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!

Client Project - A Nautical Nursery

We recently completed an E-Design for a client looking to create a nursery for their first baby, a boy.  The clients live near the beach and wanted a nautical feel with pieces that would easily grow with the baby later.  It was music to our ears.

In case you haven’t gathered, we absolutely LOVE creating kid’s spaces, especially nurseries.  And because we’re all three moms ourselves, we understand meshing style with function.

In this space, we started with a soothing color on the walls, Wedgwood Gray by Benjamin Moore. Having this blue as the backdrop allowed us to bring in a lot of neutral pieces to balance out the space and possibly transition to another nursery (even for a girl) or room later down the road.

Paint // Ceiling Light // Curtains // Artwork // Crib // Lamp // Dresser // Crib Skirt // Crib Sheet // Rug // Pouf // Pillow // Glider

We kept the space playful by bringing in a mix of textures and patterns, including buffalo check, houndstooth and ticking stripes.  For the rug, we chose an indoor/outdoor option for easy cleaning (both for now—baby spit up anyone? and when their little boy gets older with more messes to make).  And it could also work great in a playroom one day!

We kept the nautical theme in tact through artwork, textures (the rope lamp), shapes (the bentwood light mimics the lines on a boat) and colors.  The key to creating a subtle themed room is using ALL facets of the design to tell the story, rather than branding everything with typical nautical decor.  In other words, having an anchor on everything was not the way to go :)

The end product speaks for itself, and the client was thrilled with how we married their love for the water with their fun, yet traditional style.  And we know their little boy will soon love it too! It was such a great project, and we can't wait to see some "after" pictures.

If we can help you finish off your space or do a complete room design, drop us a line or go here to learn more about our E-Design process.  We’d love to give you a new space to enjoy for years to come!

Baby R's Nursery Update- Decision Time

This past week I've been in major nesting mode wanting to check everything off of my never-ending house to do list--specifically in the new nursery.  Jon and I have a lot of cleaning out to do (it's currently his "man cave"/catch all room) before the real decor can even go up.  I'm one who loves to clean out and organize as it is, but when you add in a baby, it's even worse.

In an attempt to get a move on, I've been finalizing some nursery decisions so that all pieces are here when it's time to get everything in its place.  Specifically, the curtains have been ordered and sheets have been decided.  

Here are the four curtain options I was considering:

one // two // three // four

After much consideration (and a little help from my fellow design friends), I chose option number one with a blackout lining.  You may remember the top part of the room is painted a dark charcoal color so I really wanted something light to balance it out.  And down the road, when the girls start sharing a room, these will easily transition to a non-nursery room.  

I also picked out my crib sheets.  I loved the blue trellis ones from Serena & Lily that I used in Auden's room, and I think the mocha option will work great in the new nursery.  And because my love for block print can't be stopped, I really like this booti pink print from Rikshaw Designs.  The bed skirt is a muted petal pink linen-cotton one from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child and the bumpers will be the white pique with gray trim we used for Auden.  I plan on flipping it around so I can monogram the other side for this baby.  Waste not, want not, right?

With those items being confirmed, here is the updated mood board.  If you need a refresher, here is the starting point from over a month ago.   

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The other new items are these gold leaf frames from West Elm and these beaded ones from Design Aglow for her gallery wall.  I purchased this art print from Jones Design Company months ago (before I was even pregnant) and think it will work great in the room.  The other new contender is this lamp by Nate Berkus.  I saw it in Target and immediately fell for the modern lines and acrylic base.  Because I love a good mix of modern and vintage, I think this will be a great addition to keep that balance.  

So that's the latest for Baby R.  What do you think?  

I'm off to get my nesting fix on and start cleaning out the man cave closet with the hubs!  As you can imagine, he's thrilled to be doing this on his off day ;)

Until next time...

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.

Auden's Neutral Nursery

My husband and I welcomed our little girl Auden Emory into the world almost four months ago.  

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

Her nursery was probably the most personal space I've ever designed.  I wanted it to be sweet, calming and full of meaningful family pieces.  Our photographer snapped a few images of it when she came to shoot Auden's newborn shoot, and I had to share them, along with a few of my own showing you all of the details to our baby girl's room.  Below was my original mood board. 

I really like how it all turned out with the exception of the wall color.  It came out much more yellow than the taupe I wanted.  I had purchased a few samples and put them on the wall to make my selection.  After I picked my favorite, I decided to take it to the hardware store down the road to have them match it instead of going across town where this particular brand was actually sold.  I will never do that again--a least for not for a neutral color.  Unfortunately the match did not turn out like the sample, and I didn't have the heart to ask my husband paint it again.  Lesson learned, friends.  All that aside, it was great to see my vision come to life.

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

This dresser is a family piece and has a bunch of "memories" styled on the top of it.  The baby booties belonged to my mom and the round frame holds a picture of my sister and I when we were little.  The brass animal figures were Target finds.  

The Bible and silver cup were mine as a child and the sterling rattle was my sister's.  The framed image is photo of my grandmother as a child.

I framed a Feltman Brothers dress that I wore as a little girl above her crib.  

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

The eyelet pillow in her crib was found at JCPenney and the sheet from Serena & Lily.

Here's a shot of my hubby and pup Remington hanging out with Auden.  The gallery wall above them is a mix of DIY artwork, commissioned watercolors and maternity photos.  The sofa is a family antique once belonging to my great grandmother.  

Photo credit: Jordan Burch Photography

A collection of neutral pillows and gifted elephant and tiger stuffed animals (representing the mascots for mine and my husband's alma maters) fill out the sofa.

The watercolor dog prints of our fur babies are some of my favorite pieces in the room.  Erisha from A Thing Created did a wonderful job.  The "I will be grateful for this day" print is an Etsy purchase that I've had for a couple of years and thought would be perfect moved into the nursery.  The oversized clothespin is one of a set of three from Ballard Designs, also a piece I've had for years waiting to use.

The curtains were a great surprise TJ Maxx find ($25 for the pair!).  I added pleats with pleat tape to give a more custom look.

I imagine we will spend many nights rocking and reading in this chair.  I hope Auden loves her room as much as I do one day.  Thanks for taking the tour! I've posted a resource list below for your convenience.  

Resource List:

Crib-Restoration Hardware Baby & Child (no longer available)

Crib Sheet-Serena & Lily

White Pique Crib bumper and skirt-New Arrivals Inc.

Eyelet pillow-JC Penney (no longer available)

Pom pom blanket-Marmalade

Sofa-Family piece

Brass clothespin-Ballard Designs

Commissioned watercolor dog prints-A Thing Created

"I will be grateful for this day" Print-Etsy

Dresser-Family piece

Monogram sham-Etsy

Sweater pillow-West Elm

Table lamp-TJ Maxx

Rocker-Nurseryworks Empire Rocker

Gray Herringbone Tassel Throw-Pure Home

Floor lamp-Target (no longer available)

Pouf-Target

Striped basket-TJ Maxx

Curtains-TJ Maxx

Bamboo Shade-Wayfair

Light fixture-Home Depot