Baby Girl Nursery

Inspiration comes from everywhere.  Truly.  Jessica and I will see something and be instantly inspired to design a room around it....a fabric, a piece of artwork, a pillow...maybe even a clutch.  More on that coming up.

On a recent client tile shopping trip, Jessica commented on a bracelet I was wearing. I told her it was from a great company called Noonday Collection.  The purpose of this post is not to talk about them, but I believe their mission, along with the missions of several other companies I love (and maybe need to do a post about soon), is too valuable not to share.  Here's a brief summary of their mission from their website:

"We partner with talented artisan entrepreneurs to make a difference in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. By developing artisan businesses through fair trade, we empower them to grow sustainably and to create dignified jobs for people who need them. Together we’re building a flourishing world where children are cherished, women are empowered, people have jobs and we are connected."

If that's not something Jessica and I can get behind, I don't know what is!

Now back to the clutch.  After said shopping trip, I sent Jessica a link to the Noonday Collection website knowing she would love the rest of their beautiful jewelry and accessories as well. And while there, I couldn't help but peruse it again myself.  Which is how I found this pretty little clutch, the Zardozi (currently on sale too!), the inspiration.

I saw it and immediately thought "Oh I would love to design a nursery around this!"  And so I did...

curtains // lamp // glider // pendant // accent table // acrylic frames // etagere
 // dresser // crib (sold out, similar here) // pillow 1 // pillow 2 // pillow 3 // bedding

With creamy walls, the gray velvet curtains bring so much warmth and softness to the space (And they're blackout, a baby must. Right?) The mix of patterns, textures and metals (yes, you can do that and should!) create a layered look where minimal accessories are needed to finish off the space.  I always say light fixtures can make or break a room, and I think this one definitely makes it!  Besides, all rooms need a little brass in them :)

These nursery designs are giving me baby fever!  And since Jessica and I are done having some of our own, we need to design some rooms for your babies!  Send them on!  Nurseries and children's rooms are our favorite rooms to design.

Until the next inspiration hits...

Client Project-Nautical Nursery

Is it just us, or is everyone you know having babies these days?  We have a few nurseries in the works right now, and couple we're waiting to get "after" pictures of.  So exciting.  We LOVE doing nurseries and kid rooms!

Here is a recent one for an October baby.  The family wanted a nautical look without plastering sailboats on everything in sight--challenge accepted.  The walls are being painted in thick gray and white stripes and all of the large furniture pieces in the room will have a neutral palette.  There will be little pops of blue here and there with a few vintage whale pieces making an appearance as well.  Also, in the room, the client's antique, cane seat rocker (we couldn't find a matching one online, so the one on the mood board is just for a reference), but who doesn't love antique kid-sized piece of furniture??   

Gray blackout curtains were a must because---babies and sleep.  Ikea's Hemnes gray-brown dresser from a few years back is still on point.  Serena & Lily bedding was chosen with trellis sheets and nursery basics bumper and skirt in blue.  And this sailboat toile pillow
 (on sale!) will be perfect in the rocker. 

Stacked white floating shelves will keep decor off of the dresser, which will also function as the changing table and a rope mirror will hang above to bring in some more natural light from the room's single window. 

We can't wait to see photos of this one!

If you need help with your little one's room, or any room for that matter, contact us here
 and we'll help you get started!

Rollins' Vintage Nursery

My newest little girl, Rollins, is somehow already five-months-old. Everyone says it goes by fast, and I know that from my first daughter, but man is this one speeding by even faster!

So now that she's nearing her half-year mark, I figured it was high time I share her nursery.

Image by Jordan Burch Photography

As you may recall, this room started out as a metallic, safari room for a little boy, then we transitioned it into a short-lived man cave.  Now it's transitioned again into little Miss Rollins' room.

Quite the before and after, huh?  Because we'd spent so much time on updating the room with board and batten and painting, we kept the walls as is and went from there.  I love how it turned out with the moody walls and sweet furnishings.

Auden had one of my childhood dresses framed over her crib as well, but this time I went with an acrylic frame, and I LOVE it.  The sconces bordering it are from Pottery Barn but have since sold out.

I kept the other artwork in the room simple with a black and white photo of big sister, a wedding photo of Jon and myself and a watercolor print that says "Be Brave."  The other art print (on top of her dresser) was purchased from Jones Design Co. and is a quote from one of my favorite verses. "Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly." -Micah 6:8. 

I loved Auden's bedding so much, I decided to use the same sheet and bumper (flipped backwards to add Rollins' monogram) but in a different color.  The crib sheet is the trellis pattern by Serena & Lily in Shell.

The linen crib skirt is from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child.

The tiger maple dresser was in my room growing up, and I'm so excited to have it in one of my girls' rooms now.  The vintage chandelier was a thrift store find from Oklahoma, and I'd been moving it from house to house for five years waiting for the right place to put it.  I love how it brings a little sparkle and compliments the crystal knobs on the dresser so well.

Here's my sweet girl during her 3 month photo shoot on her vintage Turkish rug I found on Etsy.

Image by Jordan Burch Photography

I can't wait to see all of the little memories she'll make in this room.  My favorite so far is her sleeping through the night :)

Traditional Nursery Lighting Options

As many of you know, my husband Jon and I are expecting our second little girl in the next few weeks.  My due date is actually October 6th, but according to my doctor, I will most likely have her within the next two-three weeks.  I am 35 weeks right now, so hearing that at my appointment yesterday was a bit of a shock! 

If my nesting wasn’t bad enough already, it’s kicked into high gear now!  I shared her last nursery update here, and we’ve accomplished most items on my checklist since then.  There are only a couple of big tasks left-- I’m still waiting on the hardware to arrive for the acrylic frame, and we still need to hang the light fixture.

We attempted (and by we, I mean Jon while I looked on for supervision) to hang the light fixture this past weekend, but we ran into a snag since it’s a vintage find.  Apparently me and my pregnant brain didn’t realize that it was missing the ceiling strap needed to anchor the light to the ceiling.  So now we’ve got to make another run back to the hardware store to fix that problem.  In the meantime, I decided to look into some more lighting options just in case this one doesn’t work once we get it hung up (which would be Jon’s worst nightmare). 

I have no time to waste, and I refuse to let an ugly white ceiling fan ruin the rest of the room so here are a few options I've found. 

one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight

I'm praying that the one I already have will work because I love the natural patina and vintage crystals it has.  Fingers crossed!  In the meantime, here's an updated shot of the nursery since we hung the wall sconces (pardon the iPhone photo quality and crumpled curtains).  

We're getting so close to meeting our new girl! 

9 Best Plug-In Sconces

I recently added some brass sconces to my second baby’s nursery design, and I can’t wait to get them up on her wall.  They will go on the same wall as the crib, flanking the artwork to be hung over the bed, and I think they'll add so much to that side of the room. 

Because I didn’t want to add one more thing to our growing nursery to do list (you’re welcome, Jon:) ), I opted for some a plug-in option.  In this case, the cord is clear and won’t be very visible on the white board and batten that we have on the lower half of the room.  After a few wall anchors and screws, they will be up and running!

Image via Sissy+Marley

But if for some reason they don't work out in the nursery, they can easily be moved to another room in the house—the office, the guest room, etc.  That’s another great thing about a plug-in option as opposed to a hardwired, they are much more movable down the road if you want to change things up.

Image via Lonny

I’ve long been a fan of sconces and think they always look so charming in a nursery or bedroom.  They offer a variant level of lighting in the room, aside from ceiling and table lamps, and they adorn the wall like pretty little earrings finishing off a beautiful outfit.

The kind I wanted to purchase from Pottery Barn is unfortunately now sold out (I was lucky enough to find a pair on eBay).  But if you have the desire to add some "earrings" to one of your rooms, here is a round-up of some more great options.  They are all in various styles and finishes to help you find just the look you’d want.

one // two // three // four // five // six and seven // eight // nine

I kept things pretty reasonable in the price category, with ranges from $45-170.  Not too bad for adding such a statement to a room!  

One Artist, Six Nurseries: Mallory's Design

If you've been following us this week, you've seen that we're doing a nursery challenge, where we each design a boy and girl nursery around artwork by the talented, Gingiber.  If you haven't checked out all of the adorable pieces she has to offer, you should!  

Dana detailed her nurseries designs on Monday and Jessica showed her's in the last post.  None of us knew what the other was going to do or use in the room so we've really enjoyed seeing how our different design aesthetics how shown themselves in the spaces.  Now it's my turn for the big reveal.

I love a good, classic design and the same is true in my boy's nursery.  I kept the palette soothing and fun with a play on texture and pattern, and I love the end result.  With darker walls in Benjamin Moore's Winter Solstice and solid ivory (with blackout lining!) curtains, the rest of the fabrics and finishes can take center stage.  And let's not forget to mention the Persidio Glider by Serena and Lily.  It has a removable slipcover--a treasure in the land of baby messes.

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Crib // Crib Sheet // Bookcase // Light // Rug // Glider // Pillow Cover // Pouf // Curtains // Dresser // Paint

For my girl nursery, I kept another neutral palette with pops coral and tones of blue and cream for a feminine feel.  I used the Land of Nod Hampshire Dresser in both spaces because it is such a versatile piece that can grow with the child.  The ottoman pouf and curtains (although in a different shade) are also carried over from the boy nursery design.  Again, these are pieces that can work in many spaces (even if you choose to move them to another area in your home later).  I chose another slipcovered glider from Serena and Lily for this space and outfitted it in a coral jaipur print.  It is a bit of a splurge, but the quality and slipcover option will allow for many years of use.

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  Crib // Crib Sheet // Bed Skirt // Bookcase // Light // Rug // Glider // Pillow Cover // Pouf // Curtains // Dresser // Paint

The bookcase and beautiful iron crib with upholstered sides are from Pottery Barn Kids.  Here's another shot of the crib (in an alternate finish) to give you a better view of the sides.  I love the mix of the soft upholstery with the iron details.

The light fixture is the finishing jewel in this space.  I've said time and again that light fixtures can truly transform a space and this one is the perfect choice.  The shape is eye-catching and when the bulbs are lit, they will cast a playful shadows around the room.  I have a similar cutout style in my daughter's nursery, and I still love it.

Alright, so that's it!  That's a wrap for our Nursery Challenge week.  We hope you've enjoyed seeing our varying designs as much as we have enjoyed making them.  If you need help with a nursery (or any other room) in your home, please let us know.  

Thanks for coming along for the ride this week!  We'd love to hear which designs and pieces really caught your eye.  Comment on each post or let us know on Facebook.