I’m loving the bambi range which would look super cool and trendy when stuck on one of their complimentary wallpapers.

I’m especially lusting after their black & white range but if colour is more your thing, they have some bright ones too.  The turquoise and red animal silhouettes one pictured above is one of my favourites as is the deer silhouette one in bright reds and yellows.  But there are lots more to choose from.

Last, but not least are these gold wallpapers that are just divine.  They’d work in an adult space or a kiddy space which makes them extra special for me.  The pure gold one is something I’ve had my eye on for a while… it’s so rich and beautiful.  To check out all these wallpapers and to find stockists head to Onszelf… and if your Dutch isn’t quite up to speed, you may need a little help from google translate.

When you’re thinking colours for your toddler or kids room, black & white probably don’t even come up.  It’s definitely not the most popular choice of colour scheme for a kiddy room but if done right, it works and how!  Black and white rooms can look super stunning and can really have the wow factor.  It may not be for everyone but I’m a big fan and I’ve rounded up 5 kids rooms that do black & white oh so well:

I love them all but if I had to choose a favourite, I think it would be number 2.  I love how the black and white cars with hints of red are placed by the window and I love the bed too.  I also like the idea of having a chalkboard wall as they’ve done in rooms 4 and 5. It’s easy to do and any kid would love it. 

Image credits: 1. French by Design  2. Style files  3. Think decor  4. Onszelf  5. The want monster

Chevrons seem to be all over at the moment and I’m loving it.  Simple graphic patterns like stripes and chevrons work so well across nearly anything and best of all they look so stylish in an understated way… the best way according to me.  I’ve picked out some sunny yellow and black chevron adorned goodies for both mama’s and babies:

1. Love this gorgeous black and white chevron print maxi dress by the ever stylish Anthropologie and you could even wear it when pregnant.  2.  A sweet airplane baby mobile in yellow and teal by Cactus & Olive.  3.  Simple and stylish bird prints for a nursery or an adult space by Tessyla.

4.  A super modern and super sophisticated black and white baby blanket by Handmade by Paisley.  5.  A yellow and white pinafore style dress that is perfect for spring by Sewn Natural.  6.  A very cute chevron print elephant soft toy with big flappy ears by Lil Kingdom.

Being a fan of graphic art I got a bit over-excited when I came across Wee See.  They make DVD’s crammed with bold, graphic black and white images for babies.  The moving graphics accompanied by original playful music make for mesmerising viewing.  Their site allows you a peek at their DVD’s and it’s a pretty generous peek too.  The DVD’s cost $22 plus $10 for shipping to the UK.  Hearing the music, even the daddy tore himself away from the Grand Prix to come and have a look.  I’m thinking perfect gift for a newbie or even for your own.  Put on the DVD, let your baby get a dose of some pretty cool visuals while you get on with the never ending chores.