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

Over-The-Top big time and we mean it as a total compliment…

Gold never looked so glorious in baby’s room. Simply gorgeous and dreamy. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish so I couldn’t tell you what this article from the super cool Decopeques site is telling us. But the picture is too lovely for words.

Looking for something a bit more kid-friendly? Step it up a notch and contact Kidtroplis creators of OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD! children’s rooms.

These photos are just the beginning. Now click their link and take a moment to “Ooh” and “Ahhh” at all of their design projects but don’t forget to come back to Project Nursery for more inspiring room designs!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Designers, Play Rooms, Toddler Rooms

A company that has sold over 6.5 million stamp sets certainly knows a thing or two about creativity. That is why we were excited to hear about new ways to easily spruce up the nursery on your own, without a ton of work. Melisa announced yesterday that we are dedicating this week to some of these crafty ideas from our friends at Stampin’ Up! Today we are featuring a stylish and fun circles wall border from Stampin’ Up’s! Decor Elements line. These self-adhesive vinyl art products can be used on walls, mirrors, windows and other smooth surfaces.

Now, I realize this DIY project looks like it would take hours and require absolute concentration. Un-interupted decorating time is hard to come by at my house so quick and easy are important. Really, these decals are not only easy to apply but leave a lot of room to create your own unique border using the luscious layers of circles. If you don’t believe me, check out the step-by-step instructions. And don’t fear, if you need to change the room down the road the decals come off the wall quickly. Simple to apply and a decor element that is non-committal!. The experts at Stampin’ Up! put it best when they said, “Whether you want to spice up the walls of your home or frame a home décor piece for display, Décor Elements is easy to apply, easy to love, and easy to remove. Tomorrow you will meet a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, in the meantime you can purchase these cool decals online.

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Stampin', Wall Decals

Opening mail can be a total chore, especially when there are no party invites, sample sale notices or magazines in the bunch. But, I have to admit that I got a genuine rush today when I received the latest Serena and Lily catalog. I’m sure most of you received it as well so let’s go over a few things together, shall we?

They have added over 200 new products to their extensive line of nursery and children’s furniture and decor. Since I’m always based in the kitchen at home, I want the kids to play and hang out in the adjacent kitchen nook (so I can keep my eyes on them because when its silent and I’m not by their sides, I know there is mischief going on).  I’ve been looking for cute and practical seating options for them in an effort to make it more comfortable. The little square chairs by S&L would be a perfect fix and so portable. I like the orange piping with the turquoise basket weave print.

With a name like the Everyday Bin, who couldn’t find a use for them? Perfect for organizing the endless amounts of art table supplies: pens, paper, stickers etc.  But I think the first thing I really need is the new splat mat. My son is now insisting on using a fork at meals, just like big sister, and my poor floor is really taking a beating.

I think I’ll leave Serena and Lily’s new bedding collections for another post but don’t miss out on their adorable white bird lamp. Gender neutral and serene. I love the white on white and lucite base too. Lastly, check out the new Serena and Lily blog. They have featured an amazing nursery that is definitely worth a look.

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Play Rooms, Storage, Table Lamps

If this nursery hasn’t inspired you just yet, keep reading. It’s hard not to be impressed by the creativity, love and attention to detail Rebecca has put into creating her son Brandt’s designer digs for less than $1000!

When it comes to designing a blank canvas, Project Nursery often recommends a single jumping off point. Rebecca’s inspiration for baby’s first room was Land of Nod’s contemporary quilted crib bedding, Full Circle. Prints from Yuko Lau found at Allposters.com nicely compliment the bedding and provides a touch of whimsy.  Rebecca explains that her biggest challenge was finding a white crib that wasn’t too feminine or traditional. The discovery of Babi Italia’s Scandi Dropside Crib in chocolate and white from Babies R Us was the ideal find. We just love how Rebecca chose to carry the same look throughout the room with the other pieces.

At 7 months pregnant, Rebecca created the focal wall behind the crib with hip squares of color. “The blocks were created by using 1.75″ painters tape for the grid and are approx 24″x24″. The color palette came directly from the bedding and art. I used Behr paint from Home Depot (3 shades of blue - Euclayptus Leaf, Adriatic Mist, and a medium
shade between the two that was a custom color; 2 shades of green- Dried Palm and Corn Husk and 1 brown- Breakfast Blend”.

Now here’s where Rebecca’s the inner Martha Stewart really kicks in…

“The scalloped paint design above the changing table was created by tracing half of a paper plate and then painting the outline by hand. The dresser came from an old armoire base I had. I added a fresh coat of white paint and brushed nickel hardware. To turn it into a changing table, I purchased the chocolate wood changing top from Pottery Barn Kids. The window panels are made from aqua colored twin sheets; I added the 24″ strip of white fabric and then embellished them with coordinating ribbon. I would have to say that my favorite item would have to be my window panels….only because I made them. I was working as a designer and was surrounded by fabrics that were awesome and about $100/yard or more so to be able to make my own that coordinated so well for about $12.00 per panel, I was really excited!”

Finally, the chair, shelves, picture frames, and paper lanterns are from Ikea and the Star Shaggy Raggy Rugs came from Target!

Bravo Rebecca, you should be really very proud of the cool, contemporary and creative nursery you created. Thanks for giving us the scoop!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Bedding, Boy, Drapes, Furniture, Inspiration, Paint, Window Treatments

Trouble viewing? Here’s the link…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtmZxakDFwE

Send us your videos, photos, questions and room details to melisa{at}littleappledesign{dot}com. We look forward to “seeing” you!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Inspiration, Play Rooms, PNTV, Toddler Rooms, Videos

Congrats to blogging friends Tiny Decor for launching their entirely eco-friendly boutique this month! Tiny Decor promotes “naturally modern” nurseries and they do so with great style and fresh designs. What better way to kick off your eco-friendly nursery or playroom with inspiration boards from their Nursery Design Guide created by owner and designer, Jackie Hernandez.  The beauty of the boards goes beyond it’s modern design…All of the items featured maybe purchased directly from Tiny Decor for one stop shop convenience!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Eco-Friendly, Furniture, Playroom, Toddler Rooms

We were so pleased that Elizabeth Brantely, former TV and film production designer and all around dynamo mom, shared her daughter Trixie’s nursery with us. The nursery has a vintage elegance which makes sense considering its inspiration came from a place rich in history: family heirlooms. Many of the elements in the nursery are items from Elizabeth’s great-grandparents. Elizabeth and her husband Steve had a tall order when they set out to remodel the room designated to be the nursery in their 1916 bungalow. After the initial floor work and painting (a color called “Pinkish”) was complete, Elizabeth’s vision was a room centered around three important pieces: a painted chest of drawers, a set of vintage cabbage rose curtains and a rescued iron chandelier. These pieces had sentimental meaning to Brantley and it was important for her to be able to reuse things she loved rather than purchase everything new.

The nursery was a labor of love for the couple and they quickly became dedicated to creating a sweet and cozy (but not too frilly) place for their daughter to also love. Great-grandma’s rose curtains were hung in place of a sliding closet door and Simply Shabby Chic curtains were added to the windows. Instead of a glider, Elizabeth chose to use a mission rocking chair with a handmade needlepoint pillow. The crib linens are a variety of prints by Amy Coe.

The art is where this nursery really gets personal. Did we mention that Elizabeth has her own online shop, Kistner Supply, which features a new product line, Mother Stork’s Baby Art? Two of these prints hang over Trixie’s crib along with her mother’s baby quilt. In addition, Elizabeth hung framed silhouettes of she and her husband as children and shadow boxes which display bonnets from three generations of Brantely women. So smart! Also, don’t miss Kistner Supply’s Cashmere Chime Balls. They are just adorable! A big thank you goes out to Elizabeth for sharing Trixie’s beautiful and sweet nursery filled with wonderful family history. And if you want to read more about Elizabeth, Steve and Trixie’s lovely home, check out the entire home tour on our friend Cookie’s blog.

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Lighting, Vintage, Wall Art

It was the end of an era at Yankee Stadium tonight. I am not the world’s biggest baseball fan by any means (my father-in-law Zack, my husband Josh and inherently my son Austin, certainly are) yet I couldn’t help become emotional as the players rounded the historic stadium with glee while Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” repeated itself (18 times over). It was their last Yankees game ever in that stadium since 1923. Derek Jeter summed up the evening best when he said, “We have pride, tradition, and most of all, the world’s GREATEST fans in the world!” So let me introduce you to some of those fans: The Carrigan Family.

What would you do if you husband said, “I want the nursery to be a sports theme!”.  Here’s Megan’s gracious response & explaination, ”I am not really into themed rooms, but my husband had his heart set on a Yankee nursery so we met in the middle, drew up pictures of simple ideas and came up with this.” Way to mitigate Megan! Themed rooms can be risky but your contemporary twist (and the fact that Pam and I heart the Yankees from our NYC good ole days) is a home run!!! 

Megan purchased the lanterns, rugs, storage bins, polka dot fabric and curtains from IKEA. The piggy bank, red & black bins, hurricane glass containers are from Target. Even the vintage baseball baskets were leftover from Easter ($0.75 each on clearance) are a la Target. The frames were a find from Goodwill and spray painted red. And what baseball themed room wouldn’t be complete without baseballs from Sports Authority?!

As for artwork, Megan ordered vintage Yankees posters on ebay and cut out photos from an old Yankee calendar. The bulletin board was created from leftover wallpaper and chair discovered on Craigs list. All the Yankee memorobillia was a lovely gift from her mother-in-law. Megan worked extra hard to paint and transform peices to match with the Yankee color theme. Her favorite part of the room are the old baby books from when she was a baby.  And Project Nursery exclaims, “Kudos to the vintage items with the modern IKEA accessories that give the room an excellent blend and eclectic feel!”

Yankee fan Dad should be very proud of baby Sonny and MOMMY!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Baseball, Boy, Inspiration

Consider us trendy! Well, The Trendy Mommy says we are, so we must be! Congrats to Jen Reiter and the TM team for launching their new site this month. The Trendy Mommy is a source of information for moms and moms-to-be on everything from great products to decorating inspiration and party planning tips to weekend guides. Pam and I were delighted to be featured and happy to be able to share current nursery trends and tips with the The Trendy Mommy reader. Here’s a peak…

1.       Start small. Designing a nursery can be overwhelming. Start with a favorite piece of anything as your inspiration or jumping off point and design around it. Whether it be your ideal crib bedding or something as small and as simple as a meaningful piece of art.

2.       Always add an area rug to finish the room even if the room has wall to wall carpet. Nothing is sweeter than a small, fluffy, white sheepskin rug for tummy time.

3.       Complete the room with proper window treatments. While a little valance is cute, try window panels. It will add a bold design presence and make the room look and feel taller…

Want to check out the rest of our top nursery tips? Read more here. Best of Luck TM!!!

Tags: Baby Nurseries, Tips