Room Of The Week
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Room of the Week: A Stylish UK Nursery Comes of Age
This nursery in a UK barn conversion is fresh and playful as well as elegant and adaptable with a hint of grown-up style
When the owners bought this old barn in the UK village of Stowting in Kent, it was in good shape structurally, but very much in need of decoration. “It was nicotine cream everywhere and needed completely updating,” says Sophia Fish of Golden Feathers Interiors.
The couple had seen Fish’s previous projects on Houzz and liked her style. “I got a notification of a lead through Houzz,” she says of how her client initially reached out. “[The owner] said, ‘it’s really bland and I just want to add some personality’.” The nursery was no exception, so Fish’s challenge was to create a scheme that would work from babyhood through to a young tween.
The couple had seen Fish’s previous projects on Houzz and liked her style. “I got a notification of a lead through Houzz,” she says of how her client initially reached out. “[The owner] said, ‘it’s really bland and I just want to add some personality’.” The nursery was no exception, so Fish’s challenge was to create a scheme that would work from babyhood through to a young tween.
The designer included a day bed, which tucks neatly into the eaves. For now, it’s a place where the parents can sit, but in time it can be used as a bed. “When [the child] gets a bit bigger, and comes out of her cot, they can put a support bar on the front of it,” says Fish. The daybed also hides a trundle bed beneath it, so the youngster will be able to have friends to stay.
The bamboo pendant light picks up on the natural theme without feeling heavy in the space. “It’s one of the nicest features, I love it,” says Fish. “We put it on a dimmer, so it can be low light in there.” The skylights have integrated blockout blinds to ensure darkness for nap time.
Fish painted the areas between the beams in a hardwearing, washable white paint, leaving the oak in its natural state. “The beams are original and we wanted to keep them that way,” she says.
Searching for a designer for your home? Find interior designers and decorators in your area on Houzz and browse images of their work
The bamboo pendant light picks up on the natural theme without feeling heavy in the space. “It’s one of the nicest features, I love it,” says Fish. “We put it on a dimmer, so it can be low light in there.” The skylights have integrated blockout blinds to ensure darkness for nap time.
Fish painted the areas between the beams in a hardwearing, washable white paint, leaving the oak in its natural state. “The beams are original and we wanted to keep them that way,” she says.
Searching for a designer for your home? Find interior designers and decorators in your area on Houzz and browse images of their work
The original ‘Bedroom 5’ marked on this floor plan was the perfect spot for the nursery, as it’s so close to the parents’ room.
From this angle, you can see how the nursery is nicely positioned close to the parents’ bedroom and the bathroom.
Fish’s husband, who runs the carpentry side of the business, made the oak shelf, which works well with the oak beams. “I was looking everywhere for a little shelf, but I couldn’t get one that fit perfectly,” says Fish.
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Fish’s husband, who runs the carpentry side of the business, made the oak shelf, which works well with the oak beams. “I was looking everywhere for a little shelf, but I couldn’t get one that fit perfectly,” says Fish.
Browse beautiful Australian nurseries for design inspiration
The shelf and rail give scope for a changing display over time. “I’m sure the little girl will have fancy dress outfits on there in a few years,” says Fish. “As I was doing the room, it was nice to imagine her as she was getting older and how she would use the space.”
Here’s the tithe barn seen from the outside. The nursery is above the living room in the section with low eaves.
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Your turn
What do you like about this room? Share your thoughts in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the conversation.
More
Want more on kids’ rooms? You won’t want to miss seeing The Most Popular Kids’ Rooms Around the World
Nursery at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two young children
Location: Stowting, UK
Property: A tithe barn
Room dimensions: 3.3 x 3.6 metres
Designer: Sophia Fish of Golden Feathers Interiors
The building is an old tithe barn, built in the tradition that began in the 15th century with the purpose of storing tithes and rents from local farmers and villagers.
The owner asked Fish to come up with ideas for the room. As she’d seen the designer’s previous project photos on Houzz, it was no surprise when the client immediately liked Fish’s design.
“My client and I are quite similar in our tastes,” says the designer. “She loved the design and said it felt calm – important for a nursery – so it was nice to go with that natural feel. It’s complementary to the house because of all the oak beams and the palettes elsewhere in the property.”
The focal point of the room is the nature-themed wallpaper, which is washable. “It’s just such a beautiful paper and I had it in mind when I first saw this room,” says Fish. “It creates its own theme, because it’s quite natural, so the textures in the room work with it.”
The earthy corals, mustards and pinks informed the colours for the rest of the design, not least in the soft rug. “As the little girl grows, that [palette] will grow with her – even to seven or eight – as it’s not too babyish,” says Fish.