Decor - Colour Corner

Another installment of our Decor 'series', a small themed run of posts that pop up when we update something (or add to) in our home.

This Decor post is covering an addition to our bedroom.
I have acquired (hehe) so much colouring stuff that it's gotten to the point where I needed somewhere to keep it; and since I primarily colour in bed in the evening to help me sleep - I started to plan out a corner for our colouring paraphernalia.

Firstly, my primary objectives were that a) it had to fit in with the rest of our bedroom (easy, as we have a simplistic style), and b) it had to be relatively inexpensive.

The bookcase we chose is a relatively inexpensive one from IKEA - the black/brown narrow Hemnes style to match our dresser. Our bedframe and side tables are also black/brown, as I personally favour darker furniture. To stick with a simple, and easy to clean style, we opted for wicker baskets to hold any excess items (rouge pens/pencils/erasers/papers) and cheap white Ikea pot plant bases to hold our pens.

To finish off I added some framed pictures of my father (who passed nearly 2 years ago) and myself - funnily enough one of the random ones I chose was an older black and white image of my dad working at an architect firm many years ago - very fitting I think!

At the moment we have a few levels devoted to just my colouring books. We have several on the way for Dave as he's started to get into it to help with his sleeping issues; and he also has his own pen collection for his illustrations, and anatomy books etc, to add. Once he gets his butt into gear!




I made the choice to sort my pens by colour, rather than by brand or type. I usually work to colour patterns or palettes, so for me grouped by colour is the ideal choice. I also find it is more visually pleasing in the space as well.

The pot plant bases were a great simplistic choice, and stand out nicely from the dark wooden veneer and grey wicker. It lifts the space up, and along with the pens, gives it a nice bright aesthetic. As you can see from the left image, I enjoy bold and bright palettes in my spaces, so I like to keep furnishings and furniture to a minimum as to not be visually confusing or conflicting.


IKEA - HEMNES Bookcase, black-brown
$149 AUD - shop here
Just keep in mind that like most, if not all, Ikea furniture is veneered chipboard. These pieces aren't built to last like furniture used to be. They should last many years however provided they are well cared for.

IKEA - BYHOLMA Basket, grey
$9.99 AUD - shop here
A simple wicker basket suitable for holding the odds and ends of a household. These are lovely and neutral, but beware splitting or sharp edges that can pull or tear at clothes. Sadly I learnt that quickly after buying these. However, at $10 each they are easily affordable and add a nice touch to the room.

IKEA - KARDEMUMMA Plant pot, white, assorted patterns
$1.99 AUD - shop here
These are small and cheap white pot bases which are available individually in 4 varying designs. We bought 5; 4 for my pens and 1 for Dave's illustration pens. I like that these are cheap, simplistic and a nice bright white. At roughly 10cm high and 10cm diameter, they're a great size for a bundle of pens or pencils.

Kmart - Valencia Wide Edge Frame
$7 AUD - shop here
Photo frames are easy to find and are available from most homeware retailersthrough from expensive high-end to $2 cheapies. Personally I never spend much on frames, I'm happy with my $10 cheap-shop frames. I purchased two of these wide-edge frames in a dark brown veneer, a few shades off of the bookcases' colour. I didn't want to detract from the images inside, hence keeping it a dark muted shade which does not stand out a lot.

Officeworks & Art Shops - Assorted fineline pens and quality pencils
$15AUD+ 
I have a few different go-to colouring tools:

• Staedtler Triplus 0.3mm Fineliners Assorted - Pack 10
• Stabilo Point 88 0.4mm Fineliners Rollerset Assorted - Pack 25
• Faber-Castell Connector Pen Bucket - Pack 45
• Smiggle Gel Pen Assorted - Pack 30
• Prismacolor Pencil Set - Alone or to set of 150
• Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolour Pencils - Tin of 120

Book Depository & Bookshops - Adult Colouring Books
$7 AUD+
I have a great selection of books at the moment, and would absolutely recommend the following:

• Carousel Animals Coloring Book - shop here
• Creative Haven Alhambra Designs Coloring Book - shop here
• Creative Haven Terrific Tessellations Coloring Book - shop here
• Pattern and Design Coloring Book - shop here
• Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book - shop here
• Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Colouring Book - shop here
• Geometrical Design Coloring Book - shop here

I love buying from the Book Depository personally as they have great prices, often on sale, and they also do FREE shipping which I LOVE. The downside is there are no previews on the inside illustrations - so check your books on Amazon for the previews prior to buying.



Thanks for reading, and until next time... x