Today’s nursery eye candy comes to us from the uber talented Vanessa Antonelli, baby gear expert and nursery and playroom designer. Vanessa’s gorgeous room designs are always impressive, and she recently added this modern navy and gray nursery to her portfolio. Created for Angela Simmons’ new baby Sutton, you’ll love the uniqueness of the space—it’s graphic and glam, stylish and sophisticated, playful and perfect for the son of a trendsetting fashion designer and entrepreneur.
What inspired this nursery design?
Angela and Sutton both love modern design and art. As soon as I heard that, I knew that I needed to bring both into the space. While I was working on the design, I went to an event where they had an amazing art installation done by a tape artist. I was blown away by what could be done with talent and tape, and I was immediately inspired. I couldn’t wait to bring the idea to them because I knew they would love it.
Crib | Mattress | Ottoman | FLOR Tiles | Silver Toy Car
How did Angela’s personal style influence your design choices?
Angela is creative and artistic, and she is not afraid of color or to try new things. She likes statement items. Having her as a client was amazing because when I would say something that I knew other clients would think I was crazy for suggesting, she would say, “Yeah, I like that idea.” I wish everyone had her really fun sense of style.
Did you have any unexpected obstacles when creating this room? How did you overcome them or spin them to your advantage?
I’m so used to facing the eleventh hour challenge with most rooms that it was almost shocking that this space had no challenges. The unforgettable wrench in my perfect plan was that the baby decided to make his debut over a month early, and the room was still a few days from being finished. It was the first time in my career that I had a baby arrive prior to completion, so I panicked, but everything worked out perfectly. Plus, he got to be in the photos, which was really special, and I learned that with babies, there is no such thing as a “perfect plan.”
Accent Table | Glider | Dresser | Changing Pad | Curtain Rods | Crocodile Gray Wallpaper
Now that the room is complete, what was your favorite part of the process?
My favorite part is always seeing the finished result. Even though every part of the room is planned out in advance, there is still a moment of surprise seeing it come together off the screen. I also love placing the computer drawing and room photos side by side to see how close they look.
What do you and Angela love the most about the finished design?
When I design a space, it is completely for the client and based on their preferences, but this room is one of the closest I have ever done to my own personal style, so there is so much that I love about it. The custom tape art and Cookie Monster art are incredible, the clean lines and bright white of the dresser up against the croc print wallpaper is striking, the glider looks beautiful but is also a mother’s comfy dream, and I love the acrylic curtain rods (because I live for acrylic), the bold carpet tiles and the skateboard light fixture (more acrylic!). I named almost all of the room because I love it all.
Photography by Chris Veith Photography
