In the Nursery with Molly Fienning

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.

Babies wearing sunglasses…irresistibly fun! Meet this marketing mama, Molly Fienning, Co-Founder of Babiators. Babiators are the safe, durable and awesome aviators and sunglasses for the most fashionable babies and young children. The sunglasses are made out of flexible rubber frames, guaranteed against loss and coveted by celebrities and young hipsters across the globe including Sarah Jessica Parker, Neil Patrick Harris, Mariah Carey, Hilary Duff, Giuliana Rancic and more.

When she’s not producing awesome products, Molly spends her time with her husband, Ted, a fighter pilot, and little Sawyer, not yet two years old. We knew that with Molly’s style and creativity she just had to have an amazing nursery. Lucky for us, she shared her bright and playful space with us.

What was the inspiration behind Sawyer’s nursery?

As a young girl, I loved the Babar books by Jean de Brunhoff. I vividly remember reading them page by page—at home, on the go and at my school library. When my husband Ted and I learned we were pregnant, I found two French Babar posters, framed them and used them as the inspiration for the rest of the nursery. One of them, Babar En Avion, featured a red plane, which my husband particularly loved because he’s a pilot for the Marine Corps. The combination of old and new memories makes me so happy every time I see them.

Now that everything is beautifully placed, what is your favorite part of the room?

The baby who lives in it! Sawyer brings such energy and vibrancy to the sweet room. He is so curious—exploring and emptying every drawer, closet and corner (and then often “hiding” in those corners until he runs out giggling). I love being able to see the room we designed through his brand new eyes.

I’m sure everyone’s eyes are smiling when they visit his nursery. What is some of the feedback you’ve gotten from loved ones?

Friends comment on either the bright and colorful Babar prints or the gorgeous natural sunlight that the room’s large windows let in (one of the reasons we chose our apartment). The turquoise zebra print rug is another fan favorite.

So many of our readers strive in finding the balance between the nursery and the rest of the home. Any tips?

Sawyer’s nursery transitions well with our home since the nursery features a similar color palette to the rest of apartment—namely, grays, blues, beiges and whites with bright pops of color were added to make fun statements. Both the nursery and apartment are styled to embody our ideal balance of inviting and relaxed yet still elegant.

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.