Name: Daphne (1 month)
Location: Charleston, SC
Size: 10' x 13'
Many nurseries start off as home offices that are then bequeathed to the newest family member upon their arrival. This was the case with Deirdre's office which she used for three years before finding out she was expecting. Luckily, the paint color worked well for the nursery she had in mind.
How did your office become Daphne's nursery?
The nursery, which is the smallest room in our house, started out as my home office. To fix it up, I had crown molding installed, found the chandelier and painted the room for myself. But as I was choosing the paint colors, I remember thinking it was possible that I was decorating the room a future baby might inhabit. It turns out I was.
After I did some initial improvements to my office, I found out I was pregnant, and started making the transition from workspace to nursery. I was sad to lose that room, but it was also perfect for a baby because of its size and color.
I didn't want to do anything too traditionally girly, but play off the black, white and turquoise with some fun, bright colors. The Missoni for Target collection came out just about the time I was buying our crib and I thought the colors of the crib bedding looked wonderful in there, especially with the black crib. Babies love staring at black and white and Daphne, our one month old daughter, will just lie in her bassinet and stare up at the striped shades for hours.
What was the inspiration for the room?
Since it started off as my office, the inspiration was a Hollywood Regency style boudoir - hence the gold chandelier, big gold gourd lamp, the mirrored dresser, the gilt bench and the ornate, antique black and gold mirror. As it evolved into a nursery, I added the more fun and less serious elements like the mobile and the IKEA SMILA HJÄRTA wall lamp.
What is the favorite element in the room?
I love the bassinet. It is Pottery Barn with a custom, white linen skirt. I had the linen skirt made in Charleston and it came out beautifully with the simple, black ribbon trim just above the base. It really keeps the room looking clean and chic and is one of the first things you notice when you come in the door.
Before starting, what did we know we wanted to include, for sure?
I knew I wanted to include the roman shades, chandelier, antique mirror, the dresser and the little gold bench. And I was hoping that I was having a girl, it all may have been a little bit ornate for a boy's nursery.
What was the proudest DIY?
The chandelier. I found it at a tag sale for $20 covered in dust and painted with green and white chipping paint. I spray painted it gold and found the black pleated shades for it at Candelabra. The shades were more expensive than the chandelier!
What was the biggest indulgence?
Probably the antique mirror with the gold, ribbon-like design framing it and the custom linen bassinet skirt.
Any advice for other people starting this process?
Don't be afraid of color, incorporate at least one or two antiques and have fun! I loved working on this room - it really brought me back to childhood and I was able to select pieces and use colors in a riskier way then I normally do. It is a challenging creating a room that is both stimulating to a baby but also soothing and peaceful.
If money was no object, what would our dream source be?
I would have loved either a Dorthy Draper gold and black Espana dresser in there or the Uptown Changer. I also would have done the Vetro Acryllic crib by nursery works.
Source List
Paint
• Walls: Robin's Nest by Benjamin Moore
• Crown Molding: Super White by Benjamin Moore
Furniture
• White Cube Shelves: EXPEDIT by IKEA
• Wardrobe: Purchased at an estate sale
• Rug: overstock.com
• Crib: DaVinci Jenny Lind in Ebony
• Crib Bedding: Missoni for Target
• Chair: Elizabeth Newman Interior Design
• Zebra Organic Storage Bin: 3sprouts
• Dresser: Wayfair
• Regency Bench: Ebay
• Striped Hooks: Anthropologie
Artwork:
• Velveteen Rabbit print from Blackwell's bookshop in Oxford UK
• Horton Hears a Who print from R. Michelson Northhampton, MASS
• Vintage Barnum & Bailey poster from 1979
• Vintage jewelry Advert
Decorations
• Paper Mache Zebra Head: Dwell Studio
• Hot Air Ballon Mobile: Bellacor
• Heart Lamp: IKEA
• Piggy Bank: Target
• Gourd Lamp: Tuesday Morning
• Antique Mirror
• Roman Shades: custom made with IKEA SOFIA fabric
Thanks Deirdre! For more on Daphne's room and Deirdre's other projects, check out The Chic Bump and Candy Shop Vintage.
(Images via Teeny Monster)
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It's beautiful but it looks like it was mostly design for the Mother and not the child.
So gorgeous and original! I love it.
So sophisticated, colorful, and fun! I love the striped window shade.
This nursery is gorgeous. I don't make a lot of comments on AT but I just have to ask, why do folks have such a problem with adults indulging their own design aesthetic when it comes to their kids' rooms, especially a first nursery? Would it really be more interesting to see room after room of the same, tired character-themed crap that's out their for sale? It's the only time in your child's life that you get to make decisions about the way their environment looks, before the hoards of plastic toys and tacky gifts (that you would never choose for your kid or yourself) invade every corner of your home. This particular nursery has a lot of color and interesting things for baby to be stimulated by, while still calming and sophisticated. Very unique and beautiful!
I agree Mrs.Powers!
I think this nursery is refreshing and original and probably work quite well for an infant. Good color contrast, too.
I'd prefer to avoid baby-crushing art placed over the crib though.
What a great nursery! Looks chic and they can always make changes once the child starts getting their own style and move some of those fabulous pieces to other places in the house. I'm almost 30 and my bedroom isn't this well put together!
Wow! Love the circus theme. Very original. I can tell it's a child's room, but it doesn't look childish.
"Designed for the child" -- infants don't have decorating preferences. All parents impose decor choices on their children. It's nice to see a mother not imposing pastels.
Hahaha I think that first comment is hilarious! It's not like the baby's in utero giving paint chip opinions. And the nursery IS designed for the child. There's clearly a crib in here, right?
I think it's great!
And especially since newborns only really see high contrast color combinations, it's fantastic to avoid the pastels. That's as much an adult construct as any other decorating choice. Furthermore, considering it's the mother/parent who will be mostly aware of the environment, damn straight it should be decorated for the parents to enjoy anyway.
This nursery is so freaking cool. My baby would love to live here - she loves stripes of all kinds, and high-contrast patterns (like the black and white curtains and the spotted rug) are especially stimulating for infants. Love it!
This is the first nursery or kid's room that I'm actually envious of! I also agree with Mrs. Powers - who says parents can't design a room for their child that they find aesthetically pleasing as well? And as JMCGEE pointed out, a lot of the stuff in the room could be re-purposed elsewhere at some point. Beautifullly done.
This has inspired me to add some more black and white to my little lady's nursery, so thanks for that!
It looks great, but I just wonder day to day, how it would cope when the child starts crawling and with the inevitable baby milk badges or poo explosions. I guess the furniture could be swapped out at this time as needed, but that defeats the purpose of the original design doesn't it?
I totally agree with Mrs. Powers. Amen!
I LOVE IT!!!!
I wish I could caption some of the photos, since I'm the granny. One of the photos shows Daphne's great-grandmother's evening mesh purse. The floppy bear-dressed-up-as a bunny was something my husband and I bought for Deirdre when she was a newborn. Many of the books are the parents' baby books.
Deirdre comes from a family of ten aunts!!!! many of whom chipped in for the crib. What's not there yet is a dollhouse a great-great aunt, long gone, brought home from Macy's in New York to Torrington, CT for eight of the aunts on Grandpa's side of the family. They generously bequeathed it to Deirdre. She made tiny furnishings for it with her dad while she was growing up and well before there was an Apartment Therapy. So there's some history going on in little Daphne's room, and we'll all be able to tell her stories about it.
Yes, it's all very glam for a little baby, but the baby rooms Daphne's grandparents and great-grandparents came from were pretty modest. So bring on the glam! In any case, most of it was put together from Craigslist, estate sales, eBay, Ikea, baby items wonderful friends passed on. I love the mix even though my husband and I still have the same stuff we bought forty years ago. I hope we get the next Apartment Therapy makeover: When Daughters Make Over Their Parents' Digs! It's gonna be a challenge.
Meanwhile, well done, Daughter!
I love everything about this room. It is so lovely. Well done! And, lucky Daphne!!
Congrats, Housegal, on the fam and the BEAUTIFUL nursery decor. Daphne is one lucky girl! :)
What a beautiful room.
Do your plans include swapping out the crib one day for a Jenny Lind bed?
Just curious how large the room is, we are in a simular situation with a workout room now turned bedroom.
Thanks and have fun !
i'm obsessed. Good job mama!
Hey, I was wondering if Deirdre wouldn't mind sharing some of her local sources. I'm in Charleston too and would love to know where I should be looking for furniture.
seriously...is this reality??? or just over the top unpractical decision???!
Thank you!!! @AMELIADK this crib is great because it converts to a toddler bed. By the time Daphne is too big for a toddler bed, she might need a bigger room - not sure I could even fit a full-sized twin in there comfortably! (It is about 10' X 13") This was the tiniest room in our house and doesn't have a closet and we actually put the changing table in our master bath so we could be near a sink. I think the room will evolve with her and her needs but I definitely recommend trying to use black and white in a nursery if possible - our baby is just enchanted by it! And to be honest, I did design it partly for myself (it was my office first) but so far, Daphne seems to share my taste and likes looking around at everything, particularly the curtains and the chandelier!
Love Granny's comment! The first comment here is so silly, there are plenty of nurseries where I've thought the same thing, the ones that have nothing to visually stimulate the baby, and no toys or books. This is certainly not a room just for mom! It's gorgeous and interesting! Look how much kiddie stuff there is in there, come on! There is so much contrast, the black and white is wonderful! I want those shades now! And I really, REALLY love the mobile! Also, Daphne is such a gorgeous name, one of my favorites!
@MSTAYLORLAUREN Antiques of South Windermere in West Ashley has some eclectic pieces at great price points and so does the Antiques Market on Coleman Blvd. in Mt. Pleasant. Also, sign up for emails from totalestatesales.com who do estate sales in the Charleston area where you can really find some amazing deals. If you want to spend a little bit more, there is 17 South Antiques (also in W. Ashley), ESD Charleston and GDC in Mt. Pleasant and Summerville. I also like traveling up to the Metrolina in Charlotte for their monthly Flea Market/Antiques show...
this nursery is gorgeous. i wish it was MY room! :) and as far as the two commenters that said it wasn't designed for the baby, but the mother and that it's impractical.....well, that's just stupid. how do we know that infants like winnie the pooh and butterflies {as so many nurseries are hideously decorated with}? babies LOVE bright colors and contrast, so it seems like this room is actually designed MORE for the baby than any other nursery. it's chic, well thought-out and just nice to look at! the only thing that may be impractical {unpractical is not a word} is the chair, with the fact that spit-ups may be hard to clean and the fact that it doesn't rock, but so what??? that's the parent's choice to have it in there. AND not all babies like to be rocked.
this room rocks. great job. i love the fact that you did this yourself and didn't have a "designer" come in and do it, that's awesome. congrats on your little girl and your beautiful room!
Anyone know what the rug is called or if it is still on Overstock?
Nurseries are ALWAYS built for the parents, not the child, and that is perfectly fine. If there is anyone out there who actually thinks they are able to read their child's mind in utero and design the perfect nursery for their baby, well, they are insane. As long as it doesn't include anything that might be dangerous to a baby, there is nothing wrong with designing a nursery that is just for you, the parent, since you're the one who will be mostly using the room for the first few years of the child's life, until they begin to develop their own personhood and habits and start to use it on their own and have their own ideas about how to decorate it.
I personally am not a fan of the "glam" corner, but the hot air balloons(!), circus poster, and colorful bedding? SO good.
I agree with Mrs. Powers too- this nursery is absolutely fabulous and so tasteful.
deirdrez - I think you'll really enjoy having the changing pad in the bathroom. We did as well and it was awesome.
A twin bed is only 6 feet long and a little over a yard wide, so yes, a twin bed can fit comfortably into a child's room. It leaves a floor space that is 9 feet by 10 feet (assuming original was 13 by 10), which is still considerable, even with a small desk and bureau. Of course, I'm a New Yorker, so the idea that a bedroom of this size is "too small" for a bed is unfathomable! This is beautiful. I don't see why it would be impractical.It has room for sleep, toys, and clothes. It has lovely things to look at, many with their own stories to tell. It is touching, and very personal to the family, with way more meaning than a room with random monkeys, just sayin'. Congratulations baby!
Pretty, but my understanding is that the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend crib bumpers these days.
What a lovely nursery. Why not indulge in your baby's room? I think its extremely important to have a room without clutter and that feels warm and inviting for your little one to sleep in. An inviting room is so much easier to sleep in if you're a baby or not. If the parent is relaxed and comfortable in the room, the baby will sense that and love being in that room too. The colour scheme in this room is beautiful and unique. Great job!
its so pretty! love it!!
I'm kind of laughing at the sentiment that a baby's room should reflect the baby's "style."
If people took this to heart, we'd all have had rooms decorated like the inside of a uterus.
Sigh. The crib is so pretty and so dangerous. Get rid of the bumpers, stow the quilt and the pillow for later. Check out the American Pediatrics Association guidelines. Dress the baby in a Missoni onesie, if you must have flamboyant style and color, but leave the crib free of soft surroundings. A well-fitted mattress and a tight sheet are all the baby needs. I am not an aesthetic minimalist, just have heard many professional lectures on the dangers of infant suffocation.
Love this! Alot of cute ideAs ......
This is fantastic and practical. The pieces are very sweet and appropriate for a nursery, but not so infantile so as to only last a year or two. The baby can grow up with this furniture for many years. Good investment, great style!
the little girl is going to have a lot of fun playing in the room... hope she turns out to be a hellraiser! :)
Always entertaining to read the comments. I think it is a GORGEOUS space! It reminds me a bit of Erika Powell's nursery for her little girl. I love the glam and the idea of the high contrast black and white. The mirrored chest/lamp/piggy bank vignette is enviable.
thenestinggame.com
Finally, a nursery I love! I love everything about this room!
Wow! Clearly you put a lot of effort and love into this nursery, and with wonderful results. I agree a nursery needs to be enjoyable for the parents to be in, and doesn't necessarily have to be full of "kiddie decor." On the other hand, you may find as your little girl gets older that some of the items need to be repurposed elsewhere in your home. It may not be so much what her taste is, but might be whether she loves gazing at herself in the mirrored dresser or prefers to throw things at it. (Sorry, some kids are throwers!)
This may be the smallest room in your house, but it's larger than 2 of our 3 bedrooms. My son's comfortably fits a full-size bed, dresser, desk & chair, nightstand/bookcase, basket of toys, and a hanging chair. Of course, at 9, he doesn't spend as much time crawling around on the floor as he used to. I noticed that your nursery has not only a crib and a bassinet. You also have an armoire and the Expedit and a couple of chairs. I bet you'll find the space more than adequate as your little girl gets older. And lots of kids love a cozy room.
What a rich nursery!
A terrific nursery, original, classy, glam and still - a baby's room. Congrats to everyone involved in this very successful project
Stunning! I love this room and would love to have a nursery like this one day :)
If I had to spend a lot of time in a room feeding, changing, playing, rocking... I would NOT want to be surrounded by Winnie the Pooh! So of course nurseries are designed with parents preferences in mind!
This is so gorgeous! I have mentally bookmarked it as inspiration for my own bedroom :)
@secondscott ... it's getting a little yawn-inducing, reading the same comments on any post with soft furnishings within an arms length of a crib. For starters, Daphne is clearly still sleeping in the bassinet. Also, this is a NURSERY TOUR, where the room has been styled for photos. Lastly, let Deirdre make her own decisions about what's best for her and her family.
HINMELB, well, presumably Daphne's going to be sleeping in the crib at some stage - are you thinking they're going to take the bumper out then, only putting it back in for photos? Possible, but seems unlikely enough that I don't blame secondscott for broaching the topic.
Also, the 'let people decide what's best for their family' line, doesn't really wash when you're talking about a national safety standard. For babies.
Sorry that it bores you, but it is quite important; I don't think commenters are just trying to be critical jerks.
All that said: I love this room, it's sophisticated yet still stimulating and whimsical. Lucky Daphne!
lol
oh gosh, the bumper debate again. let's slam the new mom for her design choices AND parenting...if you purchased a bedding SET and paid some good money for it, would you take a picture of it all together too? my twins don't sleep with bumpers, but in their nursery tour, i had their bumpers on! {it was before the AAP came out with their recommendations, but had it been after, i still would have left them on for a cohesive picture.} and until bumpers are illegal, i don't see how blasting someone for having them on their crib is right.
GREAT nursery. Very sophisticated but still appealing for a child. Love it!
Here here hinmelb! And....really, we choose the clothes our little ones wear, how is choosing their decor that much better. Let's keep out the syndicated doona covers, crappy posters and giant ugly bears out for as long as we can!!!
Well done new mummy for being so brave as to put your design choices for your kid onto AT. It's hard enough with all the criticisms in the real world.
It's absolutely lovely! However, is the difference between loose and lose not taught in school anymore? I've seen this error on three different blogs lately.
I created an account just to comment. I think this nursery is gorgeous. And such a breath of fresh air! Seems like such a joy to be in. The colors, the GOLD!, the textures, the old merged with new... and the comment from the grandmother just made it all the more brilliant. Well done! I'll definitelt be borrowing some ideas when the time comes.
I agree with Mrs.Powers.
While this room is not really my style, I can still find the beauty in it. I too am for designing your baby's nursery to your taste and not to the baby's taste? I mean--the baby doesn't have a taste yet.
Again. +1 MrsPowers! I heart this nursery. I wish MY bedroom was this well put together! :-P
wow. this is so beautiful. the black and white contrasts are perfect. my daughter also responded really well to them. we generally have a lot of black and white in our house. i love it. it's classic. this is a beautiful nursery. great job.
The only primary color that came near my kids when they were very young was orange! (Both the boys and girl). I would have never thought to use it in the nursery as you have and it is gorgeous!!! And I still abhor "character" baby rooms! I adore the velveteen rabbit picture and barnum poster that you have displayed. Congratulations on your new little girl and thanks for sharing her room!
Love the rug! Do you happen to know the name or if overstock still carries it?
"Dress the baby in a Missoni onesie, if you must have flamboyant style and color"
lol
@JENCAB114 A few people asked about the rug and I don't think they still carry that exact one, but this one is similar: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Leopard-Wool-Rug-8-x-10/3146799/product.html. Plus they have a lot of other affordable animal print rugs.I did not have the issue with pilling mentioned in the comments and the size I got was 8' X 8' and about $200.
As for crib bumpers, blankets and such I am aware they are aren't recommended... they came with the bedding set and I think they look pretty installed when it's not in active use. She'll be sleeping in the rolling bassinet for awhile longer, which is really convenient for moving around the house during the day (from Pottery Barn) or late at night. It also has tons of storage underneath, a huge plus, and no bumpers : )
As for this rug staining easily as someone said, I couldn't find a vibrant rug for my daughter's nursery so I ended up going with the most vibrant, albeit pastel, chenille rug that I could find. She's 5 1/2 months only and there's already stains on it I can't get up. So there's not many rug choices out there that would be better. Thank goodness I don't have wall to wall carpet!
KUDOS to Daphne's mom for being ready to have anyone in your house when your baby is 1 month! And I love Granny's post--clearly if you're posting on Apartment Therapy you're too hip to be called "Granny" (but hey, my very hip mom goes by "Grammy" and owns it!)
This is lovely and embodies just what I wanted to do with my daughter's room: clearly feminine but classic, refined and not the overdone pastels or god forbid: characters!
Ingenious blend of sophistication and childlike appeal. So much better than the other recent "mature" nursery (with the eccentric black chevrons) -- this one is elegant yet playful, lively instead of somber. This is a room that a child really could grow in, with plenty of riches of all kinds.
What a beautiful nursery! I love it. Enough with the pastels!
I'm feeling sad though that your "tiny" room is the size of my master... The answer is YES, you can certainly fit a twin size bed in there. And furniture too! My smallest bedroom is a measly 9x9 and the former owners had a bed and chest in there. I made it my dressing room, so I have a tiny master bedroom, but a nice big closet :D
What a beautiful nursery! I love it. Enough with the pastels!
I'm feeling sad though that your "tiny" room is the size of my master... The answer is YES, you can certainly fit a twin size bed in there. And furniture too! My smallest bedroom is a measly 9x9 and the former owners had a bed and chest in there. I made it my dressing room, so I have a tiny master bedroom, but a nice big closet :D
Simply stunning, bumpers and all. This has to be the most beautiful nursery I have ever seen. Congratulations on Daphne's birth!
Deirdrez, happy to read your comment and I wish you, Daphne, and Granny much joy in the coming years.
Erin Kirby: nobody was 'slamming' or 'blasting' anyone. And in answer to your question, no, I would not put the bumper in the crib for the picture.
DeirdreZ: Thanks for answering the questions re: the bumper, and again, congrats on pulling together a stunning room! :)
Hi,
I love that this room is glam but more importantly, safe and functional for a growing explorer. When I saw the stool in the preview images, I prayed that is wasn't the only seating in the room!!
I would have felt personally responsible for delivering a comfy nursing/feeding chair for Momma. ;)
This is a lovely nursery. My sister in law gave me her PB basinett and it came with a bumper. Did you use your with our without a bumper - wondering about safety issues.
I had the PB bedding as well and as other people have pointed out, bumpers aren't considered safe and I would not use the PB one as it so thick and the bassinet is already so much smaller than a crib (our baby sometimes rolls towards the edge). That bassinet is really beautifully designed and I think it looks better without anyway!
LOVE IT ALL!! GREAT ROOM DAPHNE!!!
This is may be my favorite nursery ever, and that includes the three I have decorated for my own children. it is classy and beautiful. My seven year old just said she wished it was her room and I have to agree.
I love the nursery it is insanely beautiful! And yes a twin bed will fit. Your tiniest room is bigger than my bedroom and I have a queen bed in there!
I am COMPLETELY obsessed with this nursery! We are expecting our third child and he or she will have to share a room with our toddler. This room would be perfect for a shared gender nursery, so we're drawing a lot of inspiration from it! Really, really beautifully done! I only hope our nursery turns out half as beautiful as Daphne's!
Do you have the name of the person/company who customized the bassinet skirt?