Multiples

Let me introduce you to my new favorite room in our house…our twin’s nursery! We are less than two weeks away from our due date and this room has been such a labor of love. We still do not know the gender of our babies, but that didn’t mean that I had to keep this room neutral, did it?
I have never been one to shy away from color when it comes to decorating my home, so our nursery was no exception! The biggest design challenge was taking this relatively small space and making it work for not one, but two babies. That second crib really threw us for a loop.
I knew I wanted to have an element of whimsy in the space and wanted to bring that in with wallpaper. I searched and searched for a statement print that I could base the rest of the room around and landed on Hunt Slonem’s bunny wallpaper. When I saw this paper after months of searching, I knew I had to have at least a touch of it in the nursery.
This was also the first time I have ever painted walls white (Pure White by Sherwin Williams) in our home, so I pulled in my signature stamp of color for the furniture and added a dark chair rail (Inkwell by Sherwin Williams) to break up several of the walls.

My name is Davide Casaroli, I am Italian, and from Milano. On May 23rd, 2018,  a lifelong dream came true for my husband and I, our twin girls were born!
We live in a historic building in West Hollywood, California. The room we decided on for our nursery has abundant natural light, large windows, and no neighboring walls.
My main goal for the nursery was to create a clean and warm space to enjoy family time together. I chose a hand-knotted 100% wool area rug that covers a large majority of the room. Soon our girls will be able to roll on the carpet as much as they want. On the largest wall of the room, I added a  custom wallpaper world map. I wanted to balance the white in the room with an elastic array of color. The wallpaper hue is custom vivid but relaxing at the same time; the girls stare at the colors on the map. Two air balloons are hanging from the ceiling; the girls look at them as well.  Mission accomplished, we made them happy very easily.
I selected a warm white drapery fabric with small flowers motifs. The draperies have both a thermo and blackout layer. The two layers make the drapery very functional, they block the light, and also mitigate heat and cold.
When I started to design the closet space, I divided the wardrobe into two symmetrical columns. The final result turned out great; each twin has an equal amount of space. No fights over clothes’ space for now!
I allocated a corner to a gray cotton sofa sleeper. I wanted to create a conversational space within the room; so on the opposite side, I placed a pink velour loveseat. Having two comfortable couches is ideal because we can bottle feed both girls at the same time. Between the two sofas, I placed a set of acrylic nesting tables and a table lamp. The nesting tables come in very handy because we can easily move them around and place our bottles and bibs on them as needed.
One of the biggest challenges was to find a changing table: I couldn’t find one to fulfill my prerogatives! So, instead,  I designed my own. The die is cast! I designed a cubby to host our Diaper Genie; I didn’t want to see the garbage disposal on the floor. I ordered pink onyx pulls and white leather for the drawers and the two doors. I wanted a changing table that could transition in time, taking off the top pad the changing table becomes a cool dresser. Right above the changing table, I placed an acrylic shelf anchored by pink copper powder painted brackets. This shelf is very useful; it is nice to have extra storage above the changing table and not only on the sides.
Once the main furniture was in place, I started to have some fun. I selected art for the walls, and then I filled the room with cool accessories and toys. I framed an ” Italian abbecedario”, the Italian alphabet with design and words; it is never to early to learn two languages! I was not raised bilingual, but I want our daughters to pick up different languages from the very beginning.
Last but not least, I designed a custom neon sign over an acrylic cloud with our family motto ” UP ALL NIGHT”.
We hope our motto is not premonitory!!!
 

Bow WOW Meow! More info in this party reveal on the blog.
For her 6th birthday, my daughter Ariella chose a “Puppy and Kitten” theme because she was dying to have a pet of her own.  As a compromise, I suggested a Puppy and Kitten themed party in which the pets could go home at the end of the day, but that she could still get cuddle time with the little cuties!
For the color scheme, I was inspired by these dog bone shaped bowls I found online.  I used that as the basis for the party color palate, and then matched the graphic signs, yarn, and decor to those same colors (Aqua, Yellow, and Coral).  Aside from cuddling really cute puppies, the kids enjoyed making pet collars for the pets they were adopting as party favors and giving their stuffed animals check up at the veterinary station.
Some of my favorites aspects of her party were:

the styrofoam-wrapped colorful balls of yarn I made and hung throughout the party space!
the brightly colored bone-shaped dog bowls the kids ate out of (these were such a hit)!
The signage and graphics I designed for the party – was inspired by the colors of the dog bowls!
The pet adoption center / party favor take-home presents!
Ariella’s name letters wrapped in bright colored yarn!
The “cheese mice” we served as appetizers!
The adorable aqua cake with the cutest dog and cat fondant characters!
The puppies who came to entertain the kids!
Paw Print Balloons weighted down with large dog bones!
The “Make a Collar” for your pet station!
The homemade Puppy Chow we made and served out of dog bowls!

My husband and I bought a home in Oklahoma City and we are currently renovating. The kids bathroom did not have a bathtub so we knew it was necessary to update this room immediately. My kids are 5, 3 and 8 months so having a bathtub in the house was a must! Having two girls and a boy, I new the project needed to be gender neutral. My style is very traditional, but I wanted to add a few fun things to the project since my kids are so young and I wanted everything to be able to transition easily as they grow. For example, I added a built in step stool that is very necessary and practical right now, but later down the road, it can be transitioned to a drawer. We are so happy with this room and I’m so thankful to finally have a bathtub in the house!

A fun neutral nursery for boy/girl twins!

When I told family members my daughters first birthday would be cactus themed, they looked at me like I was crazy. Even though the family had mixed feelings about the theme, I had a strong vision in my head of the decor and theme. Most of the items I used were from the 99 cent store and target. I was shocked when I found a cactus pinata at the 99cent store. We bought the donkey pinata at target and took off all of the embellishments and spray painted it gold. There were also a few items from T.J. Maxx, like the table runner and ceramic cactus. I did a lot of DIY, like the painted rock cactus’ and the balloon/tissue paper flower arbor. I decided to print out some cactus art and frame them in some inexpensive white frames. I also decided to make cake smash indies due to the fact I didn’t want the girls to ruin their cactus dresses from Gymboree. I simply bought white onesies and made the image on word, flipped it to mirror image and printed out on iron on paper and voilà! At the start of the party I had some Mexican sweet bread out for people to munch on and not to mention they were beautiful colors that matched the theme. We had our delish and beautiful cakes made by a local baker and a taco lady for our eats. For our goodbyes I made white chocolate (made green with food coloring) dipped pretzel sticks and topped with coconut which looked like little cactuses. For the babies I made “cactus seed labels” and pasted them on gerber puffs. Overall this theme was a hit and recommend it for any age!

At Everly & Monet, I design nurseries & Kids rooms. When choosing the right furniture for this project, I knew Newport Cottages was going to be the best choice. The Hilary collection is inspired by classic French Provincial designs mixed with shabby chic elements. The crib features hand-carved cabriole legs and the scalloped bottom gives it that feminine feel I was going for.
The comfy & cozy Sarah glider from Four Seasons is always a fav. We custom designed a slip-cover in sleek silver velvet fabric. It juxtaposes to the sweetness of the room. I went with the Max bookcase from Newport Cottages for a little modern edge, two toned with the coral. I swapped out the original hardware for a little glam with crystal knobs.
I always say the strength of the design is in the fabrics. The fabrics bring it all to life.  With a variety of rich textured fabrics, I knew Bebe Chic was the right fit. We matched bedding on each crib with P, sheets, a gathered dust ruffle, pillows & toddler blankets. We used the same fabrics to create custom balloon valances with ruffles from Laurie McParland Designs.

When I found out I was having boy/girl twins it was quite a surprise because the doctor originally told us we were having two boys! I was already neck deep in nursery decor and there was no turning back. I simply threw in a few more dusty pink items and called it a day! I went with a modern boho nursery with geometrical accents.