In the Nursery with Chantal Villanueva

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.

Chantal Villanueva has an exquisite eye for design, and we love to follow her blog Beau Lifestyle. Busy mom and CEO of her own original and practical toy distribution company in Spain, Tallytate, Chantal was kind enough to share the blue and white nursery she designed for her son Matteo.

Chantal, will you tell us about Matteo’s room?

Matteo’s room is one of the biggest rooms of our apartment; it used to be the former living room. I turned a self-designed desk that was already in the room to a changing station and closet and then added the other needed furniture. I love the vintage parrot lamp, two vintage elephant book stands and the French globe. They all give a whimsical feel. I used a light blue color on one wall only, as I wanted to create a peaceful room. Above Matteo’s Leander crib are three pretty animal pictures from Sharon Montrose. The brown curtains were also there before it became a nursery. I decided to add a white ribbon trim to it so it fits the room.

What was the most important thing you wanted to achieve when creating this space?

The room needed to be cozy and practical for a newborn baby and also be useful as the baby grows up. I tried to stay away from classical frilly fabrics and laces as it’s cute for a newborn, but they grow out of that so fast. Invest in good quality furniture. The crib we bought can be changed and extended into a child’s bed.

As a design enthusiast and successful home designer, what can you recommend to parents about to start their own nursery? 

Don’t wait to start decorating the nursery until the last moment. The little armchair I bought even before I was pregnant. Start a collection as you come across little treasures. For me, it was  a joy to start early so everything was finished before giving birth. The feeling of a finished nursery gives you a relaxed feeling in a hectic time.

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.