Kristy Withers of Incy Interiors and her children, Oscar and Polly.

What began five years ago with a search for a vintage-style iron bed for her son has become a successful boutique children's furniture brand for NSW-based businesswoman Kristy Withers. You can shop Incy's cult bed designs on Temple & Webster for the first time here, or read on to find out Kristy's top tips for decorating bedrooms for dreamers big and small…

How did you come to create Incy Interiors? What was missing from the market? Finding the perfect big boy bed for my son Oscar inspired the launch of Incy Interiors. For six months, I had searched for a perfect brown iron bed, but was frustrated to discover that Australia had such a limited collection of bedding for little ones. I'd seen lots of gorgeous beds overseas and either tried to import them or have them made locally. I also explored the option to have a vintage bed spray painted, but was concerned about the safety of the old lead paint.



Where does your own design inspiration come from? Honestly the inspiration can come from anywhere.  Our coloured beds came about after I was fridge shopping one day and saw that SMEG were doing coloured fridges, and our metallics were inspired by a watch I got for Christmas four years ago, way before the copper trend had caught on.

Kids grow up so quickly – which pieces are worth investing in for children's bedrooms? Of course I would say a statement bed. Purchase something that will adapt and change as your child grows. Spend up on furniture that can adapt as your child grows – items like a bookshelf, drawers and hanging space so you can hide the contents behind closed doors.



When it comes to decorating kids’ rooms, what’s your recipe for success? The nursery and children’s room is a really fun space to be. On one hand there’s opportunity to create an area that you know will be peaceful and calming for baby and complementary to the balance of the home. And on the other, there’s the chance to really bring the colours of childhood to life. Here are a few top rules I swear by:

• Warm metallics like copper, brass and rose gold will continue to take the throne this season and should be the statement or centrepiece.


• Select one statement piece to frame the room, and add delicate touches along the way. The Penny bed is a handsome piece that has captured the principles of simplicity, minimalism and functionality and, at the same time, radiates warmth and modern-day charm.


• Whether it be a mixture of colours, textures or both, layers add dimension and mean you can enjoy creative flexibility without having to commit to a colour story. Select printed sheets, toys and blankets to infuse your room with personality.

What’s your stance on decorating with colour? Are there any particular combinations you love? Loving navy with anything right now! We’ve just launched our velvet collection (including the Sybilla bedhead, above) influenced by the Elizabethan era), and that’s big on navy, vibrant aqua and sorbet pink. Metallics are still going strong too. Expect to see the season being a little more shimmery than usual and enjoy a little metallic magic using bronze, silver and gold applications against bright white! When using a metallic colour palette, it’s all about finding the right balance between shade and shine.

How do you feel the homewares industry has changed over the five years you've been in business? People have moved away from the traditional, and no longer buy sets of furniture. They're more likely to take risks with colours, patterns and mismatched items.  In the past 12 months, we've seen the emergence of the chain stores now playing in the homewares space.  I hope that the next five years bring more conscious spending, with people making choices not just purely based on price but also on a product's design, quality and conditions of manufacture.



How has Incy Interiors evolved since it launched five years ago? The core values of Incy are the same – we just want to bring quality, affordable and stylish furniture to our customers.  Thankfully we're no longer warehousing out of my shed, and I'm not doing the picking and packing myself while pregnant!  Our style has evolved over time and as we have grown in confidence so has our colour palette and designs.

What’s next for the brand? We always have something on the go.  Right now we are working on our new collection (it will launch in Australia in February 2017), while also focusing on expansion into the USA.

Love what you see? Click here to shop the collection.