'He's had the giraffe since he was born': Louise shares her son's cheerful and light-filled bedroom

‘The room has definitely evolved over time.’

EACH WEEK, WE ask someone based in Ireland with a passion for interiors to share one photo of their favourite spot in their home.

Louise O’Leary lives in a renovated three-storey Victorian property in Dublin with her husband and son.

“The house was in a bad way when we first bought it,” says Louise. “It had to be completely gutted. I can remember at one stage being able to look from the top floor right through to the basement.”

We have renovated the property over the past five years or so but, of course, there is always work to do.

This week, Louise (@irish_interiors_addict) chatted us through her favourite spot: her two-year-old son’s bedroom.

unnamed Louise O'Leary Louise O'Leary

What do you love about this part of your home?

I absolutely love the feeling you get when you come into this room. It’s welcoming and such a fun place to spend time in. It’s a bit magical and special and that’s what I wanted for my son.

What’s your favourite object in here and why?

It’s so hard to pick one thing. I love the Stokke cot and the book collection. The giraffe, however, is very special as he’s had it since he was born, and still interacts with him every day.

What was your inspiration when you were putting this room together?

I wanted our son’s room to be a happy place. The room itself has definitely evolved over time. I picked up a lot of pieces along the way. I know what I like and I think I have an eye for putting things together. Instagram was absolutely my main inspiration. I love the gorgeous images and follow many inspiring accounts. The wall stickers are from happydecs.co.uk and the giraffe prints are by Irish artist Audrey Hamilton. Finally, a couple of trips to Ikea helped the room to come together.

Be honest: how much tidying did you do before taking this photo?

Actually not too much, but there was a bit of moving things around. We tend to keep it relatively tidy but I did spend time taking a few shots. It’s hard to capture all you want in just one photo. Being an older property, the room is an unusual shape and height, making it hard to capture everything. What you don’t get to see are the bookshelves and reading corner, which is finished with some hot air balloons from Pinocchio’s Toys in Cork.

Is there anything in here you’d like to change?

I would absolutely love to add more prints. The room has plenty of wall space. As my son grows, his interests are changing and I’m trying to update the room with things I know he will love!