I drive by it all the time, this cute little storefront in Lacombe called Bla Bla Junior. It is adorable, brightly coloured and catches your eye whenever you travel down Hwy. 2A and see the whimsical flags. Many times I have driven by and meant to stop but have not had time until yesterday. I met with co-owner Sofie Blunck to discuss her business philosophy and get a look inside this amusing and colourful business.
Sophie and her partner Tamara Goedhart have created a jewel box in Lacombe where they have all things related to children. From adorable clothing to bedding and wallpaper this store is bursting with creativity and colour. Watching the mothers and little ones come in while I visited with Sofie brought me back to when my daughter was young and we would go on shopping trips for that perfect outfit. Yes my daughter was and still is a fashion diva!
The gals at Bla Bla Junior have begun to expand into interior design focusing on perfect spaces for children. I could see the excitement and passion in Sofie as she described her love for working with little girls and boys alike as she helps to create their dream spaces using unique and one-of-a-kind finishes.
As I sat and flipped through wallpaper and fabric books, I was inspired and enchanted with the colours and remembered all the sweet bedrooms I have done for my daughter and other kids over the years. One wallpaper that caught my attention actually had a silhouette of Audrey Hepburn in the pattern, I loved that one!
Children’s bedrooms are one place in your home where you can let your imagination run free, even if you consider yourself conservative when it comes to colours. This is especially exciting if you allow your children to be involved in the design process, it is amazing to watch someone choose a colour scheme who is completely uninhibited in their decisions. Often parents are worried that the room will not match the rest of the house, and it probably won’t which is the best part.
Whimsy and fantasy are always at work in children’s bedrooms; based on a few of their favorite things you can create inspired and fantastic retreats for your children. The colours are wild and fun (like in the interior of Bla Bla Junior) and you can employ large-scale patterns and creative themes as you work with your children to discover what they love.
With very young children it may be wise to avoid anything too lifelike or imposing on their walls like a giant terrifying T-rex wall mural! This may want to wait until your children are older and can communicate what they want. I had a large clown hanging in my daughter’s room until she was about three and finally she told me ‘Mommy that clown scares me’. Imagine my horror! What I thought was great design was actually bothering her a great deal and clown was removed immediately.
My visit to Lacombe was an inspirational one and I am grateful that I was able to get to know this thriving business a little bit better. The owners are warm and passionate about design and have impeccable taste judging by their products. I was thrilled to discover they also carry adult jewelry so of course I picked up a bauble for myself.
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext. 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.
