Posts from L's home (39)

A month has come and gone, and so I'm (finally!) back on the blog to announce that James Christopher arrived on August 1. He is delightful - a sweet, easygoing little boy with a tendency to make faces like the dramatic squirrel. We're adjusting quite nicely to life as a family of four!

Though my head has been slightly out of the design world, I thought I would share this beautiful, oversize board book I found shortly after James was born. Art for Baby is perfect for those early newborn days when babies stay awake for approximately 5 minutes between eating and the next nap, and can't yet see in color. Aesthetically inclined parents will appreciate the lineup of artists whose work appears on the black-and-white pages, including Keith Haring, Takashi Murakami, and Julian Opie. Even the cover is beautiful, a pearlized white background with silver block type.

Clockwise from top left: Duck by Patrick Caulfield; Together by Josef Albers; Hypovase Prazosin Hydrochloride by Damien Hirst; Black Cross by Kazimir Malevich.

(Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on James' nursery, by the way. You are so kind and thoughtful! I'm saving all the comments to show James someday!)

With less than a week to go till our son's arrival, I thought I'd share pictures of his nursery. It's done, though I feel it still needs some warming up here and there (and I'm open to suggestions!). We've decided to name our baby James Christopher and we can't wait to meet him!

We kept many of the elements from Catherine's nursery and just put a masculine spin on her existing stuff. We still have the Jenny Lind-style crib (though it might get replaced, due to the drop-side crib recall. We have a "repair kit" on order to make the drop side stationary, but we'll see.) The Binth numbers poster is perfect for a nursery, so I just pulled color inspiration from its blue-gray, chartreuse and brick color palette. And the Baltic rocking horse reflects the finish of the birch bookshelf behind the crib; it also gives Catherine something to do while I'm feeding or changing the baby. (I got the chartreuse Moroccan-motif hampers - one is pictured behind the rocking horse - from Homegoods. One is for clothing and another for plush baby toys, which always seem to multiply.)

I decided to do a different DIY mobile from Catherine's, this time using these adorable paper owls from Mibo. You pay $3 to download a PDF file, which you can print and replicate as many times as you want and then just trim and assemble the birds out of card stock (I used 60# weight for flexibility). There are also a pair of Mibo owls "perched" on the top of the doorframe, which is visible from the crib.

I've been combing local resale shops for infant boy clothing, since we are building a wardrobe from scratch - and what a goldmine I found! It seems that shopping for sizes 0-3 and 3-6 months in particular yields a good deal of barely worn (some still with tags) items from great kid brands like Tea, Janie & Jack, H&M, and Gap. All the "outfits" shown here were bought resale.

The Monte Luca glider from Catherine's nursery was also brought over. I updated it with a blue-gray Jonathan Adler wool boucle pillow I found at Burlington Coat Factory. In the empty space between the glider and the dresser / changing table we're putting a black Kulla floor lamp, but just haven't purchased it yet.

Besides the Binth poster and the marbelized paper that hangs over the changing table, the room needed some art. One of my favorite Etsy artists, Chad Wys, creates beautiful (and affordable) abstract landscape paintings that I knew would be perfect for this room. (I actually think the one on the top looks like a Tyrannosaurus Rex head!) The crib bedding is minimal, with only a DwellStudio for Target blanket (for show only) and horizontal stripe crib skirt, plus my favorite organic jersey fitted crib sheet. The stuffed puppy is from Anthropologie and, again, will not sit inside the crib (nor will the chevron pillow, pictured below - they're for styling purposes only).

It's a tiny and simple room, which is what I wanted all along. Incidentally, we chose Benjamin Moore's "Quiet Moments" for the wall color, which is likely wishful thinking for some good sleeping karma. I'm thinking one of those cute sheepskins from IKEA on the floor would help warm it up a bit. I am still looking for a vintage-y side table and one or two other small vintage elements to give all the "newer" pieces some depth. Any other thoughts or ideas?

Bedding from DwellStudio for Target. Wall art from Elum Designs.

Today I hung the final piece of art on Catherine's wall - so it feels "done". She has been enjoying it for some months and, most importantly, the transition from crib to bed went smoothly over the course of less than a week!

The room's white-walls-furniture-and-carpet scheme meant that artwork needed to play a major role, as well as provide color. Below are two "reinterpreted" pieces I drew with oil pastels, based on original artwork by Leif Palmquist.

Texture was also an important element; I made a little "window seat" out of two rattan storage boxes and topped them with pillows from Twinkle Living and Thomas Paul. The tiny square painting (of a baby buggy, in pink and gold) was a gift to Catherine from my sister-in-law, Molly, and a totally appropriate representation of her current favorite activity: strolling her dollies around the house. To complete the seating group, I added a pink armchair and ottoman that my husband found at a store closing sale, as well as a beanbag chair he found at Target.

Above are pictured some of my favorite pieces: a pair of white lamps from HomeGoods that cost less than $30 each, and a vintage Syroco floral that my husband spray-painted pale pink (Catherine's request - she chose from a few options at the hardware store!).

I love how the photo grid turned out, and Catherine loves waking up and talking about the pictures, which include shots of her as a one-month old baby, her first birthday banner, and her most recent Halloween getup. I printed copies of the photos and framed them in inexpensive acrylic box frames for a clean, modern look with some added dimension.

Ongoing plans for the room include an updated roman shade for the room's single window (I'm going to try to recover one of the blackout shades from her nursery), as well as a little "gallery" of Catherine's own artwork next to the bookshelf pictured above. But first, we must move on to the baby boy's room...only two months to go!

The transition of bedrooms in our house is underway and, for the most part, pretty successful. Catherine loves her big girl bed and partially-completed big girl room. The challenge in her new, very large, very white room is to bring it down to her 2-year old size and warm it up significantly.

To bring some pattern and color into the wall space adjoining Catherine's bed, I ordered these crewel embroidery gift wrap sheets from Elum. Inexpensive and beautiful, I plan to "frame" them side by side with colored masking tape - which will give me peace of mind that nothing will fall off the wall and injure her while she's sleeping or playing (paranoid, I know).

Next up: breaking up the expanse of white carpet on the floor with this silhouette flower cotton rug from Urban. I ordered the 5x7 in this periwinkle color, which isn't really present anywhere else in the room, but I sort of like the randomness. The pattern is great and Catherine will love the flowering branches.

Finally, to give a long, empty wall some color and personality, I decided to create a grid of framed 8x10 photographs. Originally I planned to buy inexpensive 2-pack white metal frames (from Michael's) recommended by Jenny, but while at the store I changed my mind to use (also inexpensive) acrylic box frames for added dimension. I laid out the grid as shown above - now it's just a matter of these final elements coming together. I should have pictures of the room ready in the next week or so.

Images from Elum and Urban Outfitters.

Blame it on my mom's ongoing bird phobia, but I've avoided bird-anything my entire life. When birds were everywhere in design a few years ago I sort of quietly shunned the trend. Which is why I can't entirely explain my attraction to Anthropologie's insane Conure round rug, above, and Trot Home's flamboyant ceramic birds, below.

The 5-foot diameter rug would be perfect for our upstairs hallway, which I describe as a "satellite" hallway (I'm sure there's an architectural term, and that's not it) where the rooms all radiate off a hexagonal, central landing. The colors in the rug would tie together all the wall colors of our bed and bathrooms.

And for some reason I'm seeing those pink birds on my mantle! (I'm sure this would drive my poor mother crazy whenever she visits...)

Top image from Anthropologie. Bottom image from Trot Home.

Lately I've gone on an uncharacteristic buying rampage since we are redecorating two rooms at once. DwellStudio and DwellStudio for Target seem to provide much of what I need for both spaces. Above: Catherine's new Flower Medallion duvet set is on order, and as the major colorful element in the room, I can't wait to see it. And as she has lately expressed interest having in a backpack, I couldn't resist this Gio Lemon version for her Easter basket, complete with a matching crayon/pencil case.

For my baby boy-to-be: he will inherit the crib from his older sister, so I think a masculine update is in order. The horizontal lines of this crib skirt are so striking and will work well with the other elements we already have in place for the nursery. The knit blanket is my favorite - I just love its graphic simplicity.

DwellStudio also has a fantastic blog that I've enjoyed lately - covering everything from decorating to fashion to travel and food. It's a compilation of posts by the company's founder, Christiane Lemieux, and other stylish employees. (It's also where I first read of those excellent maternity dresses!)

Images from Target and Modern Nursery.

To follow up E's playlist post for Herman Miller's blog, Lifework, you can click on over here to catch a glimpse of my home studio (including my ancient iMac, which will be replaced within the next few weeks - hurrah!) and view/hear my workspace playlist. Note: lovers of 80s music might enjoy this the most.

I'm excited (and slightly nervous) to start transitioning my daughter out of her nursery and into a new room with a twin bed. I don't want to completly overhaul her space, so I'm bringing many elements from her original nursery into the "big girl room". The only new major purchases will include the bed itself as well as new bedding, and possibly a lamp or two.

Other than that, we are going to make over items we already own. We'll repaint two bookshelves - color TBD - and paint the frame of a vintage chair white. I also plan to create some new art pieces, including a tall "headboard" effect out of framed wall silhouettes; two very large drawings based on these by artist Leif Palmquist; and I would love to designate an area of the room to display and rotate Catherine's own artwork. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for progress.

Thank you for all of your good wishes after my announcement of baby #2 on the way. We're just starting to get our heads around what we need to do around the house to make room for this little one, which includes moving my daughter to a larger room (not located over the garage - something we had not thought of when we originally decorated it) and setting up a nursery in another bedroom. The new baby's room will start with the elements above left over from Catherine's - the white Jenny Lind crib, Luca glider and rocking horse. Other than that, I'm open to new ideas, as shown in the examples below:

Design by Katie Ridder.

I adore this sophisticated take on girly for Catherine's new space.

Design by Jennifer Delonge.

The bold patters on the window pelmet and daybed, as well as the massive art wall, are key elements I could envision in either child's room.

Designer unknown; image from Ohdeedoh.

Again, big pattern and color, but the look remains streamlined and simple. Also a plus: fabulous light fixture.

Desgin by Rebecca Robertson.

A barrage of color and pattern balanced with many white accents. I've already chosen the "big girl bed" - IKEA's MALM twin in white.

Design by Jennifer Chused.

A quieter look that mixes classical elements (such as the chandelier) with simple, graphic touches - the plus signs on the rug are my favorite. (It's also on sale and I'm so tempted.)

Typically I start to design a room with some pieces that provide a basis for the overall look, and work from there. Even though the new nursery is a tiny room, I'd love to hang the massive MASKROS pendant. We don't yet know the sex of the baby, but for a boy I'd love to begin with this wooden plane (my grandpa was a fighter pilot!) and add a knit blanket that plays off the shape of the propellers.

For a little lady, I'd begin with a set of ceramic canisters (on a shelf) from Target's upcoming Liberty of London collection, paired with this darling Love pillow for the glider - I'll commission my sister to make a version using colors from one of the canisters. Now we just have to wait 2.5 more weeks until we know if it's a boy or a girl - I'm so curious! (Catherine maintains it's a boy, by the way.)

I always save images of furnishings and home accessories that I'm drawn to, even if I can't quite visualize them working together with what I already have. After going through my "home imagery" file today, I would love to build a room around these 5 pieces. The peach, gold and silver with the indigo velvet feels luxurious yet playful, and the birch adds a warm, earthy appeal.

Foil Pillow, Urban Outfitters; Birch cube trunk (as a side table), Trunk Outlet; Chevron throw, HSN; Birch boxes, CB2; Hutton sofa, Room & Board.