Home Help: 27 July

Hugh St Clair finds the pieces that will bring magic to a child’s bedroom
Where do you go to find interesting furnishings for children's rooms? Nowadays you need to look further afield than high street shops or chain stores to find the unusual.

Starting with the bed, Leporello makes beautiful beds, chests of drawers and dressing tables based on French and Swedish designs, which could follow a child through his or her life. The beds can be bought with a useful Trundle Box on castors, which fits under the main bed and contains a bed for a visitor. The company also makes toy boxes, shelves and homework desks. There is a choice of paint colours, but white, cream, pink and blue are the most popular for children. Each piece is hand-made to order, so prices vary.

Olive Loves Alfie is a shop based in London, with a whole host of items for children made by small companies. A favourite on the website is a smart personalised cashmere blanket (£199) – printed with name and birth date – that a small person will treasure. It's available in coral or blue, or you can choose your own colour. The Funky Little Darlings brand (also at Olive Loves Alfie) makes a children's clock called Little Ben – it's a vinyl wall sticker, so no drilling required – with attachable real clock.

Wall stickers of animal silhouettes made from vintage wallpaper are available from Supernice, either online or at the shop in Columbia Road, London. Inke Vintage Wallpaper Wildlife comes ready cut, in kit form, prices from £12.95 for two birds to £50 for an elephant.

For a cool desk and storage combination, look at Funktion Alley, a Scandinavian homeware store in Batley, Yorkshire. The String Pocket shelving range costs from £117. The Junior Living Wall Desk is wall-mounted and configured for a laptop or screen, price £333. For teddies and toys, try the huge canvas tubs from Alphabet Interiors – www.thealphabetgiftshop.co.uk/ – personalised with a name or initials, they are easy for children to take out and put away their toys.

Hugh-St-Clair-July27-01-590

Hugh-St-Clair-July27-02-590

  • Single bateau-lit bed (including mattress), £2,640, Leporello: 01483-284109, www.leporello.co.uk

Hugh-St-Clair-July27-03-590

Hugh-St-Clair-July27-04-590

Email your design enquiries to Hugh St Clair at homehelp@lady.co.uk