This week we sit down with Alicia, mama of two and creative genius behind @hudson_and_harlow, and walk you through Hudson’s brand new Room makeover.
Earlier this year Alicia shared with us her vision of re-doing 7 year old Hudson’s Bedroom – and we were all in! We worked with Alicia to bring the space together and as per usual, she did not disappoint. So grab your pen and paper, because Alicia is providing all the tips on how you too can transform your kid’s spaces into the magazine-worthy rooms that you see all over the gram.
Alicia, let’s start right from the beginning, when you are coming up with concepts for a Room makeover where do you find your inspo and all the amazing products we see featured in Hudson’s room?
When starting to create a new space, I often begin by browsing Instagram to discover new brands and products as well as revisiting old favourites. With so many Small Businesses on Instagram it’s always been my #1 go-to for inspo – the products you get from a Small Business I’ve always found to be the most beautifully created and unique.
I also draw a lot of inspo from Pinterest, I love making the vision boards on here whenever I’m planning something new!
With more then 6 room makeovers between two kids (um, how lucky are they?!), what do you love most about doing it?
There are so many aspects of why I love redesigning and redoing the kid’s rooms! The initial planning when it comes to styling and visualising the space, the careful choice of products, the attention to detail, and of course adding my own DIY to tie it all in. The satisfaction of finally seeing it all come together exactly how you envisioned is what does it for me!
Speaking of attention to detail, your organisation is next level incredible! How do you do it? Let us in on your top three Bedroom organization tips!
1. Well all the kid’s toys belong in their playroom, which already makes keeping their rooms organized a whole lot easier! In the playroom I have picture-labeled containers for each toy category so they can easily find their toys – and it makes cleaning up so much easier!
2. I have used little trays inside Hudson’s desk draws to keep all his stationary and bits and pieces easily organised. This means after homework or drawing time there aren’t a million bits and pieces left all over the place!
3. Underbed storage! Definitely utilise it wherever you can. We have pull-out storage draws from IKEA under both Hudson and Harlow’s beds.
Hudson is 7 now, how do you find the balance in bringing together a space that is magazine worthy whilst also ensuring you are meeting the brief of a 7-year-old Minecraft and Mario-obsessed kid? He's got such a style of his own now!
Hudson loves Minecraft and Mario, but it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing style for a room. The letters on the locker tie in these interests and the locker stores all his favourite toys!
When I asked Hudson what he wanted in his room he said a skill tester machine, talk about a hard request! So I purchased a Claw Machine from Typo, then I completely pulled it apart and re-painted it, made labels on the Cricut machine using gold foil to personalize it, then filled it with small toys in the same colours as the room so it all tied in. He absolutely loves it and so does all of his friends. Huge hit with the boys!
What a cool idea! Finally, what are the things you keep in mind when making those key product selections in a room?
Hudson’s room is very small and it was important that he had a study area. So the slim wall mount desk from The Timber Line was such a perfect choice for his room. I love that it’s also got shelving so he can display the things he loves.
With the wallpaper, I went for a neutral colour with a traditional pattern so that it will still work with a variety of styles as he gets older and has new interests. I'll be able to easily change the colours in the room without having to change the wallpaper. It was also realistic to keep in mind that he will eventually decide to paint his walls and remove or change up the wallpaper, so it was important we used a high-quality easy-to-remove wallpaper like the PolyTex range from Minnie and Me Interiors.
It's not hard to understand why Small Businesses are at the heart of every styling project Alicia plans. Not only does she love each and every product she shares in the kid's rooms but it is equally important to Alicia that she is helping to support other like-minded mums that share so many of the same values as she does. Discover and have a little stalk-sie of a few of Alicia's favourite Small Business brands.
The Curated Parcel
If there's anyone that equally shares the same passion for growing and nurturing the minds of children through play - it's mama-of-three Joanne from The Curated Parcel! This beautiful Small Business was established in 2019 and boasts a quality range of sustainable, eco-conscious play-based learning resources. You'll find some of the most well-known brands within the education sector and are guaranteed to discover some new favourites - like the Sumblox range that Hudson is currently obsessing over!
With every order placed these legends give back through their PAY IT FORWARD initiative, playing their own part in fostering our future generations by donating a % of their profits to charity partners The Smith Family and Kids Under Cover.
Yep, we can tell why The Curated Parcel is a Finalist in the 'Hustle & Heart' category with Roar Awards 2022! 👏👏👏
These new kids on the block are providing the goods when it comes to aesthetically pleasing Children's Furniture. An idea dreamt up by new mum, Kylie, Cowrie and Conch is taking the Instagram world by storm, and for good reason! A range of furniture and décor that has been cleverly designed not only with your kid's style in mind but also your own - we promise you'll actually be excited to include the kid's table and chairs in your perfectly styled lounge room for the very first time! Cowrie and Conch offer fun, edgy colours and patterns, or you can tone it all the way back with their stunning boucle options that put our own designer armchairs to shame!
"Keeping the colours consistent with the rest of your house so it flows nicely. But also keep in mind it is a kid's room so it also needs to be fun and have colour!" - Alicia.
Little Wiwa
Another incredible mum-founded business is, Little Wiwa - the brand revolutionizing the standard padded playmat. With a background in Food Science, new mum Shanti came up with the concept of her playmats after struggling to find one that was made from safe, non-toxic materials. What we love about these mats is the fact they are made from TPU foam and that they are stylish to boot, making an ideal choice for any room makeover.
Traditionally you think of playmats going hand-in-hand with crawling babies, but we can assure you, this is a fave amongst all age groups with Hudson still getting every-day use out of his during playtime!
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