About

Hi. I’m Jaime, and that’s Fionn.

As any mother knows, babies bring changes – and opportunities.  Within the past year, I’ve gone from advertising executive and brand consultant to ‘mum,’ interior design student, and blogger.  I’ve always been driven by a love for design, whether at work or in my personal life.  But I’ve also spent the past fifteen years talking to consumers, learning from people about their own passions and helping solve their problems.

So to paraphrase the words of the immortal Charles Eames, what is design but a way of solving problems?

When I set out to design Fionn’s nursery, I noticed a huge gap in the way designers talked about nurseries and kids rooms.  They were either incredibly prescriptive (e.g. the ‘girls rooms are pink’ philosophy), super-intimidating (‘I did it all myself, with thumbtacks and a glue gun’), or ludicrously extravagant.   Although the tide is changing, slowly, I developed Room For Young Ones as a resource for parents who love design and want their children to be surrounded by beautiful, exciting, stimulating things, but who also have their priorities straight and their heads screwed on right.

Here are my three principles for great nursery and kids room design; the things you should remember when designing your own RFYO:

ECLECTIC.

(Not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems).  Most rooms aren’t furnished in one fell swoop.  Pieces left over from the former ‘office’?  Use them.  Ikea and antiques?  Why not? My personal taste veers towards mid-century – that’s why you’ll see quite a bit of it on this site.

INGENIOUS.

(Cleverly inventive or resourceful). Use a flowerpot for toy storage.  Drill coat hooks all over the tree decal.  If it works for you, do it.

FUN.

(Something that provides amusement enjoyment or playfulness).  To quote Mr Eames again, “Whoever said that pleasure wasn’t functional?” You want your kids to love being in their rooms.

But who says they’re too young to enjoy the things we enjoy as adults? Use your style as a guide, and let them learn from you.  Before the juvenile furnishings industry was invented and then licensed to death (I’m looking at you, Dora),  kids had folks like Richard Scarry, Charlie Harper, and Eric Carle to inspire their imaginations.

If you take away anything from this site, it’s that interior design is a means to an end for your kids – it’s a place to sleep, room to play, and things to look at.  But for you, it’s an opportunity to share great things with them from a young age.  And there are so many wonderful things out there to share.