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Eloise’s Colorful Nursery

Description

We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl so we set out to plan a nursery that kept all the larger design elements neutral and allowed us to bring in lots of colour through accessories and art once we met the baby. We happily had a baby girl and have since had lots of fun personalizing her room for her. The focus has been on colour, handmade elements and a few items that have been passed down to her from generations past. All in all it's a cheerful room that we hope she'll be happy with for the next few years.

Design Inspiration

We really wanted the space to be modern and simple so that we wouldn't have to make any major changes as she gets older. Because the walls are white and the furniture is simple in colour and pattern, there's lots of room for personalization as we get to know her better.

Decorating Style

If you look around our house you see a good mix of antique pieces and contemporary elements. We've tried to keep all the rooms in our home bright and cheerful - I'm pretty attached to white walls and colourful art - except in our bedroom which is dark and brooding! I would love to have all our beautiful things that we've collected over the years on display throughout our home, but with a toddler and a new baby, I've come to realize that I'd rather they have space to play and be kids so we're trying to make the space as kid-friendly as possible. The precious items can come out in a few years when they calm down!

Project Details

This room is a mix of DIYs and vintage pieces with the odd store-bought item thrown in there.

The crib was Eloise's big bro's but we painted it a pale blue to contrast the white walls. The rug is from West Elm from a few years ago. The armchair belonged to Ellie's great-great grandmother, the bookshelf was left in our house by the previous owners, and the dresser belonged to my husband's grandfather.

The letter 'E' was bought at Anthropologie as were the knobs on the bookshelf doors. The animal photos were bought from The Animal Print Shop - an amazing source for beautiful photographs. The cushion on the armchair was found at HomeSense and the side table was a wedding gift. The three prints hanging above the chair were found on Etsy and Art.com.

The feather print was a DIY as were the geometric paintings next to the window. The pouf and the roller shade were also DIYs. I made the mobile for my son a few years ago but it seemed to work in her room too so it's another of the many hand-me-downs she's been given from him. More information on how they were done can be found at www.lovelyshelter.com

Favorite Items

I love the combination of colours in the corner by the window. I love the cushion on the chair and the polka dot pouf and the bright art. It's a happy corner and I love that I can sit there with my girl and have some quiet moments.

Advice

Don't take it too seriously. It's a room for kids and should be fun and cheerful.

Maralee

Monday 30th of September 2013

I would love to see a tutorial on how you did the roller shade!

Frauline

Wednesday 7th of August 2013

I love the prints and the photos and I like how the DIY bird mobile has those imperfect but charming fabric birds. Every element came together perfectly and contributed to one lovely picture.

Sara Wetmore

Wednesday 7th of August 2013

Wow! Thanks so much for the compliments to the room. You made my day!

AlphaBino

Monday 5th of August 2013

I love this white and colour pop scheme. And so second your advice about keeping it fun and cheerful!

Sara Wetmore

Wednesday 7th of August 2013

You never know when the day will come that they'll say they want to paint the room black with blue lightbulbs. I'm keeping their room light and bright while I have control! Thanks for the comments!