All posts filed under: Toddlers

Ikea Dark Scandinavian Design

My first trip to Ikea for 2018

Published by Karen Knox

It was a dark and dreary Sunday. I was up at 6am (stupid body clock) and I had a mission to complete: Operation ‘Charlie’s Big Boy Bed’ If you remember, we updated his room last autumn with some super sneaky bespoke joinery which not only solved the toy storage problem but also allowed us to fit a full sized single bed into his bedroom without re-wiring light switches or knocking out a chimney breast. S-weet! As we wanted to give Charlie the option of having little people over for sleepovers (when he’s capable of sleeping past 6am – does that happen?) we wanted to go for a bed that served that very purpose. Something white, without a footboard, something that didn’t have an ornate headboard, something that provided function of sleep and allowed the plywood storage wall to be the main feature of the room. Cue the Egzigu bed from La Redoute Two of these simple white bed-frames stacked on top of each other would solve everything and soon enough, courtesy of La Redoute they …

Lego Storage

Charlie’s bedroom – Part 2 – The Plywood Wall

Published by Karen Knox

Charlie’s room has ended up being a much larger project that originally planned (sorry Pete). The whole design process has been bubbling away in the background for a few months now and am so excited to finally share Part 2. (Part 1 here). This kid’s bedroom is all about the plywood!! There are still plenty of pieces left to go in (carpets and single bed) but it’s the joinery that’s really transformed this room. So let’s get on with the pics shall we? Before After Before | During After I absolutely love it. It’s so mental to see an idea in your head executed so accurately. The guys from Leeds and London based Bare Joinery are mega. Give them a follow, because i’ve been bullying them to set up a proper Instagram account for months and i’m going to look like a right numpty if it’s tumbleweed. The design is a perfect marriage of function and form. I’ve finally reclaimed the living room (and several other parts of the house) and have managed to get all …

Charlie’s Bedroom Re-design – Part 1

Published by Karen Knox

What a week! The Interior Design Collective launch completely blew my mind. It seems quite a few of you think it’s a rather good idea. Which is brilliant. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) Thank you so much again to everyone who sent their best wishes. It was an amazing day. So back to normality again. Whatever that means. I’m cracking on with the next project at home, which is Charlie’s room. Remember me introducing that one a few weeks ago? If not, you can pop over here for a brief catch up. The plan was to build a unit across the whole of the back wall so Charlie’s new single bed could sit right alongside. There wasn’t really anywhere else in the room it could go due to the door swing and the window/radiator situation. After toying with several different ideas about what material to use to build said unit, I had to rule out Valchromat on cost alone. This left us with MDF or …

Toy storage

How to live with kids (and all their stuff)

Published by Karen Knox

Something I get asked a lot in consultations at family homes is how to deal with kid’s stuff. They see pics of my house online and are keen to know how I keep our house tidy with a four year old. Firstly, it’s not always tidy. Believe me. Charlie is a master den builder. Often taking over the living room with our clothes airer, all the blankets, cushions, pillows, access to any of the seating and view of the TV. The “Lego carpet” is also another one of his preferred activities. Where he takes his two boxes of Lego and pours the contents across the rug so it’s impossible to even enter the room without piercing your foot on a studded brick or small piece of Lego Star Wars based weaponry.   We don’t have a designated playroom for a couple of reasons. The first being, we don’t have that extra room available. Unless we had an extension, that is. Secondly, kids don’t really use them, well I don’t think they do. And more often than …

The Magnetic Wall – Pt 3 – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Just over a month ago, I introduced you to a playroom re-design I was working on in collaboration with Thistle Magnetic Plaster, by British Gypsum’s “Rooms Made For You“. The plan was to transform the room overlooking the rear garden into an interactive family space. A room that connected the large, recently completed living space to the great outdoors. Part II, was all about the magnetic plaster going up on the wall, what it was like to work with, how it dried and what was next on the plan of action. Here’s a brief visual catch up… It was now time to start getting the mural i’d planned up on the walls. I’d sourced some designs for the decorator and with the help of a projector, the design went from a 2D image on a screen up onto our magnetic wall. In two days, the room was transformed from a cold white square room to a warm, light, creative space filled with colour and extra special detail. Three window blinds were fitted into the window recess by …

The Magnetic Wall – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

Remember the playroom re-design I introduced you to a little while ago? The one using Thistle Magnetic Plaster, by British Gypsum’s “Rooms Made For You”? Well, we’ve had a visit from the plasterer. Before – On a cold and moody Thursday in March, the room emptied and sheets down Behold. The Magnetic Plaster. The maker of magic. Both the plasterer and I sat down and watched a short video on how to use this specialist plaster. It’s pretty much the same as normal plaster, with a couple of slight variations. So definitely worth checking out before you get started. The wall was primed Plaster was mixed until “thick and creamy”. Perfect for scones. A very satisfying first coat going up. You know how I love a black wall. And first coat left to dry for a little while A steady finishing off with a plastic trowel (no water) and it was time for a trip to the sandwich shop. Nom. Preparing the second mix, ready for coat number two. My go-to plasterer, hadn’t worked with magnetic plaster before, and he’s …

The Magnetic Wall – Pt 1

Published by Karen Knox

Huzzah! A new project has landed and it’s gona be a good ‘un. I’m re-designing a playroom. Always fun. AND getting to try out some Thistle Magnetic Plaster, by British Gypsum’s “Rooms Made For You” range. Double fun. Pic – Rooms Made For You Heard of Magnetic Plaster before? No? Well let me fill you in. “Thistle Magnetic Plaster is a gypsum finish plaster for use on a wide range of backgrounds. It provides a smooth, inert, high quality surface which attracts magnets to internal walls and ceilings, and a durable base for the application of decorative finishes.” It’s got so many uses; for display, work, playing and learning. A Magnetic Wall instantly gives any space a whole new lease of life. Here’s the plan for the playroom. The Playroom It’s actually attached to my recently completed Sherwood Forest project. And you know how adventurous that was. Triple fun. The playroom, which leads on from this newly re-designed living room wasn’t meant to be done for a little while. Understandably, the homeowners wanted a break from house-y stuff …

Jumbo & Friends

Published by Karen Knox

Today i’d like to introduce to you a brand new design company based right here in the U to the K. Jumbo & Friends have landed, excitedly bringing their fresh perspective on children’s furniture with them. And I love it (and kind of want it all). It all began in 2013, when the creative founder, Esther fell pregnant and began the search for a cot for her son’s bedroom. Let’s just say she wasn’t really feeling what the current market had to offer. “that’s why I decided to create something different that would make children’s furniture more exciting, beautiful and engaging so that it becomes part of their world and ours, and makes it better!” Esther and her son A lady after my own heart. If it doesn’t exist, make it so! Launching the website just last week, these guys are already firing on all cylinders. After an energetic phone interview with Esther and this ten second video teaser of what was to come, I knew Jumbo & Friends had to make it onto the blog. Beautifully …

Goodbye Ugly Wall

Published by Karen Knox

So recently I wrote a post about our recent garden sprucing, which included new furniture, splashes of colour and a home made planter. But I failed to draw attention to this ere eyesore above. The mingin’ concrete wall boundary wall. Luckily our neighbours agree it’s bloody horrible so they were happy for me to attempt to make it look a little better from our side of the garden. The driveway and patio are also completely knackered, but we are planning an extension down the entire side of the house in the next few years, so no point in paying to get the wall, patio and driveway re-done. So that’s why it looks so rubbish. All in all. This bit of the garden sucks. I was stuck with how best to improve this area as I wasn’t allowed to eat up any driveway space. It’s already tight to get the car down the drive, so there was literally no floor space to use. So I played around with some ideas: Ivy – Nowhere to plant it and takes …