Olivia Jo's Storybook Nursery

A Project For: Olivia Jo

Age: 19 months

Location: Los Angeles, California

Description:

We wanted our daughter to have a magical room that instilled a love of stories, including her own.

Design Inspiration:

A friend made us a book after our wedding that included many of the wedding toasts illustrated by a French artist he knew (Morgane David). We loved her illustrations and her take on our story (my husband proposed on the beach on a white horse dressed as a knight, and I had kissed a lot of frogs before meeting him)! So when we were planning our baby's room, we decided to feature those illustrations (and the artist did one more: the one centered above the crib that includes Olivia Jo)!

Decorating Style:

Stylish and modern with soft fabrics and streamlined but comfortable furniture.

Project Details:

I was originally drawn to this "Sweet Lambie Nursery" picture from a Pottery Barn Kids catalog -- the sleigh crib, the colors, the "sweet lambies" -- this image really spoke to me as I looked at pictures of nurseries, maybe because it seemed like a kid's room that was still beautiful and inviting for adults. So that was my goal. That and a sleigh crib. : )

ART:

These are custom decals! Even though we didn't have digitized versions of the illustrations, we scanned each one and sent the .pdfs to partystandups.com. It was only about $20 per decal, and they did a great job replicating the color and detail AND cutting them out!) The decals are easy to peel on and off the wall; I've moved them several times. You could do this with kids' art or with a photo or storybook illustrations, and it looks like it's painted on the wall! I did the 16" custom wall graphics:

http://www.partystandups.com/catalog/foot-inch-tall-custom-wall-graphic-p-835.html#.UCHu-ELdkgU

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DESIGNER:

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Kimberly Biehl Schmidt: www.designkbs.com

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SHOPPING GUIDE:

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Marlowe Sleigh Crib and Changing Table www.rhbabyandchild.com

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Seagrass Shelf Baskets www.rhbabyandchild.com

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Rug (discontinued?) but great selection from www.rhbabyandchild.com

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Glider and Ottoman: Dutailier

We decided on comfort over style for the glider and ottoman and in the end, got both! This glider seemed huge when we first put it in the room but we love it and our daughter loves it, and now I would say always choose comfort for your glider! My mom made the needlepoint for the pillow and then we used the same fabric as the drapes for the backing with a great little ribbon piping around it.

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Revolving Bookshelf: http://www.pbteen.com/products/revolving-bookcase

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Paint: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child eco-friendly interior latex paint in petal and toast (we did the ceiling, the wall behind the crib, and the inside of the closet in petal/pink so it wasn't too much pink).

http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/catalog/category/products.jsp?categoryId=rhbc_cat136012

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Victoria Side Table (no longer available from rhbabyandchild.com)

Favorite Items:

I love the "untitled" doormat by her crib. I am a writer and I bought that in London while I was still single. It used to be outside of my front door, since I felt like my story (and family) was still in progress. I love the idea of having it in the baby room because a baby is a work in progress and his/her story is just beginning. We still don't know who our little girl will become or what her life will be, so her story is still "untitled."

Advice:

Don't let your idea of what a nursery should be cloud your sense of style and taste! Make sure the room you create is a place you find restful and calming and magical because that's just as nice for you as it is for your little one!

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Olivia Jo’s Storybook Nursery

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