A bedroom for a child with Autism

We were contacted by Make A Wish Foundation to grant Heidi a wish! Heidi is a 14 years old who suffers from Duchene muscular dystrophy, she is also on the autism spectrum and also has ADHD. Her wish, was to have a bedroom makeover. When we met with Heidi her initial brief was to have a :

• Blue and white bedroom
• Diamonds or stars on one wall
• Underbed storage
• Computer desk
• Wardrobe and storage for her oversized dolls
• She also likes ‘Horrid Henry’ and is a bit of a prankster. She said she would like some words painted on the wall like ‘cheeky prankster’ etc.

The initial presentation we did, was not received well by Heidi, she said it was too pastel and perfect. So she sent images of a few pieces she liked; her bedlinen and rug, Heidi even sent her preferred floor plan. I redesigned her room to her specification and she was happy with our second bedroom design. When working with autistic children, it is important to work to their specification, as autism is not forgiving.

We used Farrow and Ball Drawing Room blue, which everyone loved (even me)! It’s the perfect blue to use in a bedroom.The underbed storage drawers were actually an Ikea hack. We wanted to maximize the under bed storage as much as possible, however due to Heidi’s chosen layout, we had to consider the desk as it was an obstacle. We couldn’t have one big drawer because it would be quite difficult to access. Therefore we decided to use a few smaller drawers instead.  We happened to find these drawers in Ikea (in the bargin corner- although they amounted to much more than a bargain after purchasing: the paints, glue, wheels and felt). We added wheels, sanded and painted it in two shades of blue. We covered the interior of the drawers with various shades of blue felt sheets; felt is quite soft and versatile.

Teenagers need plenty storage, we therefore invested in a desk that had a storage cupboard, a chest and wardrobe.

We absolutely loved working on this room and with this awesome family, and were extremely touched by Heidi’s reaction to her new room. This bedroom has the elegance of a designers’ touch yet it reflects the quirky personalty of Heidi. Here’s a room tour.

I would love to help you with your room, so drop me an email info@mkkidsinteriors.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Medina xXx