Into the kids room @studio_neighbours
In our series called 'into the kids room' we chat with different interior design inspirators around the world. Peeking into their stylish rooms, sharing their take on interior design and their interior secrets.
This time we take a look into the interior of Eva Goedegebuur @studio_neighbours. We have been following her from the moment she finished building her new house. An absolutely dream house with the perfect balance between design and child friendly interior.
Tell us a little more about yourself.
My name is Eva Goedegebuur and together with my husband Michiel and our three kids Sam (8), Kiki (6) and Cato (4), we live in Rotterdam. I am an interior designer and stylist with a focus on child friendly interior design. My business "Little Neighbours" started after we finished our newly-build home. This house asked for a stylish yet child friendly interior, as we have three little kids. Most interior designers and stylists are focused on adult interiors. I decided to focus on the whole family. My mission is to create an interior in which both parents and children feel at home.
How would you describe your interior design style?
My interior design style in general could be called Scandinavian minimalism. Minimalistic in the sense that objects are included for a reason, but I like a room to be comfortable and cozy as well. I love to use natural materials and Scandinavian design.
My design style for kids rooms is playful and creative. Kids interior has no borders. Your imagination can flow freely. With colours, wall paper, creative solutions, spaces to play and create. But I watch for unity and balance.
How do you get inspired?
I really like Instagram. Every day I get inspired on this medium. All brands launch their new collections on Instagram and I really like to follow interior minded people. But I still read the magazines as well. My house is full of magazines. And actually everywhere I go I get inspired. Interior is everywhere.
What are your top 3 Instagram accounts to follow for home inspiration?There are so many nice accounts. I love to follow small brands. They inspire me so much. But for home inspiration in general, I really like the style of @anne_claus, @kellywearstler and @caroline.andreoni. As regards kids interior, @ohlalot, @lotsoffun.interior and @elina.styling are inspirational accounts to follow.
How did you design your kids’ rooms?
All three kids' rooms have the same seamless floor. I really love the warm grey colour of this floor which perfectly combines with the birch plywood. We used this plywood in all their rooms, using the same horizontal lines. The timber cladding on our house has horizontal lines as well, so it’s quite a theme for our house.
Kiki’s room is quite high (4 metres). And it’s a large room as well, so I immediately knew that I wanted to create a cosy space to sleep, a modern box bed. The swing is also perfect for this room. It fills the room in a light-hearted way. With the moon light, the flying swans and the old pink colour on the wall, the room gives the feeling of the golden hour. I really love the atmosphere in her room.
Cato’s room has a large niche. I wanted to create a floor to ceiling wall cabinet in that niche with a space to play inside the cabinet. Like a little play house. My ideas merged perfectly with the ideas of Woodchuck, which leaded to the beautiful cabinet in her room. The cabinet has a little door behind which a little stair leads to a space to play at a higher level. A second play space is at a lower level.
Together with the nice Persian rug, enough storage for her books, a nice child bed with a canopy and a lot of cuddles, her room has become such a nice cozy place.
Sam is our oldest and our only son. He really liked to have a loft bed. Main colours in his room are dark blue and yellow (for the accessories). As he likes to play with Lego, we made a large desk. A swing and some cool accessories made it a beautiful but also cool room. 
Which colors did you use in your kids’ rooms?
I used dark blue in Sam’s room and old pink colors in the girls' rooms. Because of the large windows and the closet walls, we painted only one corner in each kids room. In the toilet and the hallway of the kids floor I used wallpaper with some nice patterns.
What are your favorite items in your kids room?
Next to the custom made furniture which I really love, I think my favorite items are the peacock chair of Leo & Moon in Kiki's room, the rugs in Cato's room and the wooden closet in "S shape" in Sam's room.
How do you find the right balance between function and style in the kids room?
A kids room should invite to play and create. With enough storage options, a balanced color card and the right use of materials, a playful kids room can be stylish and child-friendly at the same time.
As regards storage options, I like to alternate closed and open cabinets. If kids actually see their puzzles or their building blocks, they will be stimulated to start playing with it.
Where do you hide ;-) all the kids’ stuff?
Well, the advantage of building a new home is that you can ensure that you have enough storage options ;). All the kids rooms have a closet wall and they each use several baskets for their toys. On the ground floor I designed a play room with a large cabinet with open and closed compartments. And again, enough baskets ;).
Which are your favorite kids (interior) brands?
There are so many nice kids interior brands! Some of my favorites: Leo & Moon, Bisou de Lou, Umbrella Amarela, Bibelotte Bedding, The Love Label, ByAlex Playmats and Lotie Kids Interior.
Do you have any new plans scheduled for your kids room or have a wish list?
It's actually difficult to have no plans or a wish list as I see so many nice things on a daily basis. But in general I’m a supporter of timeless interior design and sustainable interior solutions. This means that I don't have plans to change the layout of their rooms but the decorations will most likely change on a regular basis ;).
Could you share us the ultimate tip on decorating a kids room?
First of all, look at your child and his or her personality. What does your child like? What are his or her favourite colours? Is your child dreamy, active? Make it a room where your child wants to play, to read and to sleep, and make it personal. In my designs, I always like to add something surprising to the room. Like a secret place to hide treasures. In general, swings or climbing frames are always a success (if possible in the room), playmats are always a good idea and enough storage options are a must. And last but not least, you can never have enough cushions ;).
Need custom styling advice? Visit Eva's website and get in touch!
www.littleneighbours.nl
Follow Eva for more inspiration @studio_neighbours