Sugar and spice and everything nice

Nathaniel and Roanne Castillo would love to give their four-year old daughter, Marie Daniella or “Niella” her own space. However, given limited budget and space, there seemed to be no room for this dream. Real Living, with the help of Robinsons Department Store (RDS), stepped in and gave Niella her own kiddie kingdom.

“She is our joy. Aside from being loveable and funny, Niella is unbelievably mature for her age!” mom Roanne said. She chooses her own clothes, brushes her teeth, doesn’t want anyone to spoon-feed her and understands when her parents go off to work. She hardly ever asks for new toys or clothes. However, while she talks like an adult, the little girl in her also just wants to draw, read books, color or play ‘tea party’ with her cousins.

The Castillo couple wanted to train Niella to sleep alone. They also wanted to give her her own playroom-bedroom as a reward for six academic citations in school. But the room needed a make-over. The beige wallpapers were peeling off; the walls were bleak and some parts were tainted with Niella’s own ‘artwork’. The cabinet was dilapidated and falling apart.

The ABCs of a kids’ room

Tearing down the tattered wallpaper, Real Living’s designer Kat Villanueva decided to paint the entire room with brilliant colors: “Sunny yellow and orange are said to be brain-stimulating and since Niella is very smart and inquisitive, she’ll be at home with these hues.” Earth-toned and striped curtains and rods from Robinsons Department Store now adorn the light yellow walls, blending with the dazzling orange drapes and a ochre carpet.

(Paints, ready made kitchen cabinet doors, paint and other construction materials were donated by Handyman Do It Best Home Center. For home accessories and other reasonably-priced quality items, visit www.robinsonsdepartmentstore.com.ph.