Baby Bird and Spring Green Meadow Gender Neutral Nursery

Recently I had the pleasure of designing an inspiration board for a client expecting her first baby this Spring. The whole design process was done virtually {over email}. The mommy-to-be wanted help pulling together a gender neutral nursery room that wasn't too cutesy or babyish {sorry Winnie-the-Pooh}.

Along with a completed questionnaire, my client emailed a few photos of the room and items that she would like to incorporate in the design. One item was a sweet yellow and green silk pillow with a darling silver bird. She also wanted to include a dark wood armoire, white traditional crib and a vintage chandelier she had bought at an auction. From this starting point, I created a nursery room inspired by nature and a springtime meadow. It has a beautiful shades of green, yellow and hints of gray silver. Here is a look at the main inspiration board and the list of vendors:

1. Oilo Modern Berries Crib Set available at Fawn & Forest and Polka Dot Peacock - $399; 2. Green & White Striped Curtains by Custom House Baby - price varies; 3. Benjamin Moore Celadon Green 2028-60; 4.Reversible Organizer Fabric Bin Basket by Baffin Bags (Sage Green White Damask) - $18 each; 5. Modern Meadow - Wall Pattern Vinyl Decal Sticker Art (silver or olive martini) - $62; 6. Jellybean’s Bird Watching - $15; 7. Love Birds Hand Painted Canvas – Posh Tots (green) / Framed dimensions are 24" x 28" - $95; 8. Bird Mobile (felt) by Eleni Creative - $80; 9. West Elm's Pouf in Dhurrie, Platinum/Ivory Octagon Print - $199; 10. Hand-woven Shag Solo Honey White Rug (4' x 6') from Overstock.com - $130.99.

Patterned after the red currant berries that dot the Norwegian highlands, Oilo's modern berry line was the first crib bedding I was drawn to for the nursery. It's simplicity, color and modern style were elements my client was looking for.

For the room's two large windows, I suggested floor length tab curtains in a green & white stripe. This vertical stripe would be a nice repeat of the stripe pattern in the fitted crib sheet and make the room feel taller. For the walls, the mommy-to-be wanted a wall decal. Again, I searched for something not too cutesy and found the "Modern Meadow" wall decal found on Etsy. I recommended the decal be in an accent color of silver or a darker shade of green to allow for a contrast with the suggested wall color: Benjamin Moore's Celadon Green.

My client also had an over sized upholstered armchair she was going to convert into a gilder {love this idea!}. As a footstool or small ottoman, I suggested West Elm's pouf in platinum & ivory octagon print. I thought with time too, this would be a fun little seat for when the baby reached toddlerhood.

A sweet felt bird mobile from Etsy store, Eleni Creative adds just a touch of whimsy to the nursery and picks up on silver and yellow accent colors beautifully. It also pulls in the bird and meadow theme without going overboard.

A 4' X 6' hand-woven white shag rug was selected to cover the hardwood floors and add texture to the nursery room. It was found on overstock.com for a great price - $130!

To keep baby's toys, board books and diapering products organized, I found {also on Etsy at Baffin Bags!} this reversible bin in a chic sage green and white damask pattern.

For the walls, I suggested colorful artwork that again played on the bird and meadow theme. This one from Etsy by Jellybean called "Bird Watching" and thought it was also fun because the homeowners have several cats. I recommended hanging this print with two other prints from the same artist's collection.

It was a delight to help my client pull together her first nursery. My client loves the bird mobile. What do you love?

Frog Prince Nursery Room Decorating Ideas

Recently I took my oldest daughter to see Disney's The Princess and A Frog. What a darling story - we gave it two thumbs up!

This delightful movie and a sweet email from a Simplified Bee reader encouraging me to design another nursery room, spurred me to create this inspiration board with a little green friend in mind. It was created for a little boy-to-be {frog prince}, but could be easily adjusted for a baby girl {frog princess}.

1. Good Boy Potion Custom Canvas, 2. White Elegance™ Round Baby Bassinet with Sage Toile Bedding at Badger Basket, 3. Froggy Fisherman Chandelier at Posh Tots, 4. Blake Glider by Serena & Lily, 5. Freddie Gone Fishing Storage Bin at Posh Tots, 6. Avery Rug in Green Pottery Barn Kids 7. Green Tree Frog Fan Pull at Rosenberry Rooms, 8. Frog Prince Plush Toy, 9. Hand Painted Knob by Knobelties.

Spruce up a vintage dresser or flea market find with a coat of fresh paint. For this froggy nursery, I recommend Benjamin Moore's Spring Meadow. It would add just the right punch of color to the room.

Personalized artwork is a wonderful investment. This Limited Edition Green Frog Serenade Wall Hanging would add the perfect touch of whimsy to any froggy nursery. It's available only through Posh Tots.

A you a frog fan? Also, some great DIY ideas from other bloggers here.

*images courtesy of Posh Tots and Country Living

Bee is for Baby Shower

Bee is for Baby! How could a bee lover resist this buzzing theme to celebrate a baby-to-be? Here are some pictures of a baby shower I recently hosted for a couple expecting a baby boy, but the theme would work for a girl too. Martha Stewart's bumblebee paper punch from Michael's came in very handy - used on the table, baby sign and bumblebee "chandelier." Also, a big thank you to Lolliblog's B is for Baby Shower for inspiring me!

* images from Simplified Bee

Night Owl Gender Neutral and Modern Nursery Design

A friend expecting a baby this Winter asked me to create an inspiration board for a modern, yet cozy gender neutral nursery. She wants to leave the walls painted white, but envisions hints of bright color. Her love for nature and birds drew me to design a room with our nocturnal feathered friend in mind.

1. Pair of Coffee Wood Trunk Lamps - Pieces; 2. Nursery Works Loom Crib by Nurserywors (with toddler daybed conversion kit) - BunnyBerry; 3. Lifes a Hoot Owl and Tree Felt Mobile - Custom Colors – Etsy PinkPerch; 4. Oo is for Owl – ModernPop on Etsy; 5. Hourglass side table in orange - Bungalow5; 6. Lullaby Rocker in Java big beads fabric – Pottery Barn Kids; 8. Forest Friends baby quilt, Branches and Owls – All the Number’s on Etsy; 7. Organic Lions Orange Crib Sheet by Pixel Pieces - BunnyBuryBaby; 9. Shaggy Raggy White Rug - Posh Tots

*images of owl artwork from Posh Tots

Custom Ribbon Message Board for Tween Room

The girl's tween bedroom I am designing is not complete, but is coming together very nicely. To help keep my little client stylishly organized, I created a ribbon message board that will hang above her desk. Here was my thought process and how I did it.

For visual interest, I like to to repeat a pattern here and there in the room. I selected a cotton twill fabric with trellis pattern in coral and thought it worked perfectly with the new Serena & Lily Aqua Trellis Sheet Set shown above.

It is a fairly easy DIY project, but does take some time. First, I staple-gunned the coral trellis fabric with a thin layer of batting under it to a stretched painter's canvas.

Baby blue grosgrain ribbon was laid out in a criss-cross diamond pattern and then staple-gunned to the back of the canvas. Clear floral buttons were sewn where the ribbons crossed. The buttons are darling and add just the right touch of sparkle.

Here's a view of the finished product. It turned out great and I hope my little client loves it as much as I do!

*images from Serena & Lily, Simplified Bee, PBK, Posh Tots

Organizing a Busy Mudroom - Before and After

Recently I helped clients in Lake Tahoe, Nevada organize their cluttered mudroom into a beautiful and functional space. The room serves several purposes including laundry, outerwear storage, business supplies, scrapbooking materials and floral vases.

The picture above is a small space in between the garage and kitchen. As you can see, the coat rack and shelf are packed with items and very cluttered. It's visually exhausting.

We started by taking sorting all the items into categories including donate, trash/recycle, move to garage, move to front closet, stays in mudroom and move to business supplies. Everything fit in a category and then we started putting items in their correct place. We ended up with two trash bags, three recycling bags and five donation bags.

The above image is of the coat rack and shelf after the organization project. The coat rack now houses just coats and outerwear the homeowner frequently needs. We used a basket from another room that fit the shelf better - it now hold hats, mittens and scarves. The long cane basket conveniently holds sunscreen and insect repellent.

Here's the bench as it existed before organizing. The homeowners would use it as a catch all for items such as coats, books, bags and boots.

We found a proper home for all the items on the bench and left it free and clear of clutter. Now the homeowners can appreciate the beautiful custom knotty-pine built-in bench and retrieve items inside easily. And look, you can see the gorgeous slate floor!

The picture above is a view of the laundry area. The counter is covered with boxes, business supplies and scrapbook materials. It was impossible to fold clothes on the counter in this condition.

Now the laundry area is clutter-free and the counter top clear. Isn't this a space you could fold clothes in?

The client had a series of prints from her childhood that were being stored away. We decided to showcase them above the counter.

The utility sink was not being used and filled with scrapbooking materials.

The utility sink is now clear and ready to be put to good use again.

Here is another view of the sink "before."

And here is a view "after." We even had two framed prints from the same series displayed in the laundry area that worked beautifully above the sink.

We even neatly organized all the cabinets. Here is a view of the cabinet above the sink before it was organized. It mainly served as storage for floral vases, so that is what ended up staying.

Here is the same cabinet after organizing. Now floral vases and supplies are displayed orderly and easily accessible.

The open shelves to the right of the sink were also a catch-all for scrapbooking and floral supplies.

To keep the space visually pleasing, I suggested large baskets for the lower three shelves. None of them match, but I think that's okay. In this case, all three baskets should be the same or all different. Because the homeowner already had two different baskets that fit the shelves, so we ended up only having to purchase one.

The homeowner had a lovely collection of white vases that I displayed on the top shelf. Organizing a collection of items by color is always easy on the eyes. It is also nice to have varying heights to add more visual interest.

The project was exhausting for me and the homeowners. It took approximately 20 hours to complete. But, it was worth every minute because the homeowners are thrilled with the results. They can again easily do laundry, hang up a jacket and find what they need.

It always feels good to complete a project. Now off to the next one and Julia's hooked on houses blog party!

A year from now you may wish you had started today.
~ Karen Lamb

*images from Simplified Bee

Punchy Pink and Blue - Tween Girl's Bedroom

I've been designing a bedroom for a darling eight year old girl and wanted to share my presentation boards with you.

She loves the color blue and wanted her walls in that tranquil color. Another prerequisite was to use the existing wooden furniture - bed, sidetable and dresser - all painted in a soft ivory. She also has a fun, modern hot pink fury chair she enjoys reading in that will be incorporated in the room's design. The room's window has classic white wooden plantation shutters that will also remain.

Here are the paint colors suggested for the room. All have zero VOC options which is great.

Because the little girl is eight, we wanted to design a the room that will grow with her. The bedding selected is from Serena & Lily and it's perfect for a tween room. The sophisticated Aqua Trellis and Aqua Melon Mosaic Sheet Sets will be mixed & matched and established the split complementary color scheme of blues, pinks and melon. The sweet Pink Diamond Quilt will help break up all the blue elements and add texture.

We haven't determined which of the lovely Serena & Lily decorative pillows will go on the bed, but are leaning toward this hand-appliqued floral design Bloom Punch pillow.

The wooden floors will be covered with a beautiful cut and looped wool Trellis Rug in blue from Pottery Barn Kids. The trellis pattern will repeat the pattern on the bed's quilt.

Most of the artwork in the room will be the little girl's own creations. Several of her favorite works will be framed and we'll create an art-wall. Another option for wall art, is this beautiful Cherry Blossom Birdies Canvas Reproduction available at Posh Tots. It pulls the color palette together nicely and the adds a bit of nature to the room.

I like chandeliers in little girls' rooms and fell in love with this striking Gabrielle Pendant ceiling light fixture - the silk flower shade is feminine and sophisticated. The sweet Early Bird antiqued table lamp by Land of Nod is also being considered for her bedside table. Aren't those perched feathered friends just too cute!

It warmed my heart to see the little girl's giant smile when I showed her the images of her new room. She loved it - and I love that!

*images from Serena & Lily, Pottery Barn Kids, Posh Tots and Land of Nod