Tove Stens best decorating tips for the children's room
The photographer Tove Stens and her pictures turn even squishmallows into a beautiful detail in the children's room. We love how she combines soft colors, design objects and everyday things, making the rooms feel less stylish and more homely.
Can you tell us a little about your family and your home, and how you have adapted the spaces for your children?
We are a big family consisting of me, Tove, my husband Jonas and our four children, Viggo 9 years old, Hedda 7 years old, Otto 4 years old and Asta soon to be 8 months old. We bought our house, a typical 80s villa on a quiet cul-de-sac, in the spring of 2019 and started the renovation quite soon as the house was in original condition almost right through! It is a large villa with five bedrooms, and in three of them the children have their rooms.
Viggo has recently had to move downstairs where he has his room, which we focused on making more suitable for a 9-year-old than before. Space for video games and the like! Hedda's pink room is small, but we have invested in getting as much storage as possible, and room for all the crafts she likes to do. Otto's room has recently had a makeover with a nice wallpaper that really lifted the room! He has the biggest room and also needs it considering he has a lot of toys that need to fit
What do you think one should consider when decorating a children's room for the first time?
Based on our own needs, I say storage! Possibility to stow away as much as possible and preferably make it easy for the children to clean themselves using boxes with pictures or the like. It's a mistake we've made before, that it's almost only us adults who actually know where things belong, and it's so incredibly awkward! Then I want it to be cozy but still playful, certainly not too stylish but preferably a mixture of things that are fun, cozy and nice.
Your children's rooms feel personal - how do you involve the children and their style and interests in the process?
The children are definitely involved to some extent in the process, partly based on the current age of each child and what needs may exist in the future, but also in concrete terms in the form of colors and patterns. They are a little different and very interested here at home, but I think it is good to involve them as much as possible so that they feel that they are part of the result in the end. Then you don't have to give them completely free rein, but maybe give some (well chosen by yourself) suggestions to choose from!
Do you have any tips on small changes that can give the children's room a lift?
I always think that what you have on the walls in the form of paintings or posters is a simple and fairly cheap way to change and lift a room! I think it's fun tinkering with picture walls and the like. Or why not some new products from you, Piffa, it can really make a difference. Just look at Hedda's room which suddenly felt so much cozier with polka dot Trofast boxes!
You have built a Trofast desk in two of the children's rooms - tell us, why did you choose that solution and how did you do it?
We tried doing it in one room first (Hedda's current one) after seeing someone do it on Instagram. Since it turned out so well and we had a lot of worktop left, we chose to do it in the second children's room as well, as we really needed to be able to stow away things and at the same time have room for a desk. Maybe a bit boring with the same solution in two rooms really, but so far it has worked so well so it simply had to be. We have screwed Trofast up on the wall at desk height and then on with an oak worktop (however, I have seen others use other boards which also worked great!). It is very stable!
Does it have to be expensive to decorate the children's room? What are your best budgeting tips?
No, I really wouldn't say that. Much can be found at local flea markets, or else Vinted and Tradera. I have also made some things myself such as posters, pennants, some bedding and the like. Things that I think are fun to tinker with! I really don't buy expensive things for the kids' room, because I know it wears out and I don't want them to have to be careful in there.
What is your next project for the children's room?
It's enough to fix a little more in Viggo's room, I'm keen to create my own headboard and something else that makes it cozier, maybe a shelf. Ideally, we also want to buy or build a place where more friends can play video games with him, but we are still in the planning stages there.
What are your biggest sources of inspiration for decorating children's rooms?
Instagram for sure! And above all completely "ordinary people", i.e. ordinary people who don't have very large accounts but who inspire me with their cozy nice homes and often think in different ways than myself by, for example, being more brave with different colors and the like. Cool I think!
Tove's website: www.tovestens.se
Follow Tove on Instagram: @tovestens
