Nursery Know-How

Last Friday, I posted some of my favorite nurseries and promised to share the resources with you, so that you can pull some of those looks together.  First up, a favorite from the March 2007 issue of Domino magazine.  I'll provide all the links to those exact products. Then, I couldn't resist having some fun of my own, using the Serena and Lily houndstooth crib sheet and green and turquoise color palette to inspire my design.

This room is totally baby-safe and easy to care for, with no-VOC paint from Olympic (Faint Flicker #D64-1), organic materials, and sensible selections like the carpet tiles ("Toy Poodle" from Flor) that allow you to simply replace individual tiles, instead of the whole rug, when stains happen.

Sustainable-wood 'Sam' crib and stool from Duc Duc, Ceramic-earthenware 'Early Bird' pendant from Perch Design, 'Butterfly Jubilee' fabric for roman shade from Mod Green Pod, 'Natural Lee' chair from Lee Industries, Organic-cotton 'Ticking Stripe' from Mod Green Pod, Collapsible jute basket at 2KH, Vintage wallpaper giraffe from Inke Heiland at Romp Store.  'Mini Library' storage unit from Oeuf, 'Eco-Sheepskin' rug from Kaiser can be purchased from Child Organics.

For my design, I wanted a space that would easily grow with the child.  A convertible crib and sophisticated storage were a must and I wanted a unique color palette that didn't revolve around traditional nursery colors.

Take the turquoise and celadon from the inspiration photo above and add a twist, using black as an accent throughout the room.  Paint the entire room a soft celadon and save the bold turquoise for a surprise splash of color inside the closet or paint the back panel of a white bookcase to add depth.  Pull the turquoise into the rest of the room through accessories like the adorable owl pillow.  Add an orange rug for an unexpected pop of color and position the mother and her ducklings waddling across the wall above the changing table.  Use the black and white fabric for floor pillows that offer a soft place to sit during playtime.  The bentwood wall sconce casts a soft glow that is comforting to baby and adds just enough light to navigate the room during those late nights.

Clockwise, from top left: Offi 'Nest' Crib, Not Neutral 'Seasons' rug, Dwell Studio 'Owls' pillow, 'Habibi' fabric from Rubie Green, LZF Orbit Sconce, Blu Dot 'Modulicious' Storage, Dvider ducks wall decal, Serena and Lily's 'Rory' Bedding, Dunn-Edwards Paint (DE5829 Frozen Wave) and Serena and Lily paint in 'Sprout', Luca Glider by Monte

Vintage Maps + Steel Furniture

One trip to Steel Casey (pictured above), nearly a decade ago, and I was hooked on the idea of my very own vintage tanker desk in one of their 24 custom colors.  Fast forward to 2005, and I scored one for free! A little TLC and about $300 to have it professionally powder-coated, and it was just like the ones I had longed for at Steel Casey.

I chose to go with a crisp white with dark grey drawer fronts, but you could also opt for a bright pop of color like this orange from Twenty Gauge at H.D. Buttercup.

Or go all white, like this desk from Rehab Vintage (formerly Sonrisa Furniture)

Desks aren't your only option!  Just check out the selection (below) at Twenty Gauge.  Places like Steel Casey and Rehab Vintage also have a variety of choices, including bookcases, drawer units, chairs, tables, file cabinets, even desktop mail sorters and trash cans.

Scared to commit to a specific color?  Try one of these chairs, with a natural steel frame and a splash of colorful fabric that you can change pretty easily when you get bored with the print/color.  For a similar look, use this organic fabric, Wee Jubilee, from Mod Green Pod.  Also available in licorice.

Pieces like this cabinet from Rehab Vintage are perfect for organization in the office, or try one by the front door to sort mail, store keys, change, phone chargers, sunglasses, etc.

These type of places are also a great resource for vintage maps.  Twenty Gauge has a sister company, Style de Vie (also located at H.D. Buttercup) that specializes in this and just brought back a huge shipment of French school maps, the heavy vinyl type used in classrooms.  I love the bold turquoise and yellow combo in this map of Europe:

Choose to frame these maps behind glass or skip the glass and clip between poster rails.

This 1970's world map (below) is from Rehab Vintage

Be creative, don't be afraid of color, and have fun incorporating these vintage maps and steel furniture into your home or office.  If you have any questions or want more ideas, just shoot me an e-mail.