Benicio’s Intrepid Explorer Nursery

Name: Benicio
Location: Silver Lake- Los Angeles, CA
Room Size: 125 Square Feet

When you’re the child of a very talented interior designer such as Rosa Beltran, founder of Rosa Beltran Design in Los Angeles, you’re guaranteed to have a pretty awesome nursery. 15-month-old Benicio has an incredible room chock full of fun and inspiration that he’ll get to explore as he grows.

I couldn’t help but notice Rosa’s great sense of color, pattern and texture that she imbued into the space by using lots of different fun fabrics together. From DIY Roman window shades to the awesome burlap and fabric-covered cubby cubes she made from simple wooden Ikea storage boxes…you have to love her rad DIY skills. They’re all over her stylish home and Benicio’s room is no exception. 

Check out the ottoman pouf or the incredible elephant mural that she DIY’d and posted about on her design blog, along with many other nursery DIY tutorials.  She also specializes in custom furniture for her clients, so she designed the super cute and functional day bed and cleverly re-purposed a rocker-swivel armchair  to rival any fancy nursery glider out there. 

This room has an almost old-fashioned, timeless feel to it that I love. It’s classic but sweet in a way that works great for a baby boy nursery, but will also transition seamlessly into a big boy room as little Benicio grows older. 

How would you describe the look and feel of this room?

I wanted to do a classic Little Gent’s nursery with lots of world travel elements.  My jumping off point was a small stuffed bear in a constable uniform from Harrod’s in London.  I found him when I was pregnant, and that got me thinking of Paddington Bear and a classic color scheme of navy and brass.

What is your favorite piece or element?

The combination of the various fabric prints on the pillows, window treatments, bedding, and cubby boxes really bring the room together and give it character.

Before starting, what did you want this room to include, for sure?

I knew I wanted a comfy sofa/daybed to lie down on with the baby.  And since before baby this was our only guestroom, it still has to do double duty when we have guests as well.

I wanted to give my little one a space that fostered their sense of wonder and exploration of the world. I really spent some time recalling the things that seemed very magical to me as a child…so there are tons of my favorite childrens books collected from second hand stores, lots of globes and map elements, these big fantasy-like vintage hot air balloon decals on the walls, and a huge mural depicting an antique engraving of a mama and baby elephant. I still love looking around in there…it definitely unlocks the imagination.

If money were no object, what’s your dream source?

I love Land of Nod and Serena & Lily for darling kid’s decor. 1^st Dibs for fantastic vintage finds! I also really value an organic crib mattress and bedding in a nursery, where keeping things non-toxic is truly important.  I would DIY everything else and splurge on that if it came down to it!

What do friends say about the nursery?

Friends and visitors usually rave about the large scale wall art first…the huge vintage hot air balloon decals and the elephant mural are hard to ignore! And they invariably love the fact that this nursery is timeless…it’s not too cutesy, too pastel, or anything that we’d feel the need to change out as Benicio gets bigger…it’s definitely a room he can grow with.

What was your biggest indulgence? 

The custom upholstered sofa and matching rocking chair that I designed and had made. Actually the rocker was a vintage armchair that I had re-covered and then added a rocker/swivel mechanism to the base. I blogged about it here. 

• Daybed: Rosa Beltran Design
  
• Swivel/Rocking Chair: Vintage chair re-done by Rosa Beltran Design
  
• Sailboat Print: Artist Tony Falcone
  
• Rug: Overstock.com
  
• Dresser and changing table: Vintage dresser DIY
  
• Crib Bedding: DIY ticking stripe crib skirt and bumper made from Ikea bumper.
  
• Bookshelf: Ikea Expedit
  
• Cubby Boxes: DIY fabric covered Ikea Prant wood boxes
  
• Ottoman: DIY from a milk crate
  
• DIY Window treatments: Inexpensive JC Penney Roman shades re-covered with striped fabric.  DIY fabric covered pelmet boxes.
  
• Hot Air Balloon Decals: Blown up stock images printed on sticky adhesive paper.
  
• DIY Elephant Mural: Blown up stock image and maps decoupaged directly to the wall and framed with wood trim.
  
• Crib: Scored on Craigslist (“green” non-toxic finish too!)
  
• Non-Toxic Crib Mattress:  Hand-me-down
  
• Globe Mobile: Authentic Models
  
• Window Seat: Ikea Hemnes tv unit with legs cut off and custom box cushion by Rosa Beltran Design.
  
• Red Trunk: Vintage
  
• Rocking Horse: Baby shower gift
  
• Brown Burlap Chest/Side Table: Home Goods
  
• Galvanized Tin “77” Box: Home Goods
  
• DIY Ceiling Light: Ikea Ottava light sprayed to look like brass
  
• Floor Lamp: Ikea Barometer lamp in red
  
• Throw Pillows: All custom by Rosa Beltran Design
  
• DIY Monogram Pillow: Hand-cut glued-on felt initials.
  
• Sheepskin: Ikea
  
• DIY Clock: Ikea clock painted to look like brass
  
• DIY Porthole Mirror: Thrift store clock frame painted to look like brass, with added mirror and glued-on nuts and bolts to look like a porthole.
  
• Navy/Ivory Fabric Covered Storage Boxes: Ikea
  

Thanks, Rosa!

(Images: Bethany Nauert )

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