We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
One sign of growing up that no one talks about? Becoming embarrassed by your childhood bedroom. At least that was the case for this sporty 12-year-old in Nottingham, England, who had become so self-conscious about his room, he told his parents he didn’t want friends coming around anymore. So, they called interior designer Hannah Pemberton of Studio Wanda to makeover the space.
The boy’s new room needed to see him through his teenage years and be a place to study, hang out, and host sleepovers. It also needed to fit a double-bed, plus enough space to stash padel gear, books, and clothes. “The thing that I get asked by most families is storage in big capital letters—that’s what everyone wants,” says Pemberton.
It’s a lot to ask of a 130 square foot room. Pemberton knew from the get-go that custom millwork would be their answer. “It’s almost impossible to get exactly what you want in such a small layout unless you go bespoke,” she explains. Birch plywood would play the lead role: “I like how it sits across a couple of different aesthetics—it’s a bit retro while quite contemporary, and it brings in grain timber without being too dominant. Plus it can be bent and curved.” Here, the designer details how this wonder-wood worked its magic to deliver everything on this young boy’s wish list—and more.
A Quadruple-Duty Bed
Dresser, who? Pemberton designed a raised platform bed with integrated storage: there’s a chest of drawers on one side for clothes, cupboards at the foot of the mattress, and two sets of shelves for displaying books and objects. She also made sure there were two bedside surfaces so he’d have a place for a lamp and a glass of water.
And for sleepovers? The bed ingeniously houses a spare mattress and linens underneath its slats, perfectly sized to lay out in front of the wardrobe. “It gets used all the time. They can’t get his friends out of the house apparently, which is proof that it’s worked!” says Pemberton with a laugh.
A Smooth Solution to a Small Space
Once the bed design was finalized, Pemberton had the idea to round off its edges. “It takes up a fair amount of room and when you’re moving around you don’t want to bang your shins on it. Plus, it makes it a bit more fun,” she reasons. She continued the element around the desk and built-in corner unit. “I wanted to offset the geometry of the shelves and closet, so mingling curves with the grid-like shapes plays out really nicely,” she explains.
A Place to Bask in the Light
The windowsill height happened to be perfect for squeezing in an extra seat with—you guessed it—storage underneath. Its trio of drawers holds Pokémon cards, football annuals, and sticker books. The UPVC window didn’t need replacing, so a simple spray paint job is all it took to make it harmonize with the wooden baseboards. Friends aren’t the only ones who love to post up here—the bench seat is now the family cat’s favorite spot to curl up.
An Out-of-This-World Ceiling
The first piece Pemberton bought for the project was a chrome, Sputnik-style ceiling light at auction. A vintage find, each arm is automated meaning the bulbs (which are mirrored) can be angled any way. “I love how sculptural it is and how it draws the eye up to the space,” she explains. Pemberton thinks ceilings are generally overlooked, and likes to use color on them, “as it’s easier to commit to than on walls.” To offset the blues in the room, she settled on Acorn by Little Greene.
A Cat-Friendly Floor
The family’s taste skews modern, so they didn’t want a trad-looking wood floor. And loop carpet was a no-no because of the cat. Pemberton knew that rubber was the answer: “It’s so nice underfoot—a bit like walking on leather. And it’s hardwearing and easy to clean.” It’s a floor covering she’s used a lot (she sources from Colour Flooring Company), but her first time using this light, neutral shade.
A Future-Proof Cork Wall
Cork pinboards and walls feature regularly in Pemberton’s kids’ rooms. “It’s such a brilliant material because things like posters or photos can keep moving along with their interests,” she says. She also notes how, crucially, it must be over a quarter of an inch thick to be pinnable. Here, it wraps around the desk nook and a wall by the wardrobes, where giant pins make it function more like a pegboard. It gives padel racquets the ideal perch, and medals can be hung up proudly, too.