(Here is one more from Kris, one of the finalists vying for a blogging position at the upcoming AT:The Nursery. Comment away.)
Room: Nursery
Location: Bowie, Maryland
When Whitney Dail’s brother wanted to do something different for his son’s nursery, he turned to his sister for help. He knew that he wanted the room to have a nautical theme, and Whitney, along with mother Merrie Dail, was happy to oblige.
Whitney, who will graduate this spring from The Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Arts in Sequential Art, used photos she found online as inspiration for the walls in this nursery. The mural, which took them two months to complete, wraps around all four walls of the room.
One of the trickiest aspects of nursery design is that the furniture and textiles designed for these rooms aren’t meant to be used for more than a year or two. As a soon-to-be new parent, it surprises me how often cribs and crib linens are used as the focal point of nursery design, because within a few years most babies are transitioning out of those cribs into toddler beds. Why is it then that so many nursery designs feature beautiful baby furnishings against the bland backdrop of plain walls?
It is never too early to expose children to art, and what better way to do so than to immerse them in it, every day? In a small room, a wall mural can sometimes be overwhelming, but the proportions of the design in this room start the mural a third of the way up the wall leaving room for wood wainscoting below, which keeps the mural from overpowering the room. Above, the blue sky melts into the blue of the ceiling, making the room seem airy and open.
It is the details in the mural that make this nursery shine. I am particularly fond of the rowboats dragged up on the beach, and the flowers growing on the slope of the lighthouse hill. These two details, along with the execution of the two racing sailboats evoke memories of a great summer vacation at the shore.
These peaceful and soothing walls work well for a nursery, but the timelessness of the subject and the subtle range of color mean that this room design will continue to be relevant as this baby becomes a little boy. While we are not all lucky enough to have an artist or two in the family, this mural has inspired me to look beyond the furniture when designing my own nursery. More examples of Whitney’s design work can be seen in her portfolio.
Photo Credit: all photos, Whitney Dail
-Kris
absolutely adorable. if i were a kid - i would love to have my very own a beach getaway right in my bedroom!
Wow! I've always hated nautical themes, but this one is really beautiful.
Great piece!
This SO speaks to a lot of my peeves about nursery design! Parents & designers tend to overemphasize linens and furniture that will be outgrown in a year or so. They also design without considering their baby's tastes - like putting a huge race car on the wall when it turns out your kid doesn't share your enthusiasm for Nascar. This serene seascape mural doesn't speak to an extreme theme, isn't overly juvenile, doesn't swipe from another artist's work, and will still be enjoyed by both parents when junior is in elementary school. Plus, it creates that illusion of space so important for apartments.
Plus, parents and child can draw & cut out their own sailboats or sea gulls to put up in the scene.
I vote for Kris!
Another vote for Kris! Well-written entry.
I want that on MY walls.
Actually, linens can be used for about 4 years, because toddler beds are the same size as cribs. I'm just sayin'.
What an original idea for a nursery! It's soothing and yet with all the colors and objects, the baby will have lots of things to look at. This is much more interesting than the nursery rhyme characters that are usually found in baby's rooms. Great article.
The colors and theme in this nursery are so peaceful. Both will grow with this lucky baby boy. I especially loved the description of the the process and the final product. Well written. Kris gets my vote.
Very well-written and inspiring piece. I never thought about how the focus is always on the bedding. I could use that ocean landscape in my room!
I agree with Kris' analysis of the misappropriation of attention as far as decorating your wee one's room. Great style and voice.
Indoor wall fountains are a great addition to interior spaces. They are very soothing and peaceful, especially for city apartments.
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