FairytaleForest

This post has taken me quite a while to put up I'm afraid as unpacking boxes had almost got the better of me. But i wanted to do a longer more detailed post on how i designed and made mini's fairytale forest bedroom. For all of you who saw her room emerge on Instagram here's how i did it!

I rarely draw or work out a design, instead it sits in my head and i work out the puzzle inside. I knew however that i wanted to create a forest in Mini's new bedroom and i wanted her to sleep under a canopy of leaves and stars. Mini has a steel beam running across her back bedroom wall and i felt this gave a sort of separation to the room, making a natural sleeping area at the rear near her window. So i thought a tree either side of the wall, with the branched curling along the beam would delineate this even more whilst also obscuring the beam. Of course i couldn't do this all alone and enrolled my set designer Barry Cox who also designs many of Red's fashion and cover sets to help me get the job done. Every woman needs a man whose handy with a power tool.

First we set about mounting polystyrene blocks on the wall and screwing them in place and then sawing off the edges to give a rounded more tree like form. Next came layer after layer of hessian strips and plaster to help shape the trees and build a hard sturdy base. I had originally thought of doing it in papier mach but quickly realised this would not be durable enough for clambering children.

The lovely Barry and Sam now attached ropes to the tree columns. These would become branches. They were all drilled into place to secure them.

The texture of the trees were purposefully left bumpy with ridges to give the effect of real bark.

Then we covered each rope branch in more hessian and plaster. It drys quite quickly so it doe ant take too long, especially when you get help! Thanks to Sam and Savyna.

the trees are done and I'm quite tempted to keep them white. they look incredibly still and magical just like this.

We then got down to painting. First a light wash of a dark brown, followed by a thicker paler green and finally using sponges we dappled the bark in lilac and pinks

one side...

and the other...

we then bought plastic leaves and dappled them in more autumnal shades

we added fairy lights from home base and connected them to the 5amp system so they would come on when the lights were turned on.

I then bought net butterflies from DZD a fantastic shop in London which sells shop and display decorations. I bought their white net ones and decided to dye them with watercolour inks.

I also bought feather flying birds, net ladybirds and tiny robins to add to the tree. i added these using a glue gun.

We also dabbed paint onto the wire of the fairy lights just to conceal them a bit.

A few more leaves and the trees were finished.

We finally gave Mini's old bed a lick of pink paint from The Paint and Paper Library and her Fairy Forest was finally finished.

I worked with my carpenter on designing the cupboard, dresser and Toy unit and then had them custom sprayed in a selection of Paint and Paper Library colours.

The wicker linen lined baskets i bought from The Holding Company which makes for easy storage and Mini can just pull them out and start playing.

I also used a table and chair set from Aspace and just painted that my own colours too.

Mini's curtains finally arrived yesterday. A gorgeous linen with trees and flowers and leaves adorning it.  Making her bedroom a truly Fairy Forest fantasy.