Multi talented and creative stylist and shop owner Ashlyn Gibson has published her new book ‘Creative Children’s Spaces’ where she’s exploring colourful and creative family homes. Discover fresh and creative children’s design and also how you can create space for children in your home and life.
Creative Children’s Spaces goes beyond showing us stylish and cool design for kids. In the book Ashlyn visits homes that feature imaginative and stylish design ideas and explores children’s spaces that provide an inspirational backdrop for busy family life. Making a creative and inspiring environment for your child is part of our nesting instinct. It’s an emotional journey which makes it as a project both exciting and at the same time hard to get right.
Ashlyn guides us through how we make ‘Room to Grow’, she explores ‘Colours and Patterns’ as well as inspration for amazing ‘Wonder Walls’. As most of us never seem to get enough storage the chapter sharing ‘Clever Storage’ solutions is a must read. Then there’s the dreaded masses of art created at home and at school, and what to do with it all. How to ‘Displaying Art’ has the solution.
My favourite chapter in the book is probably ‘Snug Bedrooms’. It shows that size doesn’t matter and that the smallest and simplest of spaces can with some imagination be transformed into special place when taking the child’s interest into consideration. The snug bedrooms caters for playtime and adventure during they day, then transform into a sacred haven for book reading or sweet dreams… Equally inspirational is the chapter about ‘Dens Hideaways and Play Zone’ that features everything from cool play tents from Ferm Living and home made tipis to secret hideaways in forgotten corners of the house.
Ashlyn carefully guides us through the most colourful and creative of family homes. But Creative Children’s Space’s goes beyond glossy interior magazines and trendy blogs. By the end of the book it becomes clear; it is not at all about the cool design and trendy DIY projects the book is featuring. The importance message in the book is a reminder that the little people in our lives are small individuals with their very own personalities.
Children crave independence and freedom to express themselves. The important message in Ashlyn’s book is not how you can redecorate and design a kids nursery for your child but how you can create space for your child so you can grow and develop together as a family. With enough space for all. And I’m not talking about square feet.
This book, beautifully illustrated with photographs by Ben Robertson, would especially make a great gift to new parents or parents to be. Packed with fresh and imaginative ideas, Creative Children’s Spaces is the perfect companion for a journey into parenthood.
Ashlyn Gibson was creative director for Red or Dead footwear before founding award-winning London children’s boutique Olive Loves Alfie. Ashlyn has published several books, is a contributor to the children’s fashion and design industry in London and also a sought after stylist. Ashlyn lives in Stoke Newington, London together with her partner Matt, daughter Olive age 13 and their cat, Tigwani.
The book is published by rylandpeters.com