Today we've had the pleasure of chatting to the lovely Elina, aka @elina.styling and the interior stylist behind Elina Styling. We've been admiring her work for a long time now so we are so excited to have her as a guest on our blog.
© Elina Styling and Woodbasics.nl
Q: Hi Elina! For those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing your work before, can you tell us a bit about you and what you do?
A: Hi! My name is Elina and I am a Kids room Stylist from the Netherlands. Me and my family live in a small village in the south of the country, in an old house which we completely renovated (and still going at it!) I am a mother of two lovely children: a funny little 4 year old boy named Fedde and the sweetest little babygirl Fien.
As a stylist, I help parents creating a stylish yet personal room for their mini’s. I always seek for unity, balance and tranquility in the children's rooms that I design together with the parents. This creates a nice and cosy place for your child in which there is plenty of room for playing, growing and creating pleasant memories.
In addition, I help beautiful brands and shops with kids room products with creating inspirational pictures of their collections. And this is where everything comes together, because these pictures inspire parents on how to decorate their children’s bedrooms. I just love how these two combine!
© Elina Styling and Bibelotte.nl
Q: Your job truly sounds like a dream job! Can you tell us how it all started?
A: It absolutely is a dream job! It feels like a blessing to be able to do what I love and help others at the same time.
It all started with the baby room of my little boy Fedde. I already owned a company in Interior Styling and had such a wonderful time creating a welcoming nursery for our little boy. Decorating a nursery during pregnancy is such a special project which I loved working on. The love I put into the styling of Fedde’s nursery didn’t go unnoticed on Instagram and I got in touch with Jolien from Kinderkamerstylist.nl , a Dutch inspiration platform for Kidsroom styling. We immediately had a ‘connection’ and started working together. I just loved to dive into the world of Kidsroom styling. Aren’t they just the most cheerful rooms in our homes? In 2019 I decided to focus completely on those special rooms, because that was what really made me happy. It turned out to be my best decision ever.
Q: Take us through your day, what does a typical day look like?
A: Actually, no day is the same in my company. And that's what I love about running my own business! One day I'm working at my home office on a kidsroom project, while the next day you can find me in the photo studio for a photoshoot. Variety is what makes my job so wonderful. It keeps me creative!
Q: When working with a new project, what is your starting point?
A: A new project always starts with a personal introduction. For me it’s most important to involve the parents in the advice. They know their children best and can tell me exactly what their child needs and what makes him or her the most happy.
Because I think unity is so important for a peaceful atmosphere in a children's room, I always make a moodboard. This is also a piece of advice I would like to give all parents when they start decorating their kids' room. With a moodboard you show which atmosphere a room can radiate. It helps to make very specific choices and it prevents you from continuing to look for inspiration.
Q: what is your favorite part of your work?
A: Bringing together beautiful brands and parents who are looking for inspiration for their kids' room. I really love being able to do that! At the beginning of this year I launched my own photo shoot service: the Connecting the Brands shoot. A connecting photo shoot in which I style bedroom settings with products from all kind of brands. So many inspiring photos arise from the shoots. In addition, I regularly do my own photo shoots, with which I hope to inspire parents to decorate their nursery. I have so many ideas to do more with this!
Q: What is the no. 1 tip you would give for decorating a kids room?
A: Try to create a base in your kids room that is both timeless and personal. For example, go for a timeless wallpaper and muted colors, instead of a theme or a trend (color) that you see a lot at that moment. Children grow quickly and their interests keep on growing with them. In a timeless kids room there is plenty of room for small adjustments. It helps you to create a room in which your child feels comfortable for a longer period of time. You can easily add nice accents in the styling, for example with accessories, bedding or a colorful poster. And don't forget: make it a small party with your child! There is really nothing more fun than inventing a new kids room for your son or daughter!
© Elina Styling and Woodbasics.nl
Q: We are very excited to see our sheets in the rooms you create. How do you feel about the role of the bed sheet within the room?
A: For a long time, we have mostly seen plain colored bed sheets. Textiles are a very good way to add color and patterns to a room, so why not in a bed sheet? The bed is the most important piece of furniture in a bedroom and mostly very visible. I find that the Swedish Linens bed sheets add that graphic and playful touch to your kids room and you will love the designs for a long time. I still love the rainbow pattern, it’s so strong and timeless!
Another tip is to get a small mattress and put on a Swedish Linens mini sheet to create a cozy play or chill corner.
© Elina Styling and Woodbasics.nl
Q: That's brilliant Elina, thank you!
To see more or to get in touch with Elina check out her Instagram account or website.
