Australian nursery ideas: Homely Creatures

With a style that is: “contemporary but not cold, handmade but not old, Scandinavian inspired but with a language of its own,” Homely Creatures offer a range of cute products for nurseries and kids rooms.

Supporting handmade and fair trade without compromising on style, owner Emma Patterson designs everything herself, down to the very last detail. “It all starts with an idea that comes from nowhere or from a trend or from a hunch. Then I form the idea in my head, before creating a ‘spec’ for the product and often a physical sample too. It doesn’t take me long to get the idea out of my head once it has been formed. If I need to force it then most of the time the product fails to launch or doesn’t do very well if it does!”

Having worked as a product and graphic designer, Emma has a lot of experience when it comes to designing beautiful wares for the young, or young at heart! With a love of everything monochrome, pastel and textural, all her products fit perfectly into her dream (and on-trend) nursery. “I dream of a nursery with greys, off-whites, dusty pastels and lots of lovely soft textures. Thin black and white stripes here and there with light timber furniture and toys. Little personal details on shelves, and black triangle decals all in a row. Big windows for lots of sunshine and hanging plants, plus the perfect vintage or cane rocking chair.”

However, when it comes to turning her dream nursery into reality, Emma is quick to comment that it doesn’t have to be too costly. “Big ticket items like the cot and furniture can be bought from eBay or you can even head to Ikea for these. You could try your hand at making a teepee or cubby yourself, and once these key large items are in it won’t be hard to add final touches such as cushions, wall hangings and other decor without breaking the bank — especially if you have some treasured items saved from your own childhood.”