The Best Rainbow Room of 2021
An Interview with Elisha Utley
Interiors lover Elisha Utley, Cover Girl for Homestyle Magazine,
shares her daughters Number 1 Rainbow Room.
As research was taking place for Rooomy’s colourful Issue 13, this rainbow room appeared and I needed to know more about the lady who created it as I know I wish I could create a room this awesome for my kids’. Let’s meet the mum behind the magic of this Number 1 Rainbow Room and find out how she bought it all together.
Everything you need to know about Elisha Utley
RB – Where do you think your love of colour comes from?
EU – I don’t really know where my love of colour comes from but I’ve always loved the feeling of walking into a colourful home or wearing colourful clothes. I think it lifts your spirits and makes you smile. I also think it makes a home feel warm and welcoming.
RB – When you started designing your daughter’s room how did you begin?
EU – I began by asking her if there was anything she would like in her room and started from there. Then I tried to consider the space and, with so many toys, I tried to use every inch of the room, including painting the wardrobe doors in chalk paint to use as a drawing board and hanging colourful storage bags to the wall. I also wanted to make it a fun space where she would love to be so I painted a scallop design and wallpapered with Eleanor Bowmer wallpaper.
RB – How old is Daisy? Was she involved in the room planning at all?
EU – Daisy is 7 years old and she requested rainbows and a desk when designing her room. Those were the only requirements she had, so luckily I was left to my own devices which suits me just fine! I couldn’t find a colourful desk so I found one that I liked on La Redoute and painted it myself instead.
RB – How do you go about planning a room? Do you mood board, use Pinterest or centre plans around a central piece?
EU – When planning a room I firstly try to make use of every inch of the room and consider the furniture that we already have and the budget that I have. I like to use a mood board app called pic collage which is great when putting ideas together. When planning a child’s room my number one tip is storage storage storage!
RB – Top three places to shop for kid’s interiors?
EU – Top three places for kids’ interiors: Scandiborn, La Redoute, IKEA
RB– What are your three must haves in a kids’ room
EU – Storage is essential in a kids’ room so I try make sure everything can be hidden away at the end of the day. I also try to use all the space possible so I’ve added storage to the walls with the IKEA memo board, clever storage stuffel bags and book shelves on the wall. I also have labelled boxes that slide under the bed to keep everything hidden and organised.
RB – What is your favourite thing in Daisy’s room and why?
EU – Favourite thing in Daisy’s room is definitely her new Samsung frame TV which is cleverly hidden as a picture frame on the wall. So, looking at the room you wouldn’t know there was a TV in there but it’s very useful for Daisy to watch her online schooling on at the moment. It’s great and I’m very jealous of it!
RB – What books would you and Daisy recommend to our readers and their smalls right now?
EU – I would recommend the David Walliams books. Daisy loves them all and reads every night
RB – Do you get Daisy involved in the tidying of her room at all? If so, how do you go about it? Mummas are always looking for tips here.
EU – Does Daisy get involved in tidying her room? Nope! As much as I try and attempt to make tidying fun neither of my children tidies. I think it’s my own fault for always tidying for them though. (RB – Same as in my house then 😉 )
RB – Do you know what she loves most about her room and why?
EU – She loves the canopy above her bed, her little desk which I painted for her and the TV is a definite winner too.
RB – Top storage solutions?
EU – We have the colourful plastic pull out drawers from IKEA. Plastic under bed boxes which I have labelled with chalk paper and wrote on each one to keep things organised. We love the stuffel bags which hang on the wall and she has a large stuffel bag for her lego which opens out to a play mat too. I also recommend the memo board calls from IKEA it’s handy for all her stationery.
RB – If Daisy could have anything in her room what do you think it would be?
EU – I’ve just asked her this question and she says a slide! Trust her!
RB – If you could add anything to a kid’s room, money is no question, what would it be?
EU – I would like to change the floor in her room to a bright colourful Karndean option to make it easier to clean rather than a cream carpet but I think that will have to wait.
There you have it Elisha’s full low down on how this room came together, it is brilliant isn’t it? For more inspiration from Eli follow her here Instagram, Eli At Home, her whole house is wonderful and worth checking out, her bedroom is stunning and she has just started a new career as an interior designer, I think you’ll agree this is an excellent career decision for Eli! Just in case you wanted to know a few more intimate details about Elisha, her favourite colour is Teal, her top tipple is Malibu, the last book she read was The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware and top of her travelling bucket list is LA!
Rooomy
For more Kids’ Room inspiration why not follow Rooomy and for an even better experience Sign Up for our quarterly Magazine and fortnightly newsletter, it’s all free and awesome and as a reader you’ll get special discounts from amazing brands and have exclusive access to reader giveaways, woohoo!!
Colourful Rooms…
Top 5 Nature Wallpapers for Kids’ Bedrooms
Wallpaper that brings nature indoors Top 5 nature wallpapers for kids' bedrooms, which will bring the sense of the outdoors indoors. Bringing the outside into the inside creates a marvellous sense of calm or adventure for our kids' it depends which way you go of...
Perfect Pink Girls Bedroom For Two
A pink girls bedroom for two sisters who have just moved to England from South Africa.
Dulux ‘How To’ Guide
Dulux Expert Tips Marianne Shillingford, Dulux Creative Director, shares with Rooomy her expert advice and easy 'How To' guide for two striking, fun, rooms for kids Sport Room There is a joyful energy to the colour orange, which is perfectly captured in this...