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

So your ceilings lack luster. They are 8 ft (maybe?) and have no architectural interest. When the magazines push glam chandeliers and cool pendant lighting, you must be thinking “Come on people! I need a quick fix for a regular ceiling fixture my husband’s head won’t hit!” Yes, you called for it, the “Ceiling Light”! Boring, right? Well, maybe not so much these days according to Shades of Light…

Who doesn’t love Jonathan Adler? One of his more reasonable treats at $188 is the geometric overlay on top of frosted white glass. Comes in both bronze and polished nickel. Wouldn’t it look sharp over that mod Dwell baby bedding?

Paint it and make it your own! What kid wouldn’t like to gaze at the stars - lights on or off. This simple ceramic piece is low to the ceiling and adds a touch of whimsy without being wacky.

The Monravian Star but fixed to the ceiling. It’s just glorious, don’t you think?

And my new favorite because I just saw it for the first time: True Colors Ceiling Light. Use this in the playroom or kids bathroom. That extra band of today’s popular colors adds a splash of excitement.

Tags: Ceiling Light, Lighting

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

Yes, you heard correct. I spent $36 dollars on my nursery chandelier…no joke. And, it’s amazing so I had to share…

Here’s the situation: The remodeling of our bedrooms are nearly complete. It’s crunch time and the electrician was wiring the house.  After scouring amazing sites such as Y Lighting, Circa Lighting, Lighting Universe and Horchow, I was under the gun to choose a lighting fixture for my son’s nursery that would arrive in 2-3 business days.  It was to be a fixture that was contemporary, gender neutral and unique. While I longed for a stunning sparkly chandelier, this was my boy’s room after all (for the time being anyway), and I simply couldn’t go there. I then figured $36 dollars would be a temporary spend until I found the pendant light of my dreams. Here’s when Urban Outfitters‘ 3-D modern non-chandelier, chandelier came into play.

Okay, so a cord kit and “Edison” bulb are additional. But all in all, worth it.  And while I mention this fun find, I will also mention the completion (base board & solid mohagany floors) of my nursery “Modern Baby Blue” that inspired our blog gig! 

Tags: Blue, Chandeliers, Inspire, Lighting, Modern