Mid-Danish Pop!

Description

We wanted little Pippa's space to be playful, colorful, and bursting with creativity while keeping a crisp, modern feel.

Design Inspiration

I was inspired by the free-spirited, colorful, clean looks of so many Scandinavian children's rooms and the organic shapes of mid-century furniture. The spectrum of colors on the runner made by my Grandmother (hung on the side of the closet) served as a strong, meaningful starting point as well. 

Decorating Style

My decorating style is a blend of mid-century and Danish design with some bright pop art thrown in for good measure. I've always loved bright, bold, risky colors, and I never take design too seriously! 

Project Details

We started with Behr's Frost in Flat Enamel- the same color used for the majority of the rest of the house; it's a crisp, cool, bright white. The ceiling stripes were inspired by Jenna Lyons's nursery and done by myself. If you've got a DIY paint project, I highly recommend getting it done before you're pregnant or by someone else! Stripes on the ceiling while standing on a ladder don't mix well with morning sickness and fatigue... 

Our nursery is extremely small and has no closet. We felt strongly about keeping a clean, uncluttered feel, so we chose an Ikea PAX system with sliding doors. There's a ton of room for storage and organization, but a swipe of the door can hide it all. The bookcase and shelves are hacked Ikea products. The Eames rocker was completely re-finished by me a few years ago. Re-finishing one allowed me to spend significantly less, and it's an item re-purposed from another room in the house. We chose the Argington BAM crib/bassinet- which has a style I love! The rounded corners are perfect for tight spaces, and the bassinet can easily roll through our tiny door frames- making the piece very functional for our needs.  

The attic stairwell was quite a project all it's own! The nasty, trashed stairwell was so close to the nursery that we wanted to freshen it up without spending a fortune to repair the plaster walls. Refinishing the stairs, adding a runner, and 'wallpapering' with paint chips was quite the DIY. Very dirty & time consuming, but picturing our daughter musing through the whimsical, exotic names of paint chips was more than enough motivation, and it was a great space for such a bold, daring project!

Accessories are a mix of heirlooms, DIY projects, clearance steals, and designs I fell in love with...

• Monsoon Rug, Anthropologie clearance steal
• Runner Rug & Stair Runner, Grandmother
• Hanging Runner, Grandmother
• Ceiling Fan, Monte Carlo Lunar
• Animal Collection, Dakin Dream Pets
• Peter Rabbit Music Box, heirloom
• Blue Lamp, DIY makeover
• Abacus, Giggle
• "Pip from Pittsburg" Print, DIY
• Curtain, Urban Outfitters
• Pelmet Box, DIY
• Tiki Stool, Offi
• Knit Dachshund, Anne-Claire
• Polish Sleeping Beauty Poster, Hanna Bodnar/DIY
• Clock, Decoylab
• Felt Mobile, PukaPuka on Etsy
• Mink rabbit, heirloom
• Stuffed Animals, gifts
• Blankets, Petunia Pickle Bottom
• Knobs/Hardware, Anthropologie
• Rocking Horse, heirloom
• Hanging Wetbag, PlanetWise
• "ABC" Print, gift
• Changer, Cooshee Changer

Favorite Items

Such a hard question! The room was so tiny that I declared from the beginning that I wouldn't put anything in it that I didn't love; now I have a whole room full of 'favorites!'

I adore the stained-glass window; there's just no substitute for architectural details. The quilted runner on the side of the closet, Peter Rabbit music box, and wooden rocking horse are some of the most meaningful heirlooms. The mobile was perhaps my favorite purchase. I fell in love with it long before we even thought about having a child, and my husband bought it for me for Valentine's Day.

Advice

Don't ever be afraid to take risks or do something bold. Design for your children, not for yourself (mostly). Your own closet and hand-me-downs can become some of the most treasured pieces in the room; don't be afraid to repurpose and DIY. Most importantly... HAVE FUN!