Little Greene's new wallpaper collection has raised the bar for decorating a kid's room — an interior stylist reveals the trick to styling it
Little Greene has collaborated with the National Trust on it's new 'Storybook Papers' wallpaper collection
Heritage paint and wallpaper brand, Little Greene, has launched a new collection of wallpapers in collaboration with the National Trust with a playful nostalgic edge perfect for a kid’s bedroom.
Whilst the stylish wallpapers can be used in all sorts of rooms throughout the house – from bathrooms to breakfast nooks – I think they become the star of the show in a children's bedroom or nursery idea.
The new ‘Storybook Papers' collection features eight wallpaper ideas, each inspired by artefacts conserved in National Trust properties across the UK – from vintage children's toys to decorative fabrics and original artworks by children's author Beatrix Potter.
Little Greene x National Trust ‘Storybook Papers' wallpaper collection
The two prints that instantly caught my eye are the Little Greene ‘Animal Kingdom’ wallpaper in 'Atomic' – a vintage twist on a jungle safari theme featuring colourful elephants, ostriches, tigers, and penguins – and ‘Broad Stripe’ – a bold pea-green striped wallpaper that is both classic and contemporary.
However, if you're new to wallpapering, there are some tricks worth knowing to ensure you get this look right. I asked Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene, and interior stylist Laurie Davidson for their top tips on incorporating these two wallpapers into a decorating scheme that looks playful and stylish, rather than childish.
How to style 'Animal Kingdom' wallpaper
First up, think beyond just the wallpaper. You'll need paint that works with your chosen paper, and accessories that complement or contrast to tie the whole room together.
'For a gentler more harmonious scheme, take the ‘base’ or background colour of your wallpaper pattern onto your ceiling and woodwork' explains Ruth. Little Greene's 'Slaked Lime - Mid' paint is the perfect neutral match with the 'Animal Kingdom' collection.
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'Or for a more maximalist approach consider taking the deepest or brightest colour from within the pattern onto your painted surfaces' Ruth suggests. Primary shades ‘Atomic Red’ and ‘Smalt Blue’ contrast perfectly.
Interiors stylist Laurie explains you can also incorporate this paint trick into a feature wall idea by using coordinating paint colours on three of the walls and only wallpapering one.
'If you have your heart set on a particular wallpaper but it's a bit more expensive than you'd like, look at how you can still incorporate it without having to buy too many rolls' shares Laurie. 'If you're only using it on one wall, make sure it's a wall you see the most, or one that you'll see as you pass by outside'.
Or, 'Why not use it above a picture rail around the top of your room, which is a smaller area to cover?' Laurie adds.
You can then source accessories – such as bedding, a bedside lamp, or furniture – that pulls out some of your favourite colours from within the wallpaper. Or consider painting existing bedroom furniture in one of your coordinating paint shades.
Mustard Made's The Shorty Locker works perfectly as a bedside table, and means extra storage space for stashing toys out of sight. Poppy Red looks the perfect match for this wallpaper, but there are plenty more colour-popping options to choose from.
Pull out your favourite colour from the wallpaper and add more playful fun by mixing pattern on the wall with stripes on the bed. This yellow and white stripe duvet set from John Lewis is just the ticket.
Opting for a colourful bedside lamp in one of the wallpaper's key shades is another easy way to tie your wall decor into the overall bedroom scheme. This 'tap on - tap off' LED lamp is easy for kids to operate and has a dimmer function so it can double as a nightlight.
How to style 'Broad Stripe' wallpaper
Depending on how you style it, striped wallpaper can be 'fun and graphic' or 'elegant and regal', says Ruth.
To add more playful fun, 'Consider a striped ceiling or add floor-to-ceiling stripes in an attic bedroom for a fun way to exaggerate the angles of the space' suggests Ruth.
'Then there are smaller ways to include it, such as in the panels of wardrobe doors or lining the back of shelves in a cabinet' adds Laurie. 'And, if you have any leftover, why not use it to line drawers so that none goes to waste'.
You could pair the 'Broad Stripe' wallpaper with a tonal green such as Little Greene's 'Pea Green' for a timeless look, but I love it paired with a contrasting colour, like Little Greene's 'Heat' for a quirky edge. Then add accessories in your contrasting colour to tie the room together.
Mix stripes and scallops for a bedroom with a grown-up feel that still has plenty of playful charm. The whole set might be more than you want to spend on kids' bedding, but you can always pair a plain duvet cover with these pretty scalloped pillowcases.
The Oliver Bed is one of Feather & Black's bestselling bed frames, and it's easy to see why. This vintage-inspired bed in a contemporary colourway is the perfect pairing with Little Greene's Broad Stripe wallpaper, adding a nostalgic touch that's still feels modern.
Scallops and unicorns in one bedside lamp?! As it turns out, yes, please. These two trends definitely don't sound like they should merge on paper, but this M&S lamp is defying all odds to prove that they do. It's the perfect finishing touch to this whimsical kids bedroom scheme.
Whether you're looking for small children's bedroom ideas or have a larger room to decorate, I think the 'Storybook Papers' offer plenty of inspiration. Maybe even enough to consider getting the wallpaper paste out this weekend!
Plus, as a contribution from the sale of every roll of Little Greene wallpaper will go to support the National Trust’s conservation work, not only will your little one benefit from a newly decorated bedroom, but you'll be helping to ensure Britain’s historic houses, gardens, and open spaces can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Amy is Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor and the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Sleep. She's spent the last four years researching and writing about what makes for the best night’s sleep during the day and testing out sleep products to find the best-in-class by night. So far she’s clocked up over 10,000 hours of pillow, duvet, and mattress testing experience.
Our go-to for all things sleep-related, she’s slept on and under bestselling products from Simba, Emma, Hypnos, Tempur, Silentnight, Panda, and many many more.
As a hot sleeper, Amy is always on the lookout for the most breathable bedding, but she also leads a wider team of testers to ensure our product testing encompasses both hot sleepers, cold sleepers, front sleepers, back sleepers, side sleepers, and everything in-between.
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