apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Eigen Huis & Tuin is a TV program you'd see if you lived in the Netherlands, but the design of this room speaks for itself, even if you can't understand what they're saying. Watch the video and then check out the 5 design tips below that are easy to do in your own home!

1. Built In Beds: They aren't as difficult as you might think and even if you don't have a basement full of tools, check with your local hardware store. Things like a chop saw or miter saw aren't out of reach budget wise if you only need them for a few hours. They help create built in storage and make the bed part of the wall, allowing the floor space to seem larger and more usable.

2. Balance Bright Colors With White: Bright pinks and greens don't make this room day glow, why? Because of the abundant white in the room. The colors keep things bright and crisp instead of requiring sunglasses upon entering. To keep the colors toned down, they are accented with a shade darker or lighter than the base color used. It helps keep things monochromatic and easy on the eyes!

3. Keeping A Neutral Floor: Because this space serves as a bedroom to both a boy and a girl, a gender neutral color works out perfectly for both of them. The white especially can be something that can later be dressed up or down according to their needs or own personal tastes. Plus, it makes the space feel more open and airy than if a darker neutral had been used.

4. Using A Room Divider: Defining space between one area and another is needed everywhere else in the house and this room is no exception. Here it's sure to not only give the children their privacy from one another, but help keep quarrels to a minimum when one is messier than the other, or has friends and company over.

5. Color Coordinating Storage: Each storage piece in the room is painted with the same color choices as other accent colors in the space. It seems like something small, but even a cheap can of spray paint can make a huge difference visually for something like this. Although it's adding color, it's also grounding the chaos of colors of what's being stored in it. A basket of superheros in all their assorted glory feels pulled together and thought out if it's in a container than coordinates with existing ones in the room. Without, storage pieces can feel like "just another thing in the corner."

(Image: ontwerpduo)