This Nursery’s Floral Bed Nook Is What Cozy, Whimsical Dreams Are Made Of

At the time, Celine was only nine months old, so she wasn’t watching any TV or using screens. Elisabeth quickly questioned whether it made sense to dedicate one of the home’s limited rooms to a TV space that her daughter couldn’t use. Plus, she didn’t love the idea of Celine sleeping downstairs while she slept upstairs in the primary bedroom, especially because Celine was so young. 

But Elisabeth quickly came up with the idea “that we could build a wall and add a door, closing off the stairs and creating a closed room for Celine,” she explains. “It was absolutely the right decision!”

In the new space, Elisabeth had three goals for the transformation: a design concept that would age with Celine, “a bedroom that inspired wonder and felt very personal,” and a wallpapered bed alcove in a color-drenched room to mask the room’s sloped ceilings. 

A professional carpenter built the wall and closed off the room for Elisabeth and Celine, and built the (surprisingly tricky) alcove for the crib. “The wall was straightforward; the alcove was not,” she notes. 

Elisabeth’s Pinterest inspiration search led her to “so many gorgeous bed alcoves” that pushed her towards a French Art Nouveau-inspired alcove shape. “But my carpenter understandably had a tough time making my haphazard sketch come to life.” 

Instead, Elisabeth’s artist friend, Roby Thompson, created an outline for the carpenter to follow — with an asymmetrical shape that mimics Celine’s cupid bow lips and frames the alcove’s wallpaper.

“I immediately knew I wanted to color-drench the space in a dusty rose, to create a warm, cozy, hug of a room,” Elisabeth shares. “I was hoping to thread the needle of girly, not babyish.”

Elisabeth found the House of Hackney Amatoria Wallpaper and fell in love with “the idea of a wallpapered alcove, a peek-a-boo moment offering depth in this color-drenched room, making Celine’s crib pop,” she describes. 

The lush floral motif and larger repeat brought Elisabeth’s vision to life for Celine’s room, and she immediately ordered a wallpaper sample. But color-matching the wallpaper was “close to impossible” for Elisabeth until she found Benjamin Moore’s “Cherry Malt.” (Elisabeth notes that even though she’s used a flat paint sheen before, this shade shows every blemish, and she wishes she had used an eggshell sheen instead.)

“I was so *stressed* when [the paint] first went up,” Elisabeth writes. But color-drenching the room not only created a dreamy nursery, but it “also helped soften the room’s many angles and attic access doors.”

Elisabeth continued her strategic design scheme with the crib she chose that converts to a full-size bed. She didn’t want to just create a space for Celine right now, but create a room that would grow with her.

“As much as I call it a nursery, this room can grow up with Celine,” Elisabeth adds.

Once everything was finished, Elisabeth was able to add the finishing touches — including a slate blue bookcase, brass and opal globe wall sconces, a swivel glider and recliner chair, and a “cornflower” scalloped mirror. 

Elisabeth also created a reading nook for Celine under the window. “The chair was the perfect fit, and I added family photos for Celine to look at — she’s obsessed with family pictures,” she shares. “She loves climbing into the chair with a book. Granted, that lasts about a minute, tops, but I know she feels like it’s her space.”

But Elisabeth is happiest with how the crib area turned out. “It’s deeply personal and unique,” she says. “The best part is that Celine loves it. She caresses and points to the wallpaper all the time.” Elisabeth can’t wait for Celine to realize that the floral fairies are passing love letters. 

To help balance all of the pink, Elisabeth added art as another bold pop. One of the pieces is an LED Ma Cheri sign because Elisabeth was born in France and learned French as her first language. “It carries significance while offering some unexpected edge to that gallery wall,” Elisabeth notes.

Not only does Elisabeth love what she was able to create for her daughter and looks forward to adding more projects (like repainting the antique armoire and adding window treatments), but Celine also loves the space just as much. The color creates an intimate and cozy atmosphere, and now “the room feels like a hug.” 

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

• Paint
  • Benjamin Moore’s “Cherry Malt”
• Products
  • Ma Cheri LED Wall Sign from Pottery Barn Kids
  • Hayli Scallop Mirror in “Cornflower” from Ballard Designs
  • Floral Bunting in “Rosa Cream” from Eventide Pennant Co.
  • Lamp Critter Plush Nursery Rocker from Pottery Barn Kids
  • House of Hackney Amatoria Wallpaper from Anthropologie
  • Kids Modern Colors Slate Blue Bookcase from Rooms to Go
  • Dream Swivel Glider & Recliner in “Ivory” from Pottery Barn Kids
  • Gingham Kids Chair in “Olive Brown and White” from McGee & Co.
  • Winston 4-in-1 Convertible Crib in “Vintage Gold”  from Namesake
  • Broderie Kilim Blue Wool and Cotton Kids Area Rug from Crate & Barrel
  • Modern Milky Globe Sconce in “Aged Brass/Opal” from Shades of Light
  • Robert Abbey Buster White Fondine Shade Modern Floor Lamp from Lamps Plus