inspiration by design! the royal nursery playrooms fit for a little king From Prince William and Kate s country estate in Sandringham to the Middletons Bucklebury mansion and beyond, the royal heir will have no shortage of places to lay his head. But the crown jewel of nurseries will undoubtedly be Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace. The enormous palace where Prince William and Harry grew up has been described as a children s paradise thanks to its long halls and glorious gardens. And now it s being prepared to hear the pitter-patter of little feet again. William, Kate and Prince George are gearing up to move into the 20-room apartment that is undergoing $1.5 million worth of extensive flight of fancy For a globetrotter If his father s childhood is any indication William first went abroad, to Australia, at nine months old this little prince is sure to be a jet-setter. Christopher Prain of Christopher Chanond came up with this magical, modern nursery creation inspired by Jules Verne s Around the World in Eighty Days. The ceiling represents the sky and has a cluster of tiny pin-prick LED lights to create a starfield. A slide wraps around a castle like an old helter skelter and the castle is a play den with turret, he says. The Neighbourhood Christopher spent six weeks on this design. Details, such as a silk rug with an 18th-century map and wallpaper that represents the continents, stay true to the contemporary travel theme. But the designer also incorporated royal traditions, such as a rocking horse and a table made of oak, symbolic of England. 44 45
A sense of history Inspired by the past The Queen would no doubt give her seal of approval to this traditional playroom by luxury design expert Guy Goodfellow. We aimed to create a setting fit for a prince or princess, while being nurturing and stimulating, says the London-based designer. The panoramic wallpaper, supplied by Alexander Beauchamp, shows scenes surrounding Kensington Palace and Hyde Park from the 18th century. The Neighbourhood Guy was inspired by the pomp and pageantry of the Royal Family. The use of pastel colours and the addition of teddy bears (Prince Charles is known for his love of them!) provide a peaceful setting for baby. The floral teepee is an ideal place for an impromptu game of hide and seek or to escape for a quick afternoon slumber. 46 47
a tranquil haven Respite for parents and child Interior design firm Oliver Burns thought of Mummy and Daddy along with a baby in its dream design. There are nursing chairs for the couple to share some quality time and a portable bassinet. Befitting a future king, the company used only the finest of products, including a chandelier by French designer Philippe Starck, an antique crib and a handcrafted rocking horse made for the Queen s Diamond Jubilee. www.oliverburns.com (2) 48 49
kate and wills royal nursery is likely to be more lively AND full of fun ~ Sandy mitchell the nursery www.oliverburns.com renovations, including in baby s room. Kate especially has been pouring her energy into making her little one s abode perfect. The elegant style icon who readily mixes retail fashions with custom couture is no doubt relying on the same instincts on the design front. Top interior designers have imagined the look and feel with images that we ve showcased here. While each is different in colour, texture and theme, they all capture the essence of this lively and down-to-earth modern family. You can tell already that Kate and Wills royal nursery is likely to be more lively and full of fun than any before, says Sandy Mitchell of the architect and landscaping firm RedBook Agency. Indeed, royal nurseries have come along way from such stiff and Spartan origins, he notes. You can see clearly where the royal 50 51
where prince william and harry grew up has been DESCRIBED as a children s paradise dragons den What s old is new Princess Diana put Dragons of Walton Street on the map when she commissioned the design firm to decorate William and Harry s Kensington Palace nursery. Since then, the company has also received the celebrity seal of approval from stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham. It s believed to be Kate s top pick, too. The family-owned company, which is now run by Lucinda Croft (left), specializes in handmade furniture painted with Beatrix Potter figures (right, a sample grouping from a London hotel). clockwise (From bottom left): Lefteris Pitarakis/AP/CP; Tim Graham/Getty Images (2) Princess Diana (with William in the Kensington Palace nursery) was said to be very involved, very hands-on in the design of her sons playroom. The result was worth it. Diana, Charles and their boys (right, in 1985) would spend hours there. children s training in formality began. For high spirits, there were the piano and rocking horse. Perhaps less glamorous 150 years ago, nurseries have always been an integral part of early royal life. Queen Victoria s nine children spent hours in theirs as did Princess Elizabeth, who would play with toy horses. Prince Charles s Buckingham Palace playroom, though furnished plainly and decorated in chintz, became the warm heart of what could otherwise be a somewhat overwhelming institution, writes Charles s 52 53
William and Harry literally lived in the nursery in the family s Kensington Palace apartment. Boasting multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, playrooms and a kitchen and dining room, it was, according to Diana s private secretary, almost a court in its own right, writes Penny Junor in Prince William: Born to Be King. For the young boys, the pièces de résistance were undoubtedly their rocking horses. Tim Graham/Getty Images 54 55
horsing around How the rocking horse became a royal nursery staple The new baby s nurseries are likely to feature a mix of modern and traditional furnishings. But sure to take pride of place is a classic wooden rocking horse, which has been a staple in royal nurseries for centuries. Rocking horses date back to the Middle Ages, with the creation of its predecessor the hobby horse a fake horse head mounted on a stick that remains popular to this day. With improvements in technology in the 1600s, the rocking horse as we know it today was born. Charles I was the proud owner of the oldest one in history, a 1610 creation that is now on display in London at the V&A Museum of Childhood. That love has been passed down to generations of royals, including Queen Elizabeth (here, age six, with her twoyear-old sister, Princess Margaret, on the Queen Mother s horse.) The sisters also had their own horse in their childhood nursery at 145 Piccadilly (below). No doubt the royal baby will follow in their (horse)shoes. biographer Jonathan Dimbleby. That warm heart is what Charles and Diana sought to create in their sons nursery and what William and Kate no doubt hope to accomplish, too. They loosened things up greatly, says Sandy. In this technological age, Kate has many more options than her predecessors. Insiders speculate that she has used the same designer that Diana did, Dragons of Walton Street, to provide her baby with the latest trappings while staying true to the royal precedent. With stylish Kate at the helm, there s no doubt the royal heir will move into a nursery that s fit for a king! clockwise (from bottom left): Mary Evans Picture Library (2); Fred & Hubert Thurston/Camera Press; Stapleton Collection/Corbis With nine children, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert (above, in a lithograph from 1845), had one of the busiest nurseries in royal history. Although less polished than today s playrooms, it was still a hub of activity for the young family and a place for the busy young Queen to withdraw and focus solely on her young children. a rocking horse and piano were still the main outlet for high spirits 56 57