Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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?