In the Nursery with Lauren Deneroff

This is our interview series where we bring you the nurseries and kid rooms of successful designers, entrepreneurs and moms. Through this series, our featured guests will divulge some of their design secrets and share stories of how their nurseries came to be.

We’re excited to share this reveal with you because it’s a wonderful example of what you can do to maximize space when creating a shared room. Lauren Deneroff is a mom of two and founder of mama{love}, a maternity consulting and baby planning firm on New York City’s Upper East Side. The newly revamped mama{love} offers pre- and post-natal services, including new parent coaching, registry guidance, nursery design and preparation, baby gear education and organizational services. She loves using her knowledge and experience to take the stress off of moms and help them get organized and prepared.

Lauren used those skills when it came to combining sleep space for her own children. New York City homes are known for their limited square footage, but Lauren was up for the challenge.

Tell us about your process in creating your nursery/toddler room and how your career helped!

I enjoyed playing interior designer. As a maternity consultant, I work with expectant moms in helping them prepare for their baby’s arrival. One service is helping moms set up the nursery of their dreams by getting it organized and functional. The actual look of the nursery lies on the shoulders of the professionals. In my case, the space was entirely my creation top to bottom. I envisioned a peaceful, happy, modern space for my kids to share and tirelessly researched how to make that happen despite the room’s restrictions. Every item I incorporated from the bedding to the wall art to the rug was planned down to the centimeter. I loved seeing it all come together.

Was this Brody’s nursery before Harper came along?

Yes, when he was born, it was his nursery and fit everything he needed. When Harper came along two years later, I had to get creative to fit her in there as well. I chose a toddler over a twin bed for Brody, which helped save space. I kept the changing table in our bedroom. Every other inch I devoted to storage. I had so many ideas and had to cram them all in without overwhelming the room. 

On top of working with a small space, you also had to create a room that’s boy and girl friendly. Will you tell us about that?

The most important thing for me was creating a gender-neutral shared space. I am not really a pink and blue kind of girl, so it was difficult to find a gender-neutral palette that I loved. When I came across Argington’s Fish & Pebbles bedding that could work for both genders, it all began to come together. I think the room is an example that you can create a great space for a boy and a girl with fun, bright hues, modern clean lines and unique accents.

What’s the best thing you can recommend to other parents working with small spaces?

Don’t look at a lack of square footage as a roadblock but an opportunity to be creative. If you are in a situation like mine, do your research on sites like Project Nursery and get inspired. Anything can be done with a unique vision.

Photo Credits: Jane & Pam Grecsek Photography

Do you know of a fantastic nursery or big kid’s room designed by a successful designer or business owner? Please send a photo of the room to Adrienne@ProjectNursery.com for consideration.