Name: Ella (6 months)
Location: Sherman Oaks, California
Room Size: 19' x 14'
Ella is a very lucky girl! Her room is so chic I can see her and her parents still loving the design for many, many years. Designer Shirry Dolgin helped the family pull together Ella and Cameron's rooms. Sometimes you just need that extra eye to realize your dream space.
How would you define the style of the nursery design?
Parents: It's a classic design.
Shirry: Soft, sweet, and fresh.
What was the inspiration for the space?
Parents: We wanted a feminine, elegant and classy - almost vintage - look.
Shirry: The inspiration came from the selection of wallpaper. I found 3 different papers to show my client that all gave a very different feel. But they both gravitated toward this one, which has a touch of gold and taupe.
How did you decide on the color scheme?
Parents: Shirry provided several color choices that were both warm and feminine. When we found the right shade of paint, other elements such as the wallpaper inserts, were matched.
Shirry: I got some direction from the parents because they said they were ok with doing a bold color, but they knew they wanted pink for their first girl. I didn't want anything pastel and I also wanted something that would be unlike most girl nursery rooms. So I chose a crisp hue of pink from Benjamin Moore. I decided to have all the furniture painted white. To create contrast from the white, I decided to keep all the wall surfaces, including the drapery, in a more monochromatic palette. The light in this room played a huge part on selecting just the right shade.
What are some tips for using wallpaper in a nursery when the design changes so often?
Parents: Shirry had a great idea to frame sections of wallpaper in Ella's room creating these beautiful focal points. It looks amazing! It doesn't look like wallpaper - it looks as if it has been hand painted on the wall. Being such an elegant design, we can definitely see her growing into this as her room changes when she gets older.
Shirry: I decided that the wallpaper would be installed in the form of artwork. The room already had very bold crown and base moldings, so I made new frames on the walls using a chair rail molding and framed the wallpaper. This made it pop and guests always ask if the walls were hand painted. It just brings it up a notch!! It also created a huge amount of balance on these two large walls without spending the money on artwork. This was a huge money saver!
What was the biggest challenge when designing the space?
Parents: The crib and dresser set we wanted to use belonged to her older brother and were a dark brown. Shirry had the great idea to refinish the set in white, giving it a fresh new look. You wouldn't even know it was the same set.
Shirry: This space was tricky because it was such a long room and had such high ceilings. Baby furniture is small so once I put the crib, rocking chair, and changing table in, I felt like the ceiling height was overtaking the room. So I chose to get a few paper lanterns in colors that coordinated with the wallpaper and I suspended them from the ceiling in the two corners of the room. This added another layer to the room and gave me the height I was after without feeling too heavy.
How do you see the design transitioning as Ella gets older?
Parents: The furniture will need to change as she grows, but the rest of the room is perfect for a little girl.
Shirry: The first thing that will change will be the furniture as Ella gets older. She will need a bed as she gets older and eventually she will want a desk and maybe a reading corner. Luckily the wallpaper can easily be switched out within the already framed area and the walls can be repainted. Add a few modern accessories and you've got a new space for a young girl.
Sources:
- Wallpaper: Graham & Brown
- Paint: Benjamin Moore
- Lanterns: PaperLanternStore.com
- Rocking chair: Juvenile Shop
- Flokati rug: Overstock.com
Thanks Ella!
(Images: Erika Bierman)
• MORE KIDS' ROOMS ON APARTMENT THERAPY
• SUBMIT A BABY OR KID'S SPACE
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Beatriz's Fun & Functional Workspace
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sheex Bedding
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Wow, this is so beautiful! It's not my personal style, necessarily, but it is really well done. I love the brown chair and the rug. Nice work.
Oh, and the rocking sheep. Love that too!
Thank you Puella :)
I'm normally not a huge fan of pink, but this shade is lovely -- almost as if it has a coral/orange undertone, so its not too bubblegum. You are lucky to have such lovely arched windows! The window treatment is well done -- I know that many like to leave such windows without treatments, but that just isn't very practical in a nursery (for naptimes and such). Love the table next to the chair -- I saw one just like it in a shop a few weeks ago and am trying to find a place in our home where we need it because I love it so much!
I think this nursury works for the family who put it together for their little girl. When my little girl was born, i chose not to go with the traditional pink for a girl or blue for a boy. I hired a professional painter, wall color was a beautiful and peaceful sea foam green. I was also very aware of what peacefully stimulated my daughter in her environment. I did not have items that would frighten a baby when she awoke alone in her nursery without mother. Was hesitant at first to have a baby monitor in the room because of fire hazards, but prayed about it and had one set up with speaker next to my bed. Items placed directly across the top of the crib were selected to stimuate the brain. Materials were checked that covers, sheets were made of, whatever was close to my daughter's skin was also washed in a very mild detergent. Rocking chair is a must, one with foot rest for Mom or Dad. Changing table - very securely built with strap, etc. I did like the way the couple above displayed the babies name on wall - nice touch.
The table next to the chair is only cute for decoration, but way too small and very impracical for a table next to a nursury chair.
This room is a beauty! As for "BEYONCE", relax a little.
Oh my goodness, did they put up an empty picture frame with room for lots of pictures? I love that idea! What sweet anticipation!
Rocking sheep rocks, of course.
I do have to wonder what on earth Beyonce finds scary about this room for a baby- it's all such soft colors and shapes, and frankly so womb-like, that there's really not much to startle anyone. :) I bet extra stuff they don't need like flowers on the changing table are like the empty picture frames- just nice little touches in anticipation that they can easily change once the room is in use.
Not a fan of the wall to wall carpeting & the peachy colors.
OMG! without a doubt, a dreamy room...
Every little detail is so much taken into account,
Beautiful room! Would you mind sharing the paint color? Thank you!
I need to know where that lamb rocker came from. Can you please let me know where I could find one?
I had a very strong reaction to this room, but hope that the parents and new baby love it. Each to their own! I agree with Beyonce about the tiny table, guess the parents will replace items as their needs change.