Looks more grey than blue..maybe the pics didn't capture the room as it really stands. :o(

Agreed with @LyonStill, although I think the last photo - detail at art - gets the closest to showing the true blue tone. Still a very pretty room!

lyonstill , did you have to register here again today?
I could not get in, scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love it. It seems like a sweet and calming room for a baby.

INNEEDOFMAKEOVER: Yes, I did have to re-register. ;o}

I like the room for what it is, but agree that a baby could use a bit more cheerful color. I think some fun bright posters/art would do the trick and would stand out great against this wall color.
That frame is so cool. I'd want it as a mirror.

I love it. I think it's a nice break from all the pink and other bright colors you see for babies. A baby can still be stimulated without bright nurseries. My kids and lots of others never even had a nursery, they sleep in their parent's room, and parents don't typically redecorate for baby. This room is stylish, flows with the rest of the house, and will grow well with her. Beautiful, Dana!

Hmm...I know if I had a room that looked like this in my house I would be very happy, cheerful even so I guess my kids would be happy too!

@ LyonStill The wall color is a bit of a chameleon changing throughout the day from black to charcoal to navy to gray. It definitely has some blue undertones. I hope the name of the room isn't what deters you.

@ DaliNow The nursery is used primarily for sleeping and diaper changes. For stimulation, the baby is out in the living room with me and her two rowdy older brothers. I promise you, she is probably OVERstimulated after bouts with her brothers. I see the nursery as a cocoon where our baby can rest and grow her wings.

I disagree with all those who say this is a bad color for babies. Blues and grays have been shown to be calming and soothing and that's exactly what you want in a nursery. This is where baby sleeps and is calm. The playroom is the place for lots of color and I'm sure as her parents, you expose her to a lot more scenery than just her 10'x10' nursery. Btw - I'd love to know the name of your blog!

It's high contrast colours that babies need for stimulation not necessarily bright colours. This fits the bill in my oppinion and I liked it when Dana orginally posted on HouseTweaking (hooray HT!)

House*Tweaking. You can see more of the room there along with a DIY mobile that I've since added to the nursery.

The room is gorgeous - I love the dark blue-grey with the pops of pink, and I love how the white furniture pops our rather than just looking crowded, given the size of the room.

And wow to commenters and backseat parenting... *rolls eyes*

Beautiful room. It is pretty, and different. A baby's room is for the baby to sleep and have good naps and perfect rest at nights, and the dark color will just do that, make the room comfortable and cozy to sleep.
Baby can be stimulated with colors in toys, books, wardrobe, besides the rooms has pops of color with the different shades of pink, corals, and raspberry and even the white just pops.
I am so glad to see a baby's room that does not have princess and trucks themes.

Liked it when you posted it on HT; liked it even more with the addition of the mobile in the corner. This space has ample contrast and interest for both mom and daughter, and it can easily grow with its occupant. I find it refreshing to see a child's room that isn't a riot of primary colors and patterns. Tasteful, serene, and yes, appropriate. Nicely done.

Oooh, baby toes!! :D (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)

As for the room, I wholeheartedly agree on the color choice. We get all of these toys and gadgets covered head to toe in contrasts and colors, and we wonder why our babies are over-stimulated come bed time! Peaceful and soothing is the way I go in the nursery, too. We used saturated blues in ours, as well:

http://firewifekatie.blogspot.com/2010/04/nursery-is-done.html

At least, that's what it looked like in the old house. We have yet to do the new nursery -- but thank you for this post, and some inspiration!

I LOVE THIS ROOM. The navy really makes the whites of the room POP. And all the research indicates that it's contrast of colors that interest babies the most. Wonderful room in every way with the different textures and pattern.

Simple and elegant. I feel like this is a very calming space. What a fresh take on nursery decor!

Awww...there's a baby in there! Wish there was a better picture of the baby. Love how she matches the room. ;) Seriously though..love the colors and the balance between light and dark (my favorite!).

I instantly loved this room when I first saw in on the House*Tweaking blog, it's modern, simple, and still femenine withpout being too cutesey. Good job, Dana, you've got my vote!

I love the room! It definitely has the cocoon feeling Dana mentioned and I love the contrast between the dark walls and the white furniture. Makes me want to paint one the rooms in our house dark like this!

I don't undersatnd how this became a forum for concerned housewives to put in their two cents. If you like the room, vote. Period.

Love it, Dana. Love love love it. I feel cozy just looking at it, and I really liked the addition of the chandy - sweet and soft. Mabrey is one lucky gal!

I adore this room. I think it will transition with her as she grows very well since the color scheme is both serene and sophisticated. I imagine this is a calming space for both mama and baby. Love it!

This is so pretty, you rarely see a room with these colors and this is fantastic.

sweet room!

I adore this room! Would love to have something similar in my own home. Great Job!

This is about the prettiest nursery I have ever seen!

Hands down, wins for most sophisticated pallette! Bravo!

I like the color and the room and all...I just don't get how this room has over 280 favorites, far and away the most favorites by over 100! It's a pretty room, but that seems crazy. Does she run a popular blog or something? I thought there were others that AT people would go for more.

I couldn't agree more. It's a gorgeous colour, balance, and composition. But how is this so far ahead of other entries. I think it is a very well styled room however it lacks personality, ie where is the baby and his/her little personality in this room?

Let me preface this response by saying I really like this design but to those asking how the votes are so far from all others the reason is popularity in cyberspace.

If you read the rules of the contest, it encourages you to get family and friends on board for voting purposes. Therefore if you have a lot of friends and family or if you are a popular bloggist or are heavy into any social media you can get a lot of votes.

It is somewhat like "Dancing with the Stars" the more popular you are the more votes you get and anyone this ahead of the rest must be very popular out there in "Cyber World."

I think I read one comment about this room being on a blog?

Dana does have a blog (House*Tweaking - it is mentioned in an earlier comment) and her previous home has been featured on Apartment Therapy as a House Tour.

I follow her blog and on Twitter & Facebook. She hasn't been begging for votes or anything. I think it is simply winning because it is a lovely room and Dana is very talented.

Nor did anyone say she was begging for votes. But it is true the more known you are in Cyberspace and the more people you have following you on other blogs and such the more votes you get. If you cannot admit this you are not being honest. Also there are MANY lovely rooms in this(and other) categories, but popularity as with any voting contest does play a big part and not just the loveliness of the room.

Oh and not that there is anything wrong with that. My response was to "Truculent Suculent" and "Belinda". If you go to her blog it posted on there to vote for her room. And that is ok it IS part of the comp to get the most votes. Not a "Slam" just a fact. Would not have even mentioned it had there not been questions.

It seems that this room is going to win, no matter what. The voting on this is really shady.

The artwork looks like a safety hazard. Looks low enough for the baby to grab it and pull it down.

Love her room! If I have a girl I want to do something similar. You are right, the baby's room is more the mom. I think you did a fantastic job, and whenever I show it to my friends and family they all think it is just wonderful. Baby pink, blue, yellow and lavender are for boring people ;). Love it!

It's so interesting that Mabrey's room looks navy. I have this exact same paint color in my living room which gets a lot of natural light and it almost always looks green. Just like you said, it does change a lot which I love, but I've never been able to see navy, just green and shades of gray. Can I ask how much light Mabrey's room gets? Maybe it is natural vs. artificial lighting. Love the room btw!

We are still laughing at the post that says the room doesn't fit the baby's personality. (we means a dinner full of psychologists and pedagogues)
It made our day

I think it's a beautiful room and so unexpected. Bright pink rooms and hello kitty themes make me nauseous they are so overdone and mainstream. Dana took a risk and it paid off. This room will grow with her and become a great canvas for all that she creates :)

Congrats on the nomination Dana!

good rooms win.

Pretty nursery, but how does this room have more votes than any other entry in any category?

She has a popular Blog.

Mabry's nursery is fabulous. I wish I lived here! It definitely has a "cocoon-like feel." Perfect for a sweet little baby girl.

I absolutely love this room! Very calming and chic!

Good rooms with popular blogs. . .

wow... just wow to all the negativity! she isn't winning because she has a 'popular blog' she's winning because this room is gorgeous! AND she's bringing lots of new people to the apartment therapy website, which i'm guessing was AT's intent.
It's so rare you see an original, sophisticated childrens room and this one is styled beautifully, very chic.
If you don't like the room don't vote for it, but don't get sour grapes because it's winning. she deserves the kudos and we should be building each other up, not tearing each other down.

You took the words right out of my mouth, ktish. Sour grapes is right. The fact that someone feels that the voting is "shady" is completely ridiculous.
Yes, Dana does have a blog...I'm sure she is not the only entry with one. Personally, House*Tweaking is one of my go-to spots for DIY tips and design inspiration, so it doesn't surpise me in the least that Mabrey's lovely nursery is a favorite. I love what she did with a very plain space. The dark color is very soothing and the pop of coral is the perfect feminine touch without being to "girly".
Cheers, Dana.

How is that tearing someone down because it is pointed out that a lot of the votes are coming because she has a popular blog? It is fact and that is part of how you get votes. I do not think anyone who questioned or answered said the room was not liked. Wow is right! That you cannot admit that if you have a "POPULAR" blog, and you can put on there for people to come and vote that you will get more votes. IT IS part of the contest and encouraged for those who are in it to do. Some people questioned and I answered. But you all want to pretend that her blog has absolutely nothing to do with the votes you are not being real. She will win and Kudos to her! She has a nice room and lots of bloggers who want her to win and that is how the contest goes. Once again Facts!

If she's generating traffic, then the people voting for her would ostensibly look at entries in other categories & vote for them, too, which is great. I don't think there are "sour grapes", just an acknowledgment that the voting in these contests (& it always seems to happen) isn't always reflective of the regular readership.

Small made big..and paint did it.no walls to push out...suggest bringing the curtains way up for a baby safe room. The various textures are stimulating for the baby's interest ..color added too. Have you thought to put something under the big frame for the baby to entertain herself when she starts to stand. A safe child's mirror would be great ..the boys could help find items too.
A comment was made the color too dark..babies see black and white first. And it is very calming for sleep.

Blah, blah, blah...this room is great! I've been trying to vote for the longest time, but I have finally got my account verified. I had to vote for Dana. I go to her blog every.single.day. Seeing all of these room have me itching to design my room (and every other room in my cousin's traditional home.) Maybe she will let me attack my room, the bathroom, and the laundry room. I really like all of the entries. Now I want to take a peek inside of everyone's home.

Swoonworthy!

Sophisticated and fresh and lovely.

Awesome job, Dana!

hmm perhaps a better idea for picking the colour for a child's room should be would I (the adult) wear it and more what would the child actually like and be stimulated.

I love the dark look in the nursery, it's cozy and makes all the other colors pop. This looks great & people who complain are jealous :)

Love the paint color!

I love this room - & I love to see dark colors done so well. It doesn't feel dark. It feels clean and welcoming. Lucky kiddo.

I can't believe all these people who have nothing better to do than to criticize how this post got so many votes! So what if Dana has a blog? It's great, and so is her home, that is why so many people read it and are inspired by it. I hope none of this negativity gets to you, Dana, there will always be people trying to bring others down when they're successful. I have one question to all the people who commented on either the safety of the room or the influence of the blog: Is YOUR home entered in the contest? Are YOU a successful blogger? Hmmm. the motive here may be obviuos.

I don't have a blog nor do I have an entry; a while back I did question the # of votes but did not criticize. The room is cute, even with the same photo twice! But in all the other categories, the contenders are within more reasonable margins and this had such a big margin, from the outset. Why would anybody else submit an entry in this category, with no chance of winning without a concerted "get-out-the-vote" campaign?

I'm an avid reader of the blog, and I don't remember Dana ever begging for votes on her entry. Perhaps there is a significant overlap in readership between AT and H*T? I recognized the room, favorite'd it, then perused and favorite'd a few others in the same category.

I would also venture to say that one gets a popular home blog, not from the blog fairy, but by creating cool rooms such as this one.

I am so sick of all this negativity. I swear, if one more person seems to insinuate that this entry might not have won without the support of its blog followers, I am going to have a cerebral aneurysm. Now, it's true that the people who win these contests are always the ones with popular blogs. However, correlation does not equal causation. Logic, people! Besides, anyone who has a popular blog must have it because their rooms are good enough to win contests on their own without being mentioned on their blog.

It's also true that I am a fanatical devotee of this blog; however, that is NOT why I and hundreds of other fanatical devotees voted for this room. I mean, if you can't immediately see why the inherent fabulousness of this room beats that of every other room by a landslide, you must have a problem with your eyes. I've never seen a nursery painted dark like this, not even elsewhere in this contest. This room has personality. And that thing above the bed--that's ART, people! She could have painted it neatly, but the fact that she didn't gives it a rustic charm. And if you'll notice, she didn't plaster Hello Kitty all over the room, like everyone else does. Or should I say Goodbye Kitty.

The blogger never did once beg for votes, so stop thinking that in your sordid little minds; it makes me want to vomit. (I do know exactly what you are thinking.) It's true that her blog says "Vote for Mabrey's room" on the side. That's more like telling, not begging. Not once did she say, "Pretty please with a cherry on top."

And safety concerns? Come on, what next? I think that anyone who says anything horrible about this room or its submitter, such as "This woman has a blog," is a jealous jerk and nothing less. How dare you say such things. Sour grapes, I say, sour grapes.

Lisapizza "me thinks thou dost protest toooooooooooooo much".

She IS winning because of her popular blog and yes she is talented. But her room is not so much more amazing and her talent is not so far above everyone else in this contest. While she may not have begged for votes, the fact that she has a forum to advertise the contest, unlike other's is an advantage. Or guess what she would not have used it.

As others have said it is fine that she used it because it is part of any contest, to rally for votes, but to pretend that her winning is only because her room so outshines the others is so unreal.

And yes probably some of the others may have blogs, but once again it goes to the popularity of said blog

"Cerebral aneurysm" and "it makes me want to vomit" wow really. If this or any other post makes you feel that way, then all I can say is there is a bigger issue going on. Just saying....

Oh and lisapizza do you remember making this comment on the last small cool contest.

"When I checked in on this contest late last night this was definitely a solid second in its division ... which means it got 400 votes in one day (the day he mentioned the contest on his blog). That is truly amazing to me."

Hmmm how is this comment any different. Pot meet black.

Ok, here's the "WHOOSH"ing sound the sarcasm in my post is making as it goes by--

And here's where your head.is. I suppose you also think Stephen Colbert is a conservative. I was merely combining all the annoying posts on this entry into one post. I wasn't going to comment, but the posts finally got to me. I don't actually read the blog, and I didn't even vote for this room, but I don't have anything against it. It was only the thing above the crib that kept me from voting for it. As everyone else has said, the dark paint in the room gives it a sophisticated vibe. Thus, I feel like the thing above the crib should have been painted more neatly. It looks too rustic for this room. Just my own opinion.

However, the person who submitted is is obviously very talented and smart enough to mention her entry ahead of time on her blog. The problem I had in the comment you referred to was that that guy waited until the last few days to mention his entry on his blog. It was like he had wanted to prove he could win without asking people to vote, but when he realized that wasn't going to happen, he abandoned those principles and started begging for votes. He really did beg, and very passionately at that. However, this entrant did nothing of the sort. She has obviously done a really good job on that blog, so why not reap the rewards?

It was the comments in this section that annoyed me, but I get annoyed far too easily. I'm sure there's a simple psychological explanation as to why people get so defensive about other people whose blogs they read. It's probably because they've been allowed into that person's life, so they feel like they're the best of friends or something. I probably shouldn't have commented at all. Sorry if I offended anybody.

Truce....

Oh and I don't even think about Stephen Colbert. ;)

My living room was entered in the International Division so I have followed the contest closely this year. Is it always so controversial?

First of all, congratualtions to all the finalists. I voted for a couple, but not all of them and, while they are beautiful rooms, none were my first choice in their category. I did not personally expect to win and was thrilled just to be included in the competition. I felt that there were rooms superior to mine but it was still fun to watch the votes and read the comments.

AT's motives for allowing voting are obvious and I happen to agree with them. It's fun and encourages many people (who are mainly observers) to become engaged and post comments and generally interact with this community. It is also a brilliant way to draw in more readers.

Obviously the Bloggers have an edge but they were well within the rules to advertise on their blogs and wouldn't we all do that if we could? Perhaps if this is a really issue for many readers (and it seems to have hurt some feelings and ruffled some feathers) AT will consider a panel of designer or "expert" judges in the future, while still allowing reader voting and prizes for "Reader's Picks"... Win-win?

***On a side note, I love this room and it was in my top three choices for this division. I also think Dana should be complimented for staying out of the drama in her comments section.

The only reason AT does these "contests" is to drum up membership for their $ite; if you somehow thought these were fair or truly based on the "best" design, you really need to learn a few things about the interwebz.

That said, I love Dana's blog and the nursery, and I hope she wins.

um...I just want to know where the rug is from. I may have missed that in all the type.

I love getting to see the closer up photos of the rug, curtains, wood, and pillows. They are subtle and a great contrast to the wall color. That dang thing above the crib kind of ruins the room for me. Otherwise, I think the palate is nice.

Overall, I am very disappointed with the final four given the breadth of the number of other outstanding ones, therefore I am abstaining from a final vote. I suspect this one will win without my help.

Congratulations in making it into the final. In the spirit of fairness I'd like to let you know that at least one of you (the final contestants) is publicly asking people to vote three times for their room (telling people to use email, facebook and twitter). You know who you are. I have asked Apartment Therapy a number of times whether you can vote for a room more than once. They never answered my question and just referred me to the contest page. On the contest page it states:

Contest Schedule
9/24 — Submission Forms open.
10/1 — Selected entries will begin to be posted. Readers may respond by choosing their favorite entries. Readers may mark as many entries as they like as favorites during this period. Readers may mark each entry as a favorite only once.....

I don't know whether this is an official rule or how they would enforce it. Anyway just wanted to let everyone know that this is going on. Can't tell you if it's against the rules to vote 3 times, or even tell you if it's against the rules to tell anyone to vote 3 times. It's a mystery.

FYI to everyone following the contest: There's no mystery! The contest rules are being followed and we have been watching the voting carefully. Thanks very much for your entries, votes and feedback in the comments - we appreciate it and will keep it in mind as we plan future contests.

Janel, see you didn't answer my question again. According to the official rules are you allowed to vote 3 times for a room? YES or NO?

I'm with you, thorndale. I posted this on the finalist announcement before the comments were mysteriously disabled, so here it is again: I was kind of, well, not exactly excited but definitely interested about the results of this contest after seeing so many colorful, creative entries. Now? I'm feeling very underwhelmed at seeing the finalists. I honestly don't feel like I can vote for any of them, so I guess that's that.

Scuttled Cuttie, I also thought there were so many other contestants that I'd of wished made it to finalist. However, I happen to like this nursery and the color choices. If I had to vote and I have it was for this room because although the color isn't cherry or bright it is intense & quite beautiful.
Well good luck!

Hi all,
Just checked back here. "Only once" means just that - once. If you are interested in more detailed info on voting, the best source is the rules section, linked from the contest page.

Kudos for thinking outside the "Baby Pastel" color box. Congratulations on winning your division! If I had a blog (next year...;-) ), I would totally have used it too. It was completely within the AT guidelines. I would have probably done even more than just post a Vote Button on the side too!