Maison Ellie Interiors

When my client first reached out to me, she was looking to bring a sense of style to her son’s nearly empty nursery. The room was spacious with high ceilings and she already had a number of great staple furniture pieces, like a walnut dresser, grey armchair, George Nelson inspired bubble light fixture and a white crib. However, the room was in dire need of a cohesive design to pull everything together.
I honed in on a mid-century modern direction and fell in love with this black dotted line wallpaper to ground the space. I wanted the design to feel edgy with high contrast elements, yet still soft and playful enough for a toddler to enjoy. So, alongside all of the monochromatic pieces, we mixed in some really special accessories in varying shades of blues and yellows — from rope baskets and foldable crates, to felt pennants, soft toys and dolls, these pieces all work together so beautifully to bring richness to the space.
For additional depth and texture, we integrated a jute rug, a hand-woven wool ottoman, a decorative lion head made of water hyacinth and beautiful striped linen bedding. The fluted side table plays on the linear pattern of the wallpaper, while the wide bookcase serves as the perfect spot for books and speciality toy collections. We even added a few acrylic book ledges above the armchair to create a purposeful reading nook for bedtime stories.
From bare to bold, this room is now bright, effortless and oh so cool!
Photography: Heidi Lau

It was so lovely to work in this old Toronto home as I was able to accentuate unique features that give the space character — like vertical wall paneling, decorative air vent covers and painted shiplap inside the closet. Typically, we would have wallpapered the feature wall adjacent to the window; however, we decided to leave the wall paneling as is and created a focal point next to it with wallpaper and a hanging felted swan above a white and natural crib. Sometimes an atypical room layout can actually work to your advantage as it feels a bit more distinct to the space you’re working with!
To draw the eye up, we installed a rattan and linen pendant and switched out the previous window treatments with an antique brass curtain rod and blackout curtain panels installed as high to the ceiling as possible. We filled the space with beautiful textural elements like a pink faux sherling armchair, rattan mirror and doll bed, wool blanket, acrylic book ledges and fluted side table. To play with various patterns against the whimsical woodland wallpaper, we sourced a blush floral crib sheet, star cushion and floral art print. Don’t be scared to mix patterns — this can really bring depth to an overall room design. We didn’t want the space to feel too matchy matchy, so we mixed in blush pink tones with sage and olive greens, soft blues and even some brighter pops of yellow. The colour story really helps to carry the eye around the space.
It was important for my clients to maximize the available floor space for play, so instead of a large dresser we opted for an open oak bookcase to display books and toys and added a functional (and oh so cute) reading corner. I was also tasked to make the most of their tiny closet, so we found a small shelf with rattan drawers and used other various bins to keep clothes divided and neatly categorized.
There is no shortage of sweetness in this whimsical woodland nursery; from colour coordinated book selections, to specialty wooden ice cream toys and dolls… magic awaits!
Photography: Heidi Lau

This basement playroom project started off with a completely blank canvas; the ask was to create a cozy, comfortable, colourful & functional space for a very busy toddler! I wanted this playroom to feel bold and adventurous yet soft enough to work with the rest of the home. So we opted for a wonderful muted jungle wallpaper and an oversized muted geometric area rug to ground the space. These elements inspired a blue, green and yellow colour palette which we layered with interesting shapes, patterns and textures for an elevated feel.
Playrooms always need a solid organizational systems, one that’s easy to stick to! So we made sure to integrate both open and closed storage for this family — the closed cabinetry is perfect for art supplies, puzzles and toy collections divided into clear bins, while the open shelf encourages autonomous play with easy-to-access toys on rotation. Creating designated purposeful areas is probably the single most important aspect of any playroom design.
My clients already had a great dining table, so we used it to create an arts & crafts zone with beautiful soft green chairs. These are my favourite ones to use in kid’s spaces because they are wipeable, have a closed back and are light enough for kids to move around themselves.
To promote imaginative play we added a fun kid’s play couch, a canvas playhouse with the sweetest little windows and a wooden climber. A low coffee table is the perfect spot to play with building blocks, puzzles and trucks! Fun decorative touches bring so much personality to the room, like knotted floor cushions, pom pom bins, a flag bunting and wool wall hangings. The end result is a colourful fun-filled playroom with endless layers of fun to explore!
Photography: Heidi Lau

This nursery was ready for a new cohesive aesthetic, something soft and playful that still felt mature enough for a young child to grow into. So, we chose a bright and crisp palette with pops of soft blues, whites, creams and light wood tones — and now it feels like a breathe of fresh air! As soon as I walked into the room I knew that we needed to accentuate the ten foot slanted wall; this room was just calling for something special! After sourcing multiple wallpaper options, we landed on an ethereal cloud mural complete with soaring birds. It makes the room feel so much bigger and brighter, which proves just how powerful wallpaper can be.
I would have generally been inclined to source a neutral rug to pair with this wall mural, but we went in a different direction and chose a saturated blue vintage printed rug from the Magnolia Home collection. It really grounds the room, works cohesively with the colour story and adds a rich quality to the space. One of my favourite tried and true design tricks is to hang a mirror across an accent wall — how stunning is the reflection of the wallpaper in the round white wooden mirror? It contrasts the whitewashed ash dresser and brings added texture to the space.
I’m a firm believer that specialty toys and accessories are just as important as the larger key elements in a room — from the wooden trucks, to the cute fish cushion, blue table lamp, patterned star cushion and wall banner, your eyes move across every corner so effortlessly. I also love incorporating personal items in all of my room projects, like this stunning Japanese ‘Sumi-e’ ink painting, which was painted by my mini client’s grandmother.
Bringing longevity and function to the room was very important for my clients, so we added a tall cubby bookcase for bins and toy collections, and created a reading nook with book ledges and a large canvas bean bag. Over the years, this corner can be transformed into a homework zone with a desk and chair, and the crib and glider can be swapped out for a twin daybed.
I’m so happy with the end result of this bright and tranquil room; we completely transformed it into a dreamy space… nothing but blue skies here!

I was so excited when my clients shared such a clear picture of what they wanted for their soon-to-be daughter’s nursery. This project all started with a very special request; to design a room that evokes the same feeling as their recent garden-themed wedding! I drew inspiration from floral arches, hanging chandeliers and soft rose accents to create an ethereal concept with elegant touches sprinkled throughout.
We started by sourcing an oversized rose wallpaper as the focal point and added pink accents for a kiss of colour through a patterned blush rug, muslin crib sheet, sheer canopy and two-tiered felt mobile. I’m a big fan of layering neutral and textural pieces into my designs to tone down a room’s colour palette. I truly can’t get over the stunning wood carved rosette crib, arched metallic mirror and white beaded pendant that we selected. And what’s a nursery without function? We added my go to favourite seagrass lided bins and brought in some smaller canvas pom pom bins to hold extra books and baby toys.
I love sourcing unique products from around the world and this dreamy linen floral wall trophy adds just a touch of French flare right when you walk in. To personalize the space even further, we framed my client’s stunning wedding headpiece in a delicate shadow box — what a special way to celebrate this beautiful couple’s love story. The end result is a charming nursery… like their very own secret garden.
“I am sure there is magic in everything.”
– Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

What can I say about this airy coastal-inspired nursery? It’s soft, elegant, minimal and just so effortlessly breezy. The design all came to life when my client shared a few products she had fallen in love with; including this gorgeous rosette rug and playful bird art print from LD Shoppe. It set the tone for the entire space and I quickly began pulling together muted, natural and textural elements… like an oversized waffle blanket, muslin crib sheet, boucle ottoman and beaded chandelier.
Pattern combinations can bring tons of visual interest to a space. I opted for a more subtle mix for this nursery with a textured dusty pink pillow paired with a golden and cream bird cushion. A bold pinstripe pillow adds depth and contrast against a dainty blue floral pattern and a few pink soft toys add a sweet feminine touch.
What’s a nursery without stellar furniture? This dresser and crib combo from Crate & Kids adds the perfect touch of sophistication with pops of antique brass alongside a gold floor lamp and geometric mobile. Since I love mixing metals we decided to go with a black curtain rod to tie-in some of the bolder elements in the room, as seen in the black metal mirror and framed art print. Finally, to soften things up just a smidge we sourced a wooden side table and I love the warmth it adds while complementing the warm creamy tones in the space.
I absolutely love how this nursery turned out; it feels playful yet mature, minimal yet layered and brings such a deep sense of calm. It’s like skipping through a field of wild flowers on a cool summer’s night! When a space evokes such a clear picture and makes you feel something so real… well that’s the cherry on top.