Ursula gives Jack the room to bloom

Make-A-Wish

This month on the blog we’re taking a look back at a project we were privileged to be involved in, late last year, and wanted to share with our readers.

One of the great things about wooden blinds is how they channel light into a room, and the same could be said of interior designer, Ursula Wesselingh.

Make-A-Wish Foundation^® UK contacted Ursula, inviting her to make-over a room for Jack, a little boy who is living with a life-threatening condition. Due to his illness, Jack uses a wheelchair to get around, posing a number of creative challenges in drafting his perfect bedroom.

Saving space

As Ursula explains:

“Jack uses a lift to get into his room on the first floor and this takes up a large part of the space, so the first thing we did was build a partition to shield it from view, making it feel more like a bedroom and creating a cosy nook around his bed.

This fitted storage solution hides clutter, making Jack’s room feel more spacious

A lack of storage meant Jack’s room felt a bit cluttered so, to create space, we installed fitted storage inside a built-in closet and replaced the free-standing units that part-obscured the window, with wall-hung cabinets that make the room feel larger.”

To infinity and beyond!

The main theme of Jack’s room is the Toy Story movies:

A mural of Jack’s favourite film adorns the wall

“Jack loves watching these and his parents specifically requested for the theme to be incorporated. Jack already had many of the characters that feature in the films which, together with a bespoke Toy Story-inspired wall mural, set the theme.”

Soothing illumination

The vibrant colours of Jack’s toys and new wall mural would have been overshadowed by the dark doors, carpet and curtains of his old room:

“They took away much of the light, making the room appear small and gloomy. Instead, the room was painted in a fresh white and the carpet changed for something neutral and lighter to create an uplifting, yet restful and soothing environment. It offsets the colourful Toy Story characters and allows them to shine.”

A simple white background accentuates the colours of Jack’s favourite toys

“Instead of curtains we installed wooden venetian blinds that allowed much more light into the room whilst providing privacy when needed. New lighting was introduced to create atmosphere without glare, complementing Jack’s special lighting equipment. Finally, a small television was installed and a bean bag for Jack’s sister so they can watch cartoons together. The room is now a much happier space for Jack to spend time in.”

White Venetian blinds provide both light and privacy

A tidy room is a tidy mind

We’re sure you’ll agree that a child couldn’t hope for a more inviting bedroom, which comes as no surprise given Ursula’s design philosophy:

“As an interior designer I strongly believe in the relationship between our surroundings and our wellbeing, and it makes absolute sense to me that spaces for children should be designed to support their development. I help parents analyse their child’s space, formulate what they’d like to achieve, and how best to go about this to create a child-friendly space that looks good and functions well.”

The economic downturn over the last few years has seen many choose home improvement over relocation, and Ursula’s keen to point out that enlisting the services of an interior designer doesn’t mean breaking the bank:

“It’s a misconception that good design costs a lot of money – kids’ bedrooms can often be improved on the smallest of budgets with some simple tricks and interventions – though it pays to think out beforehand what your goals are and set out a plan. A child’s room is his kingdom, and it’s incredibly satisfying and endearing to see how proud kids are when their room has been transformed.”

We’d like to thank Ursula for taking the time to talk to us and sharing the photos of her design, and, of course, Make-A-Wish for inviting us to contribute to Jack’s room. To find out more about Room to Bloom, an interior design company that specialises in children’s spaces, click on the image.