Black and White in the City

I truly love living in Manhattan, and one thing I’ve learned is that what New Yorkers sometimes lack in square footage they make up for with ingenuity, fun and style—in this case, lots and lots of style!

This modern black and white nursery is within a sprawling, loft-like two bedroom apartment on the glittering Upper East Side. Our studio designed the interiors for the entire space with a modern, luxe, pop art inspired aesthetic. When baby number two was on his way, the space was short one bedroom, and all eyes went to the open-concept dining room. With the construction of one wall and a door, the dining room space became the spot for a very chic nursery.

Modern Black and White Nursery

One of the walls in the living room is covered in textured vinyl grasscloth from Innovations, and we brought the same golden copper wall covering into the nursery as a feature wall. This wall covering visually links to the living room, making the transition from room to room flow smoothly. The Nursery Works Vetro crib is a showstopper against the rich metallic wall. And here’s a fun fact—this clear crib was also the choice of Kim Kardashian for North West and Beyonce for Blue Ivy.

Modern Black and White Nursery

Storage is key in any space, but in NYC, it is essential so a space can stay clean and uncluttered. One entire wall of the nursery is devoted to massive amounts of closed storage with adjustable deep shelving to accommodate a ton of toys. A horizontal space in the center of the unit was left open with the back painted black, making the decor display pop.

Modern Black and White Nursery Storage

This client is super fashion-forward and loves modern art, so in our design studio, we made her a Jackson Pollock inspired painting utilizing pretty much every color in the rainbow. It took about 20 layers of paint to achieve a rice textured surface with depth and dimension. Pieces like this take more time then one would think, but the result is really spectacular. The artwork sits above a built-in unit, the center of which is the changing table with plenty of drawer space below for diapers and supplies. I LOVE how the graphic rug reflects on the glossy surface of the dresser.

Modern Black and White Nursery

A graphic black and white area rug gives the entire space a visual rhythm that looks super chic and is stimulating to babies’ young eyes. I had custom tie-dyed sheets made in a couple of monochromatic color tones, and the soft, bohemian and organic pattern of the tie dye really complements the graphic black and white print. A second wall was used for some statement-making custom built-in cabinetry.  We alternated black and white high gloss lacquer to create a larger scale pattern, and the glossy, mirror-like finish reflects the exciting street scene outside while providing ample closet space.

Modern Black and White Nursery

This project was super fun to work on thanks to a client who is very fashion-forward and stylish. The black and white trend is definitely here to stay—it is sharp, clean and works well in modern or vintage looks. Are you on board with this chic trend?

Sam Simon

Sam Simon

Sam Simon is an artist and designer living in NYC who creates beautiful murals and hand painted children's rooms. His beloved work and very recognizable aesthetic is influenced by mid-century picture books, Japanese super-cute aesthetic, French and American Art Deco, and Liberace's capes!
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