Safari Mural in an Elegant Twin Girls' Nursery

On a hectic week in October, I received a call from the glamorous Patricia Tang, an expectant mother of twin girls and a powerhouse of NYC Real Estate and Interior Design. Patricia had a clear vision of how she wanted the space to look and was mid-process on the design of this very special nursery when we spoke. She met with me at her Soho loft to plan an epic custom mural piece. The moment I walked into her home, I could tell this was going to be a very special project. I jumped right in.

The inspiration for the work was based on a classic safari motif, although the treatment was anything but. The initial composition sketch below was used as a basic road map to follow.

I always work on scenic pieces from back to front—a technique I learned studying old school Disney animated films. The trick is to keep the things furthest away from the viewer very light, like the super pale mountains in the extreme background. The values of gray become more saturated on the elements of the mural that are supposed to appear closer in the foreground. This technique helps to create depth within the mural.

All of the flora and fauna was hand painted with painstaking detail using the finest quality zero-voc paints. No fumes allowed in my florals!

Patricia selected a pair of super chic white and lucite cribs—their transparency keeps much of the artwork visible through the pieces. The tonal organic bedding adds a smart pattern, remaining visually quiet in grayscale.

The original rustic wood beam from this loft’s former life as a factory glows warm in the cool color palette of the space. A modern crystal pendant floats in the space, weightless and light. The color palette of the space remains restrained with only the most subtle hues of blush appearing sparsely throughout the space.

Cribs | Rocker