Lilly & Lolly, an esteemed children’s furniture and lifestyle brand hailing from Australia, stands as a beacon of superior craftsmanship and luxury. Founded in 1998, the brand filled a gap in the market by offering lifestyle bedding for kids and grew into a holistic brand for kids’ interiors offering also furniture, lighting, storage, rugs, artwork, mirrors, pinboards and decorative items. In a world of fast consumption, the brand focuses on enduring design and aesthetics that will stand the test of time.
Today, Megan Butler, the owner and Creative Director of Lilly & Lolly, joins Kids Interiors to share her top tips for creating a kid’s room for your children to enjoy now and into the future.
@minicasainteriors for @lilly_and_lolly
Choose Sustainable Furniture
Overall, choosing sustainable furniture for kids’ rooms is not only beneficial for the environment and your child’s health but also for promoting values of sustainability and ethical consumption. While sustainable kids furniture may initially come with a higher price tag, its durability and longevity can lead to long-term savings by reducing the need for frequent replacements. Furthermore, sustainable furniture is typically constructed with non-toxic materials, reducing the risk of exposure to harmful substances that may be present in conventional furniture.
Ripple bed collection
Ned bed collection
At Lilly & Lolly, their furniture is built from the ground up with old-age methods of joinery to create superior products. Using responsibly resourced Australian timbers, the manufacturing process takes place locally with carefully chosen timbers and stains selected for their durable properties and aesthetics. When a customer chooses Lilly & Lolly furniture, they are not only supporting an Australian business but a product that is ethically made, eco-friendly and sustainable.
The Kookaburra collection
The Paddles bedhead
Practical Advice for Parents
Whether it’s a bedroom, study space or playroom, Lilly & Lolly has always offered helpful advice as well as design options for a room. One of their biggest tips for parents when planning a space is to locate the blind spot. It is a simple tip where you can hide kids’ mess by locating the BLIND SPOT in the room and putting all things messy there. A blind spot is the wall that you don’t see when you enter a room, ie, the wall behind you. This means that when you walk past or put your head in, it appears tidy and ordered which is great for parents and visitors alike!
Prioritize Comfort and Well-Being
At Lilly & Lolly, we believe that kids’ bedrooms should be a wonderful haven for children to retreat at the end of the day. Kids’ beds are a special place where they can relax, be cosy and sleep well. While aesthetics are important, comfort should always be a top priority when designing a kid’s bedroom. Invest in quality furniture that is both stylish and contributes to a child’s well-being, creating a space that is tailored just for them.
The Darren James bedroom
The Ripple Bed with soft undulating curves
The Charlie bedroom furniture collection
Choosing the right size for a kid’s bed involves considering factors such as the child’s age, height, room size, and any future growth. Also, ensure that the bed size is appropriate for your child’s age and developmental stage. For example, younger children might benefit from lower beds to reduce the risk of falls, while older children may prefer loft or bunk beds for added space-saving options. At Lilly & Lolly, they offer four different bed sizes, ranging from single to queen size (which is perfect for teenagers). Their most popular bed size is the King Single, which is wider and longer than a single bed, giving your child more room to move around. Additionally, it’s great for growing kids since it’s the same length as an adult queen-sized bed. Another bed with generous proportions to promote freedom of movement is their Scoop bunk bed. Designed with soft curves, it not only promotes a sense of well-being but is also a safe bunk bed for children. The peek-a-boo cavities on the top part allow the child to see out while lying down as well as being able to accept a reassuring goodnight kiss!
The Scoop bunkbed
Choosing kids’ bedding with natural fibres such as 100% cotton, wool or bamboo will allow the body to breathe by not trapping in heat. This means that your children will not overheat during the night, which will guarantee a better night’s sleep.
The Peony bedhead with bedding
The Scout bed with bedding
Don’t overcrowd the kid’s room as it will over-stimulate childrens’ minds at bedtime. Kids’ bedrooms are often small, so try to keep the décor balanced and to a minimum by choosing only a few, well-selected décor pieces.
The Shorty metal locker night table and yellow pinboard
Encourage Learning
Lilly & Lolly believe that designing the perfect space where a child can learn fosters a healthy mind. When designing kids’ desks and study spaces, we aim to create an organized environment. With helpful tools like kids’ pinboards and bookcases, you can create a space free from clutter and too much distraction, assisting kids to focus.
Curved rectangle lilac pinboard
Choosing the right-sized kids’ desk will depend on the size of the space as well as your kid’s needs. A younger child might need more space for books and a smaller desk might be fine for a child or teenager who has started using a laptop. Drawers are essential so kids can access stationary and keep the desk clutter-free. With the focus on kids’ interiors, Lilly & Lolly believe that a learning space must be personalized so kids will want to be in the space that is created just for them.
Look for the right task light to help your kids see the work they are focused on. The best lights are lamps that can be adjusted and swivelled so that the light itself can be focused directly onto the task at hand.
Accessorize practically by adding useful elements like pinboards to help keep your kids organized or desk caddies so pens and scissors are within easy reach. These elements can also create a visual interest so take your time to choose the right ones that are also appealing.
Arched Pinboards Mustard
Inject Fun for Play
Lilly & Lolly believe that play is the foundation for joy and creativity in kids’ lives. They aim to design spaces where children can imagine the world through their own eyes and happily express themselves. A great play space is about finding the balance between stimulus and order.
Display toys and books on a kids bookcase will offer accessibility for children to explore book titles and new toys to be explored. By adding storage baskets, you allow your children to practice organizational skills by returning the toys to their ‘home’ when it’s time for bed. Having a dedicated space for toys and books also creates security and routines for the children.
bookcases with storage boxes
Define the play zone with a play table to designate a specific area of the kid’s room for play. This piece of furniture will ensure that the crayons and Texta ‘overdraw’ will only occur on this surface and thus help kids understand boundaries.
kids play table and chairs by Australian kids interior brand Lilly and Lolly
Declutter and Organize by adding storage baskets and boxes. The ability for kids to either see in or identify clearly labelled boxes will make play easy and fun. It also encourages your child to participate in organizing their belongings and promotes independence and tidiness.
Style with balance in mind
Megan believes that creating a captivating and functional space for kids involves a blend of creativity, practicality and safety but also a sense of balance when it comes to designing kids’ interiors. Here is where her kids’ interior design service comes in handy for busy parents in Australia. She will be your guiding light throughout the styling process, helping you make cohesive design choices that reflect your child’s unique personality and style. We’ve included two of her style mood boards that we considered to be a very good fit with the current kids’ interior trends in Australia for 2024. We also invite you to take a look at more kids’ interior design boards at the Lilly & Lolly website.
Sage kids interior board
Kids love to walk in nature, especially in our Australian bushland with the soft sage eucalyptus leaves above our heads.
Taking our inspiration from the calming effects of walking in natural bushland, this room was designed to evoke a sense of calm for your kids. With layers of green from sage to olive and a touch of tan to add warmth and a sense of security. Natural bedding with the backdrop of a grey upholstered bed were the perfect complimentary tones to harmonise the room.
Jaguar kids interior moodboard
Inspired by sleek jaguars, this kid’s bedroiom combination is colourful fun and well-suited to a growing child. With the timber bed framework, we then combine tangerine, mustard and olive which transformed into a very fresh and exciting look. Our twin prints are a very effective way of creating a stunning statement on a large wall. The focal point of the bedroom, the Oak Box Bed (king single), was chosen for its clean design and enduring build. The client wanted a bed that would be able to transition the child from tots to teens and with a 10-year warranty this bed ticked that box perfectly. Practical finishing touches were chosen not only to look good but serve a purpose – the wall hooks for coats and hats (keeping items off the floor) and a handy pinboard to pin up scool reminders and events.
Thank you Megan! Vist Lilly & Lolly website
