Name: Ike
Age: 18 months
Location: Austin, TX
Room Size: 180 sq ft. We're lucky to have very spacious bedrooms for a house built in the 60s. Too bad I can't say the same about our closets...
A name like Ike commands a certain amount of presence. You picture a young man with sophisticated tastes ready to conquer the world. This room put together by his mother Erin is just that, a regal and elegant space to be a kid. It's thrifty, it's fun and that rug, oh that amazing rug! Ready to see more?
Nurseries are like recipes. Some come together in 30 minutes and although tasty, don't really satisfy with the same punch that say a long simmered stew does. This room is not unlike a giant pot of simmering stew as each piece has been lovingly tracked down, rounded up and gathered from all corners of Texas. Erin who is half of the fabulous team Design Crisis, takes thrifting to a whole new level and truly knows how to hold out for just the right piece at just the right price. This space is full of love, full of fun and full of tiny tot sophistication!
What was your inspiration for the room? We started out with a queen sized guest bed in Ike's nursery, and it only took us 18 months to realize no guest wanted to sleep with a snoring toddler. When we decided to redo his room, I really wanted to give him something mini masculine but fun -- something he could grow into, but also something that would give him space to play. Instead of looking at nurseries for inspiration, I pulled from all kinds of rooms I liked, and that's when I realized I was obsessed with Persian rugs. Like, OCD obsessed.
What is your favorite element in the room? Tough choice! I really like the rug, the chandelier, and the rocker that has been trying to find an appropriate home for years. I think the thing I find most appealing is how everything blends together -- not an easy
task with so many disparate elements. I credit the paint for pulling things together.
What was your biggest challenge? Picking a paint color! Thank goodness for my homeboy Sanders at my local Benjamin Moore store. After I tried about 15 different colors, he cut me off and picked the paint that's on the wall now.
What do your friends say about the room? My partner in decorating crime Karly was a party and adviser to many of the items purchased that ended up in this room, so I know she approves. I think everyone appreciates not having a giant bed as the focal point for a wee kid's room. My husband is just glad it's done.
What was your biggest indulgence? Time. I'm a thriftaholic, so I've been amassing stuff for years. Plus, I spent forever trolling Craigslist. I know a lot of parents are designing spaces to meet a deadline (like the arrival of a new little person), so I definitely consider time to be a luxury.
What advice would you give to someone designing a nursery for the first time? If you can, try to give yourself the time to let things evolve naturally. A space that is collected, as opposed to purchased on the fly, is more welcoming. Also, make sure you have plenty of storage. Kids are a mess! Who knew?
What is your dream source to shop? 1st Dibs, hands down. Just thinking about it makes me want to enter the lottery.
Resources:
Paint: Wolf by Pratt and Lambert
Rug: Antique Heriz from Craigslist
Curtains: Ikea Aina
Chandelier: Vintage Italian, from the Round Top antiques fair, painted black with Valspar spraypaint.
Crib: Walmart Baby Mod
Chrome Rocker: Vintage Italian from Ebay
Dresser and Chest: Vintage Phyllis Morris from Craigslist
Shelving: Ikea Lack and Expedit
Kid's table and chairs: Ikea Kritter
Rocking horse: thrifted
Drummer boy painting: Round Top antiques fair
Giraffe head: Thrift score for $3.99!
Bear head: Thrifted gift from a friend
Sailboat painting above crib: Vintage 50s watercolor, thrifted
Art above rocker: etching by a college friend, Ikea frame
Corner shelf: thrifted and spraypainted black
Hand sconce: I traded Karly for this bad boy, but he came from the thrift store. I taped and spraypainted the top of the bulb gold so the light wouldn't blind anyone.
Ottoman: thrifted
Gold pillows: TJ Maxx
Wicker baskets: World Market
Miscellaneous art: Jenny Odell and William Wegman, from 20x200 (Ikea frames)
Miscellaneous toys: The Zid Zid metallic stuffed toys were a gift from my friend Raina, many of the soft toys were handmade by friends and family, and the wooden toys are largely Melissa and Doug. There might be some more toys hidden in the closet, too... You gotta love storage.
(Thanks, Erin!)
Images: Erin Williamson
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That paint color is awesome.
Thanks so much for having me, Ohdeedoh, and super special thanks to Sarah for the awesome write up!
I second that on the paint color, and the dressers are gorgeous. Very nice!
Oh my gosh this is amazing! So adult but so kid-friendly. Love the paint color on the walls and that stuffed giraffe head kills me. The dressers are definitely pieces he can grow into and possibly even take with him when he's all grown up.
(What a cute kid, too!)
I love that the room isn't babyish. The chandelier, however, kind of creeps me out. A black cage hanging from the ceiling seems really morbid.
This is one of the best nurseries I have seen in a while. It is so cute. I love the chandelier.
Erin is one talented mamacita!
(And I'm not just saying that because she's my homegirl.)
I love love love this room. Seriously my favorite nursery yet! I also think that this room is a hop skip and a jump away from being gender neutral. If the art was a bit more on the girly side I think this room could be great for a girl. Love the paint color too!!!
This room is awesome, and the rocker makes me want to faint with desire! Definitely adding this to my inspiration files!
Love the nursery and the name. My baby Ike is 5 weeks old tomorrow. :)
I would love that room for myself! I especially love the rug and rocker. Very cute little guy too!
Well, of course the little dude is the star here, but the rug is a pretty close runner up. So refreshing to see a nursery that's truly stylish, not contrived.
I don't know. I'm not a fan of this nursery at all, but I can't explain precisely why.
I like children's rooms to look like they are children's rooms, and not mini-adults rooms (this does not imply that they have to be childish and Dora-themed). This room won't evolve with the child, it can stay the way it is for twenty years. And I don't think that's a good thing not to have a child's surroundings changing and growing with him.
Are persian rug back in fashion ? I've been seing a lot of them lately...
I love it. I want to have that chandelier on me. Is that weird?
I love Ike and Erin and the entire D-C family, but I am seriously jealous of this fabulous space. It's wonderfully child-friendly without being childish. Ike is certainly one lucky tot to have a mama with such an amazing eye for design and talent positively oozing out the wazoo.
Love love love this room. We too are Craigslist scourers and thrift/antique shop junkies. Haven't put together all the pieces for our nursery yet (twins expected in July!) but I'm definitely hoping for a similar vibe and style. Great room for such a cute kid!
i love cubby cabinets! such a great use for storage!
i have something similar that you can see here:
http://ragamuffindesign.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/brewers-room-featured/
The rug and rocker literally made my heart skip a beat. Incredible. Then the rocking horse, giraffe head, painting of the drummer. Wow. It's perfect.
I have a similar rug coming to me for free (Eek!) and it hadn't occurred to me to use it in my son's room. I'm inspired!
That rocker is a to-die-for-find! And love the peacock blue velvet fabric. This is a piece that your baby boy will take with him to his college dorm room! Lucky Ike!
http://www.lindalodding.com
I too love the chandelier, and the dresser! I'm into art deco looking dressers.
interesting room. I am obsessed with the rocker. I wonder how much you paid for it...
Hi delg23, several years ago I paid $250 for it on Ebay, which was a HUGE sum of cash for me (it was the most expensive thing in the room except for the crib). But it was so pretty I just couldn't resist...
Thanks for all the kind comments! Ike totally appreciates them, too. And don't worry -- he's putting his own stamp on the place. The rug is littered with books and legos as we speak!
Love this. Love love love. I've never been a fan of those stuffed animal heads before seeing this but I think it's really what keeps this room in the whimsical little boy realm. So perfect. I love to see real art on the walls...my daughter's walls are covered with paintings we've picked up from around the world. Makes my heart glad ;)
Wow! I'm so envious of how big this room is!
This is very similar to our bedroom paint colour and we have a dark art deco bedroom set the same colour as the dresser, so of course I love it! I adore the colourful rug and chair additions, and I especially like that so much of this room is versatile enough for an older child, too.
I really love that you chose something that is not babyish, yet so cozy and sophisticated.