In the Nursery with Shawna Gohel

This is our interview series where we bring you the nurseries and kid rooms of successful designers, entrepreneurs and moms. Through this series, our featured guests will divulge some of their design secrets and share stories of how their nurseries came to be.

Maharani Weddings, a San Francisco-based website, is a place for Indian brides to dream about their weddings. The editors search the globe to bring their readers the very best in Indian wedding design, ideas and inspiration. Creator Shawna Gohel tells us that Maharani means princess in Hindi, which is exactly how every woman should feel on her wedding day.

Shawna, new mom to baby Alexander, brings a touch of Maharani to everything she does. Whether it’s baking a special cake for her friends or shopping for lenghas (traditional Indian wedding gowns) with her sister-in-law, Shawna believes style should never be compromised. Her newest project, Alexander’s nursery, shows that when it comes to style, Shawna means business!

Did you bring elements of Indian culture into the nursery?

I chose to do an elephant theme nursery for Alexander since elephants are a symbol of the Hindu God, Ganesh, and are good luck for babies.

What’s your favorite part of the room?

Hands down my favorite detail of the room is the customized Ganesh painting my sister-in-law Rindha made for the nursery. I received the book Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth as a shower present from my dear friend Blair. Blair also gave Alexander my second favorite room item, the elephant rocker.

We were thrilled to hear you were a fan of Project Nursery before you started your design process. Did you look to the site for inspiration?

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was on Project Nursery and spent hours and hours looking through every page of the site! I love seeing what other moms do to make their rooms unique for their little ones. There were a handful of rooms that served as my inspiration, like Modern Cherry Blossom Nursery and Roman’s Room, and I tried to create a similar ambiance. From the arrival of the crib to the final finishing details, I had a great experience. It’s the only room that’s always tidy because I love it so much!

What kind of advice can you pass on to parents who are about to design their own nursery?

Designing your nursery is just like planning a wedding! I always tell brides the best way to make their wedding stand out is to infuse their personal details into their day, and that’s exactly what we did with the nursery. The three elephants are the logo from my bridal shower that my lovely friend Saman, of 2Create Designs, made especially for us. Those personal details are what make our nursery feel cheerful and cozy.

Do you know of a fantastic nursery or big kid’s room designed by a successful designer or business owner? Please send a photo of the room to Adrienne@ProjectNursery.com for consideration.