Life’s a Beach: Nursery Accessories

Growing up in Massachusetts, my summer vacation was always in Cape Cod. My mother would pile my two sisters and me in the wood-paneled Plymouth Volare station wagon, and we’d head down to the famed arm-shaped peninsula. Thinking of these trips to the Cape with my mother and sisters always makes me happy. Right now as I type this post, I’m in my weekly rental on my yearly summer trip to my beloved Cape Cod, and I thought it would be fun to look at ways to bring the beach into the nursery. Take a gander at the treasures I uncovered below.

Many hours were spent hunting for seashells, or the rare find—a piece of silken, tumbled sea glass. I would always imagine where these tiny pieces of glass came from; maybe they were from old pirate ships or foreign lands! This sea glass lamp has that smooth, almost powdery texture that I love about sea glass. Its shape is elegant, and the color is a magical, oceanic green-blue.


This amazing white coral chandelier is a great statement piece for a beach-themed nursery. The great thing about this light fixture is it can easily be moved into other areas of the home.

I was blown away to find these striking sea shell and jelly fish prints on the real treasure chest of Etsy! Alganet is a wonderful online shop that has a myriad of amazing sea life prints in a dazzling array of colors. Their prices are wonderful—the examples below are each under $14. I would do a collage of six of them hung in a grid over a crib as a very chic focal point.

The luster of these mother of pearl picture frames is rich and gorgeous; the border is made up of strands of tiny seed pearls. These are perfect for those seaside snapshots of your little treasure.

These needlepoint sailboat slippers are so charming. In fact, if they came in my size I’d wear them! They also come in crab and lobster designs.

This aquamarine sand dollar rug makes my mind wander to the ocean. The organic placement of the sand dollar motifs gives this piece a visual softness.

A baby dressed as a starfish, I mean COME ON! I just can’t handle the cuteness of this piece! Baby can get cozy in this super soft fleece starfish baby wrap from across the pond. Yes, once again, if it were in my size, I’d be in this, however the star point on the left would have to be snipped off, allowing me to hold a piña colada in my hot little hand.

Before I throw on my bathing suit and giant sunglasses and head to Race Point Beach in Provincetown, let me leave you with a couple words of advice. Wait 30 minutes to swim after eating, always reapply sunblock, and enjoy every minute of these golden summertime moments. The tide turns way too quickly.

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!

Comments

  1. Melisa

    July 3, 2012

    You have me now dreaming of a beach-y nursery from the Hamptons! How timely. And that starfish baby blanket is just too much. Enjoy some time off Sam. – M

  2. Pam

    July 3, 2012

    Love these beach picks Sam. I have a white coral chandelier in my breakfast nook and always enjoy looking at it.

  3. Zen

    July 3, 2012

    I have always wanted to visit Cape Cod! Maybe someday soon. That sea glass lamp is just so gorgeous! I really like the color. I am not really fond of shells, though.

  4. Sam Simon

    July 5, 2012

    Melisa,

    Thank you so much Melisa! Hope you have a great time in the Hamptons!! xoxosam

    Melisa,

  5. Sam Simon

    July 5, 2012

    Oooh! two of my favorite things in ONE comment! Chandeliers, and BREAKFAST! I bet your house is super chic! Thank you for the kind words!

    xoxosam

    Pam,

  6. Sam Simon

    July 5, 2012

    Zen,

    Hi Zen! Thank you for your comment, I love that sea glass lamp too! The color is just magic! Cape Cod is beautiful! I’ve been going there since I was born! xoxosam

  7. Tasha Cune

    July 6, 2012

    Awww, the baby in the fleece starfish baby wrap is too cute and cuddly for words! I like decors with shells as theme or materials, too, but my mom is such traditional/conservative Asian and they believe seashells bring bad luck. As to why, I just cannot remember. All I know is that if she sees it, she’s gonna take it with her and throw it in the trash as soon as she gets home.

  8. Martinique

    July 7, 2012

    Hi Sam: I think that that chandelier is just lovely. But I do have a question, wouldn’t it look creepy if you repaint it in darker or earth colors? I just don’t think that it’d go well with the colors I have now in *my* room (I’m going to have to admit that it’s going to be in *my* room!)

  9. Sam Simon

    July 8, 2012

    Tasha Cune,

    Hi Tasha! Thank you so much for the nice comment on the starfish baby wrap! It is ADORABLE! I have to say, I’ve been in the nursery design business for 16 years and I thought I heard every superstition by now! You just schooled me! I wonder what the origin of that one is- any idea? Well-luckily there are so many design motifs to work with that if shells might raise a controversy with Mom, maybe choose something else- like seahorses, or geometrics. Good luck! I’d love to hear what you decide upon. xosamsimon

  10. Sam Simon

    July 8, 2012

    Martinique,

    Hi Martinique! What a lovely name you have! So pretty! OK so on to your question-

    Q: would it look creepy to paint the chandelier in a darker color or earth tones?

    My opinion: I think it depends on the color and the space. I could see if you painted in charcoal grey or black it might be a bit spidery…. but if you painted it a rich coral orange, or metallic gold it could look stunning! Question for you, why would you have to paint it at all? I think the creamy white color it is could work beautifully with most color schemes. Hit me back and let me know what you end up doing! I love to hear updates! xoxosamsimon

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may also like

Each spring, Architectural Digest hosts the world’s leading brands in every product category in home design. It’s always a fun show that shows off large brands as well as tiny new brands, like the ones we shined a light on. […]

Whale Mobile

It’s officially summer, and my mind is at the beach. Here are a few ways to have a taste of that summertime feeling in your nursery year round. […]

Quartz It Is Wallpaper

We are entering one of my favorite times of the year, design trade show season! The Architectural Digest Show grows larger and more impressive each year. It’s an opportunity to meet vendors directly, as well as spot new trends and be introduced to new design resources. […]