Description
When we found out we were expecting our first child we wanted to be surprised about the baby’s gender, but not about the design of the nursery. We knew we didn’t want frills or footballs, rather a place that was what we consider calming and relaxing – for our baby and for us. We picked gender neutral colors and fabrics, and after 'she' arrived added girl touches throughout the room. A good friend, Heather Safferstone, is a local designer and helped us pair down our ideas. She encouraged us to choose things for the room that would work as a nursery but also as our baby grew older and the uses of the room evolved.
Design Inspiration
We had a fun starting point. A painting by D.C. artist Julie Wolfe (www.juliewolfedesign.com). We love her work and there was something about this particular painting that spoke to us. After our daughter arrived it was interesting to watch her stare at something so visually stimulating, and exciting to think about how one day she’ll point out the colors on her own to us.
Decorating Style
Light, airy, new & old, with a mix of tone-on-tone and bold colors.
Project Details
We combined antique touches like vintage letterpress ABC’s we found at the Eastern Market, a sweater my mom knit after our daughter was born, and funky drawer knobs, with modern furnishings like the crib and glider. We chose light colored fabrics in easy to clean materials for the glider and the rug. Our goal was a "BlackBerry-free zone" … a place that’s calm and peaceful.
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Oeuf Crib, Sparrow collection in birch, www.oeufnyc.com
Monte, Luca Glider in stone microfibre, www.pinkandbrownboutique.com
Kendall Extra-Wide Dresser, Pottery Barn Kids and Drawer Hardware, Anthropology, www.potterybarnkids.com, www.anthropology.com
Meringue Pendant lamp, Bella Modern, www.bellamodern.com
Rug, Lexington Butter
Wall color, Waterbury Cream, Benjamin Moore
Window fabric panels, Duralee Wellington Solid Cotton Canvas in Blush and Pink Lemonade
Favorite Items
The painting reminds us of a special time and a new beginning. I also love the meringue pendant lamp. Probably because I was craving sweets throughout the pregnancy. Actually, that continues to this day!
Advice
Think about what will be interesting and fun for a baby, but also what you like and need. A glider is helpful and practical, and can be stylish too. You’ll be in that room a ton the first year, so we viewed the space as ‘ours’ as much as ‘hers’ which helped us create a place we all enjoy spending time in. And though it was fun to create the room, we don’t want to do it again each year. So we tried to pick things that would transition from baby to toddler, or even to a guest room, easily as time passes.
lpd
Friday 13th of January 2012
:-) ... thanks so much!
Melisa
Friday 13th of January 2012
The color combo is gorgeous! What an elegant nursery.
Tasha Cune
Friday 13th of January 2012
That's a really beautiful and interesting painting you got there. I also love those curtains. You really did an awesome job.
Mrs.Echon
Thursday 12th of January 2012
Wow,nice color palette! It's very different from the rest! It's tranquil yet still pops out.
Pam
Thursday 12th of January 2012
Beautiful! I just love the tone on tone with warm salmon hued drapes.