I finally framed these two images for the kids’ bedroom – specifically for my daughter – since my kids share the space. I want the room to reflect two genders and two ages. I knew these small prints by Canada’s own Camilla d’Errico felt like the perfect thing, ever since I found them sometime last year. (Go find @Helmetgirl on the Twitter.)
I bought a 6″ x 6″ calendar of her awesome works, got some white frames from Ikea, et voila! Instant girly art, with pinks and yellows and butterflies, but the subjects are Helmet Girls, Anime-style drawings of doe-eyed girls (a fixture in much of Ms. d’Errico’s art) often depicted with some sort of animal, insect, or flower, which provides the excellent twist and they please me so much because they’re so unexpectedly funky and weirdly interesting. The “helmets” on the girls are intricately drawn additions on the girls’ heads, made of metal, nuts and bolts… very steampunk, which I like. It cuts the sweetness in the girl-factor.
A closer look at the girl with the pink butterflies (Caught Pink Handed) will show she’s actually squeezing the one in her hand… and it looks as if it’s turning to liquid and dripping… but, I cropped it in the mat, so it wouldn’t scare my baby.
What can I say? I have no interest in Winnie the Pooh, nor Strawberry Shortcake. I shun all things Disney inside my house, as far as permanent fixtures are concerned. I just can’t go there.
Fortunately, Ava Scarlett loves them, but I’m still pondering where to hang them exactly. I’m veering towards side-by-side on the wall at her lower bunk, but I’m not certain yet. I also bought some ledges at Ikea for the wall beside the window… and I might have to order a larger print of The Wings to frame and hang somewhere in their room – it’s one of my favourites, but they’re all so excellent, it’s hard to choose. Projects for the fall, I guess.
How do you like to decorate in a child’s bedroom? Are you classic, or eclectic?
I will snap a pic of the bounty I pull from the bathtub drain… would that make you happy? (Heh.)
Dora. *shudders*
you are uber chic and never disappoint. Can we see a photo of just one ugly thing or moment at yours please.
I could never decorate in early Dora either and hated those foamy tv chairs in purple fur from Toys R us. I can relate.
I don’t believe you have no design sense, lady… those rooms sound perfectly lovely!!
I have no design sense.
Like you, I won’t have any kind of licensed character on their walls or bedding. Just simple.
The boys have a dusty blue walls. On the walls there are a few black and white photo’s of each of them as babies in black frames with white mattes.
Eva has 4 different colours on 6 walls. A beautiful classic quilt on her bed and only 1 piece of her wall – it’s an oversized alphabet on a canvas.
Nothing fancy.
Yes, I understand the Costco Photo centre is excellent for that kind of stuff, and the turnaround is pretty quick. I don’t have a thing for anime art in particular, but it’s the unexpected natural elements (birds, flowers, octopus, deer, etc.) that I find so intriguing… and I love all the metal on the Helmet girls – gives it a harder edge – less syrup.
I love the idea of using old fashioned ads… I think I saw wallpaper like that once. Cool!!
Those pics look great in the frames. I am not a fan of Anime art — those big eyeballs give me a headache, but those girls look funky.
When I decorated my boys’ rooms when they were very little, I too avoided the Disney look and instead went to an Old Paper Show and found some great advertisements from the 40s and 50s. One son had a airplane themed room so I found great Piper Airline ads and for another child I found some very cute Johnson’s baby powder and Ivory soap ads. The art work was adorable and pretty cheap. I then had the ads mounted at Costco Photo centre.