September 04, 2015

Traditional Nursery Lighting Options

September 04, 2015/ Mallory

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!

May 15, 2015

The Beginnings of a Nursery

May 15, 2015/ Mallory

My husband and I recently found out Baby #2 is a....GIRL!

I'm so excited that Auden will have a little sister as close in age as me and my sister were. I can't wait to watch them grow up and form the sweetest bond. Jon and Remi (our boy dog) will be outnumbered in the best possible way.

Now that we know the baby's gender, it's time to begin the nursery design! Unfortunately, Jon's man cave was a short-lived affair and will now become the new nursery. Because we recently painted and added board and batten in the room, we are going to keep that as the backdrop. The room is currently painted in Benjamin Moore's Charcoal Slate so to combat the dark hue, I'm going to add soft colors and textures to the space.

Several of the items from Auden's room will be moved over including the crib, crib bumper, floor lamp and rocker. And the dresser I'm going to use is a family piece that currently resides in our guest room. So the only items left to buy are a new crib skirt, curtains, rug, accessories and art.

Here's what I'm imagining at the present...

elegant vintage antique girl nursery by 3adesignstudio

I want the overall feel to be warm, sophisticated and cozy with lots of character.

SOURCES:
Crib-Tate Crib by Restoration Hardware Baby & Child (sold out)
Empire Rocker by NurseryWorks
Gray and White Pique Bumper
Rug-vintage from Etsy
Dresser-family piece
Crib Skirt-RHB&C
Flax Stripe Pillow (on final sale at RHB&C)
Vintage Brass Chandelier-Thrift store find from years ago
Floral Block Pillow-Williams-Sonoma Home (sold out)
Paint-Charcoal Slate by Benjamin Moore

So that's the plan for right now. What do you guys think?

November 14, 2014

Felt Ornaments, Holiday Decor Steals and A Nursery DIY

November 14, 2014/ Mallory

It's the most wonderful time of the year!...well close, anyway. I usually wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating the house for Christmas, but this year I already have the itch. Maybe it's because I have more time this year (last year we had a brand new baby that took all of our attention and I was lucky to have any decorations up). Or possibly it's because we won't be spending Thanksgiving at our home, so I'm all "Out the pumpkins, in with the pine!" Having a little one to enjoy all of the lights and sparkle is a incentive too...although it might make decorating a challenge with her little hands wanting to touch/pull on everything. Whatever the case may be, I'm ready for holly!

I was looking at Crate & Barrel's holiday outlet sale online the other day and found some really cute ornaments for really cheap... and y'all know I love a good deal! Specifically they had a good bit of felt ornaments (great for kids!) on sale. Felt ornaments are great for many reasons:

Family tree decor- With these you don't need a bare bottom tree in worry that the kids will break something
Mini trees in your kids' rooms- Again with them not being fragile, the kids can even play with them and even decorate the tree themselves
Gift wrapping- Finish off that cute wrapping job with a keepsake. Some of these are cheaper than the cost of a bow!
Nursery decor- Before you call me crazy, let me explain. How many of you have seen really cute felt/wool mobiles on Etsy that you loved but didn't like their price tag? Well with a simple embroidery hoop or dowels, string/twine and ornaments, you can make your own!

Here are a few felt ornament favorites as well as some other great steals I had to share!

Felt Pigs- .57 (orig. 3.95) // Loopy Owls-$1.97 (orig. 8.95) // Polar Bears-$2.47 (orig. 9.95) // Felt Garland-$2.47 (orig. 9.95) // Mercury Glass Polar Bears- .97 (orig. 4.95) // Set of 12 Red and Green Heirloom Ornaments-$9.95 (orig. 39.95) // Carved Wood Horse and Donkey- .57 each (orig. 3.95) // Set of 3 Neighborhood House Ornaments-$2.57 (orig. 9.95) // Linen Scallop Stocking-$4.97 (orig. 19.95)

If you weren't already in the mood for Christmas decor, I hope these adorable deals have you there now!

August 18, 2014

Amelia's Nursery Reveal

August 18, 2014/ Jessica Nguyen

I'm baaaack. Took some time off to enjoy my new little nugget, Amelia Skye. This little being has brought us so much joy. After almost thirteen years, I love being a new mom again.

The day we brought Amelia home, it was so neat to show her her room that I had put together while she was in my womb. I still have a few finishing touches but figured I would go ahead and show you.

If you recall this was the inspiration for the room. I wanted the room to be fun and yet classic at the same time. The room was designed around this sweet flamingo print by Bella and Bunny. Originally, I had planned on wallpapering the wall behind the crib. However, after considering the way the walls stagger and the small size of the room I decided against it since it would make the room feel more choppy. To serve as a soft backdrop, I chose Benjamin Moore's Classic Gray for the walls.

The inspirational glider was beautiful and came with a hefty price tag of over $1000. I was not sure how much I would use it. So, instead I found a vintage bentwood rocker with nice lines and painted it white. Well, Ty painted it :) Not bad for $45 and a couple cans of spray paint. It is pretty comfortable too.

With a lack of storage in mind (Amelia and I share the closet space), I chose this great crib with underneath storage from Target.com. The sheet is from Target.com as well. Pillows are a Tuesday Morning find. The blanket is a handmade gift from a friend along with the tassel garland. And the book ledges are from Ikea.

I created a cute little dressing valet for Amelia with these sweet little shelves from Land of Nod.

The original design included a starburst light fixture but I wanted something a little more girly. Came across this light fixture on a trip to Home Depot. Attached a tassel and got instant glam for about $100. At night it makes the most beautiful patterns on the ceiling and walls. The side table was another vintage find.

This little guy used to belonged to big sister. I sprayed painted an embroidery hoop and wrapped gold twine around it. Now he has a place to perch.

The painting is of Ty and I looking over Amelia. Ha! Just kidding. I know it is not the typical art you would find in a nursery but I love it! It has the Palm Springs vibe that I was going for. The pineapple print is by yours truly and the dresser was another vintage score. You can check a DIY I did on it here. The changing pad cover was a custom order from an Etsy store.

Though there are a couple items I would still like to get, overall I am happy with how the room turned out. Looking forward to creating many memories in here.

March 21, 2014

A Vintage Nursery for Twin Boys

March 21, 2014/ Mallory

Per usual, our hectic schedule has kept us from showing you a design project we completed months ago. We've designed several nurseries in the past, but this was our first for twins! Kristi from Atlanta contacted us about helping to finish off her adorable boys' nursery. This momma already had great taste but needed help making the finished product a sweet, vintage space just as she dreamed. She was super enjoyable to work with and was on board with everything we sent her way--a dream client!

Here's how the room looked when she contacted us:

We needed to work with some existing furnishings, wall color and chair rail. Our job was to tie everything together and bring in some new pieces to add color, interest and texture to make this space everything it could be. Here's what we suggested (click on image to enlarge):

We switched out the white blinds for bamboo shades for added warmth and texture, added in new fabrics and linens in pops of green and yellow and brought in new wall art and accessories to bring the room to life. For long wall, specifically, we suggested the collection of oars shown in the image above. Here's the elevation we sent Kristi to give you an idea on the size/scale.

Sometimes all a space needs is a few elements and switches to really make it what it could be. We were very happy with the outcome of the room and were so pleased that the client loved it too! If you have a room that you need help designing, whether it's a clean slate or just finishing touches, we'd love to help. Contact us for your E-Design needs.

March 07, 2014

Auden's Neutral Nursery

March 07, 2014/ Mallory

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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