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Sturdy furniture and clever storage are essential building blocks for children's rooms. Hard-wearing vintage industrial pieces look great and will last. Inspired by this colourful corner in a trendy child's room (above), we set out to find the latest interior designs for kids that are both fun and hardwearing. So whether you're looking for vibrant and chromatic accessories or a stylish school desk that is full of character, you're sure to find it at Blue Ticking.
Introduce yourself! What is Blue Ticking?
Hi, I’m Helen Shaw and I am the founder of the children’s interior brand Blue Ticking. We launched just over three years ago whilst I was on maternity leave. My husband John is also involved so we are a bit of a husband and wife duo!
Blue Ticking is a brand dedicated to creating and selling heritage goods for children’s spaces. There is something for everyone, from brilliant storage solutions to stylish room paraphernalia. We aim to offer the fun and stylish in bucket loads. Goods that evoke childhood memories and a luxury feel with accessible prices.
We're passionate about not compromising on style whatever the space and so source and create the different, the quirky, and the more than a bit pleasing to the eye! We specialise in sourcing heritage goods, for example, old school desks and chairs, but we also sell a range of contemporary pieces like prints and pegboards.
What inspired you to create children's furniture? Can you tell us about your design process?
When we first became parents six years ago we really struggled to find pieces of furniture that would stand the test of time but also that we wanted in our home. Both John and I felt strongly that a kids space can look and feel as good as the rest of the house and so we set about creating a brand that really focused on this.
When we are thinking about sourcing and designing new goods for kids spaces two things were key. They have to look good but also be practical and strong. With two kids in our house, I know how easy it is for things to be damaged and how important it is for furniture to be hardwearing and hardworking!
We question every piece we create and always ask the question, would we be happy with it in our home. One of the biggest and most successful products we have designed is The Maggie (below). This ticks so many boxes for parents because it has the dual purpose of being both storage and seating and it has that real heritage feel because of the enamel and it looks fab.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I just love the creative side of my job whether that is transforming new goods in the workshop, the styling of goods or sourcing new pieces. No two days are the same which keeps it interesting and ensures I am being challenged all the time.
What are your three tips for decorating a children’s room?
I think it’s really important to think of the room as not just a space for now, but for the future. I have tried to design rooms for our kids that will work for when they are older too so I have chosen furniture that will grow with them because I don’t want to have to keep changing things.
As a mum of two kids who have a lot of stuff and is always acquiring more, I am very into practical storage solutions, so really think about how you can maximize this in the room. If you are a bit nervous about being bold I would always suggest keeping the walls fairly neutral and then you can have some fun playing around with room accessories to bring colour in, like cushions, prints, bedding etc. These are also really easy things to change when you want to have a bit of a re-jig.
What’s next for Blue Ticking? Is there anything we should know about?
We have just moved into a new studio which is amazing so getting that all sorted and working for us is a big priority. It’s a space that will accommodate a showroom too so all of our lovely customers can come and view and buy goods.
We are also going to be adding to our contemporary range so we can become more of an all-round children's interior brand. We want to get to a point where everything you see in a picture you can buy from us!
Inspired by this feature? Take a look at Warehouse Home Issue Two where we count up some colourful additions for any cool kid's space.
Main image styled by Zoe Brewer | Photography by Sun Lee
All other images courtesy of Blue Ticking
