Baby G’s Bright, Playful Space

Name: Baby G
Location: Bologna, Italy
Room Size: 4.5 x 3.5 meters

I love coming across a nursery that incorporates all of my favorite elements—white and bright, yet colorful, a nice mix of both modern and vintage, and most importantly, something that is whimsical and playful enough for a child to enjoy. Alessandra of Almalu’s Place did just that when she created a nursery for her precious little bambino. The modern Mur triangles paired with the vintage crib, bright white walls and colorful accents create a fun and happy space.

How would you describe the look and feel of this room?
I wanted something modern, fun and colorful. Before I actually got pregnant I bought a Ferm Living pillow with a fox on it that became the starting point. When thinking of the mood for the nursery, I tried to create a sort of modern woodland. Also I tried to mix some “sentimental” and vintage pieces (like the crib or the rocking horse) with others that are more modern and new (like the rocking chair). The room already had a big watermelon wardrobe that, together with the pillow, helped me decide on the color palette: orange, blue, gold and hints of yellow.

What is your favorite piece or element?
I had a lot of fun working on the nursery, but I must admit that my favorite piece is probably the crib. It belonged to my family, and I love that it now belongs to my baby. (All the stuffed toys and pillows in the crib are indeed removed when Baby G sleeps in it, but I love to have them styled in the crib when the baby is not sleeping!) I also love the way the wall turned out with the triangle decals from Walls by Mur. I think they add a lot of fun to the room. And the rocking chair, well, let’s say that is for mama more than for the baby!

What was the biggest challenge decorating this room?
I’d say decorating on a budget without being overwhelmed by all of the things I love and wanted to add into the room. My “strategy” was to create a Pinterest board where I collected all of the ideas and inspirations I loved. And I must admit it helped a lot when I had to choose what to buy or make. Indeed we had a lot of gifts inspired by that Pinterest board as well, and I also made a lot of DIY projects I saw on Pinterest so that I could save some money. I also turned to Etsy and local vintage shops for budget finds.

What do your friends say about the room?
Everyone loves it! And I am happy to say that it also inspired some of my friends when decorating their babies’ rooms. Some Instagram and blog followers also wrote me to tell me that they wanted to hire me for designing their children’s rooms. I found that really funny, but it also made me really proud of my little design project!

Do you have any advice for parents creating a room for their child?
Take your time and enjoy the process! I started working on the nursery at the early stage of my pregnancy, first creating the mood board on Pinterest and then slowly collecting the pieces I wanted. I also suggest to choose furniture and decorations that can grow with the children (for example I didn’t buy a changing table but a dresser that I personalized with some funny knobs).

If money were no object, what’s your dream source?
Oeuf for sure! I fell in love with their mini library. And The Land of Nod for all of the decorations: the Fawn on Forest wall clock is the cutest and I adore their House Sitter Play Chair that can be used to play and sit! I would like to add a teepee from Nobodinoz to the room as well, once Giovanni is a bit older! And I love their cribs as well.

Dresser: IKEA HEMNES
Knobs: Anthropologie
Mocassins: Freshly Picked
Mushroom Lamp: Heico via Bimbily
Squirrels: Accessorize
Changing pad cover: Aden + Anais
Tassel garland: Pom Pom Studio
Illustration Paper Cut: Silvia Raga, Giochi di Carta
Green Shoes: Ajalor
Crib: Vintage (it was my sister’s)
Stuffed Blanket: Nana Cea
Fox and deer dolls: IKEA
Mobile: La Sartoria dei Confetti
Crib bumpers and blanket: Stokke
Crib sheet: DIY
Yellow Basket: Ferm Living
Rocking horse: Vintage
Spinning top: Maison du Monde
Poster “My roots lie here”: Baby Bottega
Triangle Wall Stickers: Walls by Mur
Charles Eames RAR rocking chair: Infabbrica
Sheepskin: IKEA
Fox pillow: Ferm Living
Fox doll: Bla Bla Kids
Wall decal “I love you beyond measure”: Shaunna Murray
Blue light balls: La Case de Cousin Paul
Fox Illustration: Ez Pudewa
Paper cut bunny head: Chloé Fleury
Illustration “Alessandra + Andrea: Ilaria Faccioli

Thanks, Alessandra! Readers, you can see more of Alessandra by visiting her blog, Almalu’s Place.

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