From a chaos of soft toys, games and knick-knacks to a creative space with a harmonious colour palette and attractive, practical storage solutions. Step inside Noemi’s and Mimmi’s charming bedroom and play space!
Text: Charlotta Flinkenberg Photos: Nina Karlsson
Seven and four year-old sisters Noemi and Mimmi share a bedroom in the apartment where they live. Martha and Jahja felt they needed to bring order to the charming chaos in their daughters’ room, which was constantly cluttered with the girls’ toys and clothes.
“We needed help finding a solution for the girls’ room that would work for all their activities all hours of the day. Storage was an absolute priority and needed to accommodate clothes, toys and crafting materials,” explains the girls’ mum, Martha, who works as an interior architect.
Before the transformation, there was a bunkbed and jam-packed, standalone wardrobes from IKEA in the room. Along with other storage items placed here and there. The three-year age difference between the girls meant they shared some ideas and wishes for their room, while Noemi, who is older, wanted to keep the arts and crafts corner where she can sit quietly drawing and doing her homework.
“After we and the girls expressed our needs and wishes for the room, we gave Elfa carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. We moved out for a week to our holiday home abroad during the transformation process, leaving Jannice and Christine Dahlman from Elfa to work undisturbed on the makeover of the room.”
The girls each have an end section in the wardrobe in which to keep their clothes. They share the middle section as a space for keeping toys, games, crafting materials, dolls, instruments and other items.
It is important that the girls’ things are within easy reach and close at hand. If the girls find it difficult to reach items, they’ll be pulled out of the wardrobe but not put back. It is also important to be able to store things away behind shut doors to bring a sense of tranquility and calm to the room.
The walls were painted in soft sky blue.
“We were eager to look behind the sliding doors and were surprised by how much storage space there was. Goodness, it was filled floor to ceiling with so many things! The standalone wardrobes that we used to have did not make use of the full height of the room and they gathered dust on top,” says Martha.
“The girls were delighted by the makeover. It’s as though they have a brand new room,” says Martha.
Perhaps the most important question is what the girls think of the makeover.
“Oh, they were so happy and astonished and a bit speechless. They put their hands over their friends’ eyes when they came over after the makeover, then opened the door and said “surprise”, just like we did with them.”
Hang standards and melamine shelves can be adjusted to suit the needs of the children as they grow.
The girls have also surprised their friends’ parents in the same way and everyone is impressed by the organised storage system in the room.
“The girls find it so much easier to stick to their routines now. For example, they can put their pens in the compartments on the wall board in front of them when they’re sitting at the desk,” Martha tells us.
“ The girls don’t want to leave their room now. They used to spend more time in the living room. Now they just want to be in their room. Fantastic and practical as it makes everyday life that much easier for the whole family!”
