A moment of retail clarity with... Minimello

We had the pleasure of talking to Joanna Dunn, the founder of the new children’s bedding and accessories range designed to help kids relax before bedtime. It was an absolute delight to chat to her and find out more about her business journey.

Tell us more about you and Minimello…

I grew up in Aberdeen in Scotland but always had dreams of moving back down south, where I was born. So after a degree in product design, a spell in the lighting industry as a designer, followed by a year in Japan as an English teacher, I made the move to London and never looked back! 

With a background in design and an interest in psychology and behaviour, and then more recently a career in marketing, I felt that after the birth of my daughter in 2017 all those things naturally seemed to come together in my mind and formulate into the idea that colour and our environment could really help children to relax…which got me thinking about how I could turn that into something more tangible.

How did your business come about?

It was actually during a holiday in Arran, Scotland in August 2018. With some time away from the office and a clear head, I started to ponder ‘what if I did something with my idea’. Around the same time I was looking to upgrade my daughter’s nursery into a more grown up bedroom and the search for bedding that was calming, not too girly, and made of good quality fabric left me feeling I could do better. So I got onto my laptop and started sketching out designs in Adobe Illustrator, taught myself how to design repeat patterns for textiles and researched colour theory to find out which colours would be most relaxing. I learned that the eye responds differently to each colour with blues and greens being less stimulating than reds and yellows, so developed the whole range with that in mind. 

I was enjoying the process so much, but still commuting into the City, and feeling increasingly underwhelmed with my job which no longer felt like a career after returning from maternity leave. So since February I’ve been working three days a week bringing Minimello to life, and now have a much better balance of time with my daughter, while escaping the office politics and commute, and using my creative background every day to do something that I feel is really positive for children who struggle to relax before bedtime.

What are your top tips for creating a calm child’s bedroom?

Think about your perfect bedroom as an adult - usually we want to feel secure and cosy and ready for sleep. We decorate our rooms in neutral colours, keep them tidy - as best we can! - and have good quality cotton bedding. So my tip is to think about children’s rooms in the same way. There are some great colours that work for boys and girls which are scientifically proven to be calming and restful so using those throughout the room can really help children to relax. And I would also recommend some good storage that can be dual purpose too, a toy-box that doubles as a seat or magazine boxes to hide books, anything that reduces visual stimulation is going to help kids to relax and to focus on sleep.

What’s your favourite product in your range?

Definitely the personalised pillowcases. I wish I had had one as a child! I really like that they’re such a simple way to make their bed entirely theirs, especially if kids share a bedroom with a brother or sister and crave some personal space! And my daughter loves hers, even though she can’t read, she knows it’s her very own space when it comes to bedtime.

What has been the highlight of your business experience to date?

I’ve loved having the chance to be properly creative again after so many years, and the challenge of navigating the textile industry has been rewarding too. However, I think the biggest thing so far has been meeting with the CEO of The Children’s Sleep Charity, an amazing organisation that supports children of all ages who really have a wide range of sleep problems. Having her validation that the use of calming colours really can help children relax was amazing and knowing that my ideas are in line with the recommendations given by the thousands of sleep consultants the charity has trained has really spurred me on. 

What are the biggest challenges you are facing at the moment with your business?

I think it’s probably something that most new business owners face in an increasingly digital world - not having an IT department to call on, like I did in the corporate world! I have a decent understanding of website building and have enjoyed the whole process of getting the website live myself, but it would be good to have someone on the end of the phone to help out when things don’t go as smoothly as they should!

What do you love about your brand?

I love the idea that children and families can really benefit from using the products I’ve designed. It’s a really new concept, the idea that colour can be used in the home to affect behaviour, having only been used in hospitals and other institutional spaces in the past. I really think, though, that there is a lot of potential for busy families to start thinking about how they can use colour based on science, rather than purely interior trends, to make their homes work harder for them.

Running a business is hard work, how do you give yourself a break?

Having grown up in Scotland, I love being able to leave my house and walk out in the countryside and I do my best thinking when I’m out in nature, so I try to make time to get out and about a couple of mornings a week before I start work. I know it sounds strange but I’ve felt that I need fewer long breaks and time away from work than I used to when I was in the office as I really enjoy what I’m doing. I did do more crafty projects while I was working though, so I should pick up some of those again.

If you could run another brand/shop/retailer for one day, which one would it be and why?

I really enjoy the buzz of planning events that bring people together to learn so I would love to be on the TED team, hosting amazing speakers around the world. If that wasn’t available, I would happily run the tasting division of Hotel Chocolat!