Julie Blanchard, owner of Lemon Tree Paperie, created a sophisticated and classic nursery for her son Weston that we are pleased to share with our readers. When planning the nursery, Julie was instantly inspired by Serena and Lily’s fabrics and decided on the color scheme of navy, indigo and lime right away. One of Julie’s goals was to keep the colors and fabrics simple and uniform so that she would be able to easily accessorize.  One of our favorite elements in the nursery is the custom paint design featuring little Weston’s initials framed by a crest style border. Very Preppy and cute! Julie says, “The custom paint design saved on buying artwork.” What a brilliant way to give the walls purpose without having to find expensive artwork. 

Julie customized the crib bedding by mixing the “Charlie” bumper with the “Blake” sheeting collection, both from Serena and Lily. With some extra fabric, she was able to customize a sweet pillow with Weston’s name for the her Dutailer glider. In addition, Julie used the extra bedding fabric and ribbon to create an adorable wall hanging for over the changing table. Other Details include a Pali crib, and Pottery Barn Kids baskets and liners. The lamp is from Target and the bookshelf is a custom made piece. Julie did an excellent job of mixing and matching pieces to achieve this tailored space she dreamed of for Weston. 

Besides being a nursery design maverick, Julie has a passion for fine paper and stationary. After spending many years in the business she decided to open her own online boutique, Lemontreepaperie.com which offers baby announcements, calling cards, personalized stationary, family labels and much more. Through her online boutique, Julie advises clients on a national basis, and is personally involved in each and every order.

We are excited to announce that Julie has offered Project Nursery readers $15 off all orders of $100 or more! Use code NURSERY when placing orders. Offer valid through 9/30/08. With Halloween coming up what a great opportunity to snatch up some amazingly cute cards for the family. Thanks Julie! 

Tags: Art, Cribs, Discounts, Green, Monogram, Nursery, Paint, Preppy

Pre-baby, my husband and I enjoyed exotic vacations and adventures. Since becoming parents, we have decided to put a few things on hold for the time being such 15 hours flights! While travelling the far east back in the day however, I fell in love with rich, handwoven, painted fabrics and gorgeous block prints. I have always wanted to incorporate more of these worldly designs into my home but never imagined doing it in the nursery. I now have proof that this look transcends beautifully into baby. Introducing Rikshaw Design…

Rikshaw Design is a baby bedding company based out of San Francisco specializing in hand block printed Indian cotton textiles, designed especially for the “bohemian baby” (and parents!). The designer/owner, Catherine Fitzsimmons, is a former textile designer for Pottery Barn and Ralph Lauren who noticed that the baby bedding could use something new and different.

Rickshaw currently offers four bedding collections along with pillows, diaper pouches, burp cloth and bib sets.  

In our opinion, it’s incredibly refreshing to see crib bedding options beyond cute characters, polka dots and stripes. Catherine has done a brilliant job incorporating a casual, global look and feel into a baby’s world with an ancient art form.

Tags: Bedding, Bibs, Blankets

As you already know, Melisa and I are big fans of bringing art to the lives of our little ones. By the way, congratulations to subscriber Pencils for winning the darling painting “Morning Swim” which was so generously donated by Little Art Collector. This past weekend, I made a trip to the De Young Museum with both kids in tow to check out the fabulous Chihuly exhibit. The wide eyes and open mouth on my daughters face when we entered the gallery displaying all of his vibrant glass pieces was priceless. 

Looking for your own piece of personal and original art to add to a nursery or toddler room? Figment portraits are a contemporary approach to the pop art tradition. Kristine Baerlin is the creator of these unique works of art. Working in New York City as a successful painter for nearly a decade, Baerlin has developed two distinct portrait styles.

 Kristine says, ”My “Circle” style is an abstract, bold and contemporary approach to the pop art tradition. My “Dot” style is a playful twist on the more traditional portrait, perfect for any setting.”

She works directly with her clients to develop a specific size and color combination. Each portrait is hand-painted in her studio and signed on the back of the canvas. Baerlin’s portraits guarantee a timeless and original work of art. Her work has been featured on HGTV and various local galleries.

Contact Kristine at portraits@figmentstudio.com and mention you are a Project Nursery reader for a special discount on her designs. One of her pieces would be a beautiful addition to any room in the house.

Tags: Art, fine art, Wall Art

What baby or child doesn’t love to look at themselves in the mirror? It’s pure entertainment especially when you let loose to make goofy faces, throw your hands in the air and dance like a crazy person in front of it. Anyone trying to entertain kids knows exactly what I am talking about!  So this weekend I was told that teaching your child the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, works best when standing in front of the mirror next to your child. I’ll have to give it a try which now has me shopping for a different kind of mirror. Here are some cool, contemporary finds beyond just your standard piece of glass…

Cindy-Lee Davies is the talented designer behind Australian design house, Lightly. ”I Spy” is their playful, expressive mirror collection. I would love to use these mirrors in a playroom or along an informal hallway. I spy them at Aviary.

London based designers Christina Greenhalgh and Jane Glibbery have recently entered the US market with Spaceform London ™ USA.  Spaceform provides unique, decorative glass gifts such as frames, paperweights and wonderful, whimsical, hand-painted mirrors. A perfect additon for baby’s room just above the changing station!

Tags: Hand-painted, Mirrors

Mandy Ford’s “This Girl’s Life” just got a bit more complicated for the better on May 30th, 2008, with the arrival of twin boys Ben and Landon. 

Kudos to Mandy’s on her choice of dark paint for the nursery: ”Tree Branch” by Sherwin Williams. Mandy says she was going for ”a subtle nature theme with owl accessories…the main colors being, sage green and chocolate brown, with aqua blue accents”.

We have to admit that the crib bedding found at Walmart has impressed us lately. We knew they are affordable, but had no idea that they offered such a modern, good-looking selection.

It’s all in the details, otherwise known as great accessories! The owl theme makes a sweet statement with an owl lamp from Urban Outfitters, owl bank from Target and cool owl rub ons for their wooden letters. Splashes of color brightens the room with a green clock from Restoration Hardware and aqua suitcases from Hobby Lobby.

Cherished family details include a little green rocker that was Mandy’s Dad’s when he was a boy, an antique corner cabinet passed down from Mandy’s parents and curtains made by Mandy’s mother-in-law which are to include brown ric-rac on the bottom, eventually. You know, when Mandy has a free moment!

All the best to the Ford Family! Enjoy your boys and their new room. - PN

Tags: Brown, DIY, Inspiration, Nursery, Twins

Imagine this scenario: You and the family are at that cute and cozy neighborhood spot for Sunday brunch. You’ve got new baby in tow who is soundly sleeping to the tune of a noisy restaurant. Your delicious eggs arrive when out of nowhere feeding time has arrived and baby is letting you and the entire restaurant know. You look at your watch and quickly realize baby ain’t waiting. That’s when you whip out your trusty and stylish Bebe au Lait nursing cover, slip it around your neck and without skipping a beat, latch that baby on. Now back to those eggs…

All nursing moms have experienced a stressful public nursing situation and many choose to just stay at home during feeding times. That’s exactly why mother of two daughters, Claire Ekelund created the Bebe au Lait nursing cover. A discreet and fashionable way to keep the goods private when nursing in public (take that Barbara Walters!). Recently, Bebe au Lait has expanded their line of nursing covers ($35) offering more bold and stylish patterns. We are loving the new “Shrine” Print. Available in both aqua and pink, the colorful tonal geometric print is sweet and stylish.  

All fabrics are hand-selected, 100% cotton with terry pocket detail for quick cleanup and storage. Machine washable (of course, can you imagine?) and their unique structured neckline allows for ventilation and eye contact during feeding. Also, they have come out with a line of 100% certified organic fabrics called Simple in savvy solid colors for the eco-concious yet still chic mom. A great new mom gift and with such fabulous color and print options, a nursing mom can have one for each day of the week…

Tags: bebe, fabric, mom, nursing, organic

Loyal Project Nursery reader Tammy requested some design inspiration geared toward a safari-jungle theme for her future cub. Tammy describes her style as “Transitional”: Contemporary meets traditional. She wants an eclectic feel with warm earthy tones. Mom has already selected baby’s bedding with a jungle theme and fun, plush fabrics. The walls are tan and baby’s furniture is a natural finish. And Oh yeah! She’s not finding out the sex of the baby!!!

Themes…hmmm…we admit, we have mixed emotions about themed rooms. It’s waaay too easy to go overboard. So then, how to create a fun, vibrant theme for your child’s room without going O.T.T.? We are roaring to share what we at Little Apple Design came up with…

Our picks:

1. Mom’s inspiration: Beautiful Wild Safari crib bedding and rich textures (including ”Minky“) from Carousel Designs.

2. Something bright and jungle like: These Abaca Pendant Lights add a contemporary, earthy feel. Already have a ceiling fixture? Hang these in a cluster just above your rocker. While West Elm doesn’t necessary sell kid furniture, they are a great resource for cool kid design that your little one can grow into.

3. Such a popular pic from the Flickr Pool. What a great idea as an alternative to the common wooden wall letters above the crib. Collect nature from your backyard and bring it inside with homemade art.

4. Yes, another West Elm find but check out the amazing, subtle design of these Canterbury window panels close up. Natural Cream is a clean look and won’t clash with the crib bedding.

5. A 5-foot tall Giraffe by Melissa & Doug is what every child needs to complete their wild safari themed room. This would make an excellent baby gift (Hint, hint).

6. Monkey Tree Mobile found at Modern Tots adds some whimsy and imagination above the crib OR above the changing table.

7. Okay, so mom and dad want a comfy chair that reclines AND glides without spending a fortune. Go Dutailier at CNS baby. I know it’s sooo nursery but you’ll like it and if you have more kids you’ll get great use out of it. Take the lead from Becoming-Mom and throw a fluffy sheep skin over it to cozy it up and prevent fabric damage.

8. A shag rug is a must. How much fun will tummy time be in shag!

9. And our personal favorite! Wall decals by Elly Nelly found at Fawn & Forest. They don’t have to be clustered or take up the whole wall. Instead they can be used as a border across one wall or even better, spruce up a piece of furniture. Remember, they can be easily removed when your theme changes.

Tags: Add new tag, Gender Neutral, Inspiration, Safari

They’ve done it again! More reasons to look on the bright side when dragging yourself into the nursery at three in the morning for that feeding you swore you were going to somehow do away with! Nurseryworks, our favorite makers of ultra stylish furnishings for baby’s first room have just come out with five new amazing pieces. The Empire Rocker, Canterbury Changing Table, Spindle Crib and Harvard and Vale Headboards are the newest designs by the Los Angeles based company. With a focus on providing clean, simple, contemporary pieces for baby’s first environment, these newest pieces remind us why we love this company so much.

The new collection offers classic, full-of-character details such as turned wood spindles, tufting and winged backs yet it’s updated to fit today’s modern style. The Empire Rocker has cozy wings and tufted details, offered in microsuede, twill and velvet with color choices ranging from Ecru to Citrus to Lilac. I am in love with the new Spindle Crib because it is a fresh take on a very old-fashioned design. With an ethos to stay earth friendly while providing fresh modern furnishings, Nurseryworks surely has our hearts.

Tags: changing table, Cribs, Furniture, Modern, Nursery, Rocker, Table

Little Art Collector is passionate about bringing art to the rooms and lives of children. When planning the nursery, furniture and bedding often take center stage but it’s the walls that offer a great opportunity to start your child’s very own art collection.  Proud mom of two boys, Hilary Hill recently started Little Art Collector to showcase unique and beautiful artwork designed specifically for the littlest of collectors. Hillary says, “We offer parents a place where they can purchase original fine art and limited edition prints, so you are not just decorating, you are purchasing an heirloom… and maybe even raising a little art collector of your own.”

Looking to integrate more art in your child’s life? Check out Little Art Collector’s 10 simple ways to do so here.  In the meantime, Hilary and Little Art Collector have graciously offered “Morning Swim” to our readers as this week’s featured giveaway. Very Exciting! This painting is a little gem - a neutral painting that would work in either a baby girl’s or boy’s room. It would also make an incredible nursery gift. To enter this contest, follow the these steps:

1. Comment on this post with your favorite piece of art created by your child or created by you from childhood. Macoroni art counts!!!

Tags: Birds, Wall Art

We are enamoured by Lisa Golightly’s latest collection of art known as Wallpaper Panel Art.

Lisa believes children’s art should not have to sacrifice style or quality to embrace charm and imagination.  She accomplishes this with the use of sweet hand painted silhouettes, non-toxic, low VOC paint and graphic wallpaper affixed to birch wood panels. The end result is a combination of fairy tale whimsy and cool contemporary design.

A collection of Lisa’s art can be found on her charming site Kiki & Polly. When asked about the name, Lisa explains that her daughter’s beloved bird was named Kiki and she continues to use her daughter’s imaginary friend Polly for inspiration…”Polly no longer visits our house as she once did, but I try to keep the spirit of childhood, wonder and imagination with me in my Portland, Oregon studio.”

It’s certainly working Lisa and we could all benefit from a little “Polly” in our lives! Kiki & Polly is pleased provide Project Nursery readers with a 10% savings. Please enter promotional code 410008515 at check out. 

Tags: Silhouettes, Wall Art, Wallpaper