The title of my post is a complete contradiction, yet after discovering this charming inspiration board that uses Ikea accessories, retro chairs and vintage elephant framed art, it makes perfect sense!

Jenny created this beautiful inspiration board to inspire her dear friend Anna. Anna recently moved into a new home and needed to come up with a design for her children’s shared (boy/girl) nursery. Jenny must be a super friend because she even spied cool chairs from Anna’s local craigslist - mind you Anna lives in a different city! You can learn more about the gender-neutral details (from fabric to ricrac) and Jenny by visiting her darling decor blog Little Green Notebook.

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Design Boards, Gender Neutral, Twins

Manhattan based mom-to-be Tamra recently reached out to us via our Share Forum and asked for our help in dreaming up the ideal nursery for her son who is due this fall. We were happy to help out and give Tamra extra kudos for being part of the Project Nursery community.

Although Tamra knew she was having a boy, she wanted to keep the nursery colors soft and neutral just like the paint color she loved, “Breath of Fresh Air” by Benjamin Moore. While life in the Big Apple is full of fast city energy, the nursery needs to be soothing and peaceful. Amen! Tamra had already picked out a few key items and just needed help fine tuning the room. Her picks included crib bedding by Junior Q Collection, featuring sky blue elephants and a geometric pale yellow tile print, and the Amy Coe Westport crib and dresser from Babies R’ Us. With these items in place it was a cinch for us to pull together a stunning inspiration board for you Tamra (if we don’t say so ourselves). We hope you like our additions and just request that you send us photos when the room is complete!

Junior’s Nursery Recs:

1.Deco Pendant Lighting - Design Public
2.Benjamin Moore “Breath of Fresh Air” - Paint*
3. Wallter Circles Wall Application - Design Public
4. Resin Side Table - West Elm
5. Q Collection Junior Celestial Palace - Crib Set*
6. My Pal, The Elephant - Wall Art
7. FLOR Walking on Clouds Collection - Floor Covering/Rug
8. P’kolino Clothes Tree at Sparkability - Storage
9. Amy Coe Westport - Crib & Dresser at Toys R Us*

Tags: Bedding, Blue, Coat Rack, Contemporary, Cribs, Inspiration, Lighting, Wall Art

Loyal Project Nursery reader Tammy requested some design inspiration geared toward a safari-jungle theme for her future cub. Tammy describes her style as “Transitional”: Contemporary meets traditional. She wants an eclectic feel with warm earthy tones. Mom has already selected baby’s bedding with a jungle theme and fun, plush fabrics. The walls are tan and baby’s furniture is a natural finish. And Oh yeah! She’s not finding out the sex of the baby!!!

Themes…hmmm…we admit, we have mixed emotions about themed rooms. It’s waaay too easy to go overboard. So then, how to create a fun, vibrant theme for your child’s room without going O.T.T.? We are roaring to share what we at Little Apple Design came up with…

Our picks:

1. Mom’s inspiration: Beautiful Wild Safari crib bedding and rich textures (including ”Minky“) from Carousel Designs.

2. Something bright and jungle like: These Abaca Pendant Lights add a contemporary, earthy feel. Already have a ceiling fixture? Hang these in a cluster just above your rocker. While West Elm doesn’t necessary sell kid furniture, they are a great resource for cool kid design that your little one can grow into.

3. Such a popular pic from the Flickr Pool. What a great idea as an alternative to the common wooden wall letters above the crib. Collect nature from your backyard and bring it inside with homemade art.

4. Yes, another West Elm find but check out the amazing, subtle design of these Canterbury window panels close up. Natural Cream is a clean look and won’t clash with the crib bedding.

5. A 5-foot tall Giraffe by Melissa & Doug is what every child needs to complete their wild safari themed room. This would make an excellent baby gift (Hint, hint).

6. Monkey Tree Mobile found at Modern Tots adds some whimsy and imagination above the crib OR above the changing table.

7. Okay, so mom and dad want a comfy chair that reclines AND glides without spending a fortune. Go Dutailier at CNS baby. I know it’s sooo nursery but you’ll like it and if you have more kids you’ll get great use out of it. Take the lead from Becoming-Mom and throw a fluffy sheep skin over it to cozy it up and prevent fabric damage.

8. A shag rug is a must. How much fun will tummy time be in shag!

9. And our personal favorite! Wall decals by Elly Nelly found at Fawn & Forest. They don’t have to be clustered or take up the whole wall. Instead they can be used as a border across one wall or even better, spruce up a piece of furniture. Remember, they can be easily removed when your theme changes.

Tags: Gender Neutral, Inspiration, Safari

We were honored when asked to guest blog at A List Baby, a site obsessed with all things exquisite for baby and celebrity child style. The Task: Create a room for Hollywood’s newest A-list twins, Vivienne & Knox Jolie-Pitt. I mean seriously…Out of all the celebrity offspring to choose from, could we have chosen a family with more interests, style, diversity and homes around the globe? Probably not. So that’s why it was great fun to create not one but two inspiration boards:

For complete board details and to read our full post, check out our articles on A List Baby!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Celebrities, Inspiration