First time parents Allan and Mindy have a question:"We both love Winnie the Pooh, and want to do a Pooh themed nursery, but there is just so much Pooh stuff out there, and when we look at it all together it looks kind of junky and generic. Any tips on how to do a theme nursery that doesn't look too 'themey'?"
We adore Winnie the Pooh, but are snobby purists who think that the difference between 'Classic' Pooh and 'Licensed' Pooh is the basis of your problem. We have a few ideas on how to get the Pooh nursery of your dreams after the jump.
It is really easy to go overboard when the character you love is as heavily licensed as Pooh is. You can get Pooh sheets, blankets, wallpaper borders, lamps, rugs, chairs, cribs...etc. But we think that you might have better luck going back to basics, with Classic Pooh. Below is the cover of an older version of the book, and the original art is a hundred times more beautiful than any of the newer stuff. We would start there.
Next to the cover art is a handy strip of the main colors used (thanks, Photoshop!), and we would start by picking three of our favorites from those, and using them as the basis for our wall colors, bedding, and carpet - one as the main color, and the other two as accents. Classic Winnie the Pooh art also usually has at least one red in it, and we might look for ways to add a little red into the room as well.
Then we add in the Pooh. One of the features we love in Roman's nursery is the presence of books, and how they became a design element in that nursery. The wall shelves display the front covers of some classic children's books, and we would use this idea to display classic editions of Winnie the Pooh around your nursery. We would also display a few stuffed Poohs/Eeyores/Piglets, and put up a few framed Classic Pooh pieces of art - we are especially fond of the Box Framed Classic Prints. Think along the lines of creating vignettes of Pooh in the room, over running a Pooh-printed wallpaper border around the whole thing.
What do you think, AT readers? What else would you do to add a little Pooh to Allan and Mindy's nursery?
This wouldn't be for the nursery per se, but if you love Classic Pooh check out Spode's baby and children's china with the Winnie the Pooh characters. They are absolutely charming.
view j.j.'s profile
I just saw the cutest FLOR tiles of winnie the pooh at Queens Elmhurst Target. Made me almost wish I could have one more baby (on top of my three). I tried to find it on the Target website but I still think it's brand new. It's very low key..beige and oilive green with the pooh's outline. Very modern and too cute!!
view joesky's profile
Do an ebay search for "vintage pooh". Here are a few I saw...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Charpente-Classic-Winnie-the-Pooh-Piggy-Bank_W0QQitemZ280152782310QQihZ018QQcategoryZ1152QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pooh-Watercolor-Prints-Vintage_W0QQitemZ130151862573QQihZ003QQcategoryZ37634QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
view dcmom's profile
I know someone who did an amazing pooh nursery for a girl. They painted the room in big fat vertical stripes (maybe 12") of pink & fuschia. Over that they added, in orange, stenciled images of pooh and friends skipping around the room. It was really sharp & very sweet & not at all junky.
view christinanyc's profile
I love the colors that you posted, and agree 100%. Stick with solid classic colors mixed with gingham and small prints for bedding and draperies. Accent with traditional art, stuffed animals, antique winnie the pooh cookie jars (great for storage) etc. I also think you could pick a favorite story like Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day and go from there. Instead of a Border, you could stencil a random trail of beautiful leaves around the room (from the floor and blowing upwards) or if you picked the one of Pooh stuck in the tree with a pot of honey, you could stencil honey, bees, leaves and more. I think it would be adorable. Good luck :)
view amoeller's profile
Don't think anyone mentioned the link posted here not too long ago with the fabric covered foam core Pooh characters that looked so stylish and easy to DIY:
http://designsponge.blogspot.com/2007/07/fun-for-renters.html
view dollhouse's profile
I did classic pooh but didn't want to go overboard (knowing that my in-law's and parents will!) I wanted the bones of the room to be very general and able to grow with our child. With a coat of paint (paint is cheap!) and a big kid bed the room still works.
I decided on the little black rain cloud scene, and went with Flutterbee bedding by Brandee Danielle (soft yellow and green gingham with white chenille and black gingham trim). The window covering is a button shade in blue, yellow, green and white stripes. I used a japanese lantern to make a beehive lamp that suspends over the reading chair.
For Pooh Items: I painted a mural on one wall of Pooh holding onto the blue balloon with bees around him and Christopher Robin holding the umbrella below. I got an Eeyore rocking "donkey" from ebay and I have an assortment of stuffed animals and books related to the stories. The only nursery pooh item is a crib mobile.
I didn't get a diaper stacker or any of the extra accessories that you could theme out with pooh because I didn't want it to look like I bought out the Disney Store and took it home. Less is more and I think the simpler it is the more you appreciate the few things you have, the mural stands out more since it doesn't swim in a sea of Pooh stuff.
view Zaya's profile
Zaya--sounds beautiful. any pics you'd like to share?? (pretty please?)
view Rebecca_South's profile
You could use wall graffiti and display a favorite quotation from the original pooh stories.
view Cjay's profile
For a different touch, you could use a quote from the song "House at Pooh Corner" (my childhood favorite) and/or paint a little scene to go along with it.
view hs's profile
I did my nursery in Classic Pooh. I lucked out and got the bed set along with seven framed prints from a yard sale really cheap. I picked up great classic pooh items such as porcelain pooh baby cups and vintage pooh book that a friend found for me.
I just passed most of the stuff on to my sister who just had a new baby.
Here is a pic of her nursery and the prints that I had.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21425327@N00/1382773461/
view Wishful Thinking's profile
someone else mentioned target, but didn't mention that they carry a full line of classic pooh nursery items, which are predominantly pale green and cream.
view wndl's profile
This is a great challenge! Maybe consider painting (or getting someone else to paint) a wall-size mural of the wonderful map of the 100 Acre Wood that's in the classic version of the books:
http://members.fortunecity.com/spenceraloysius/Pooh/
And then keep the rest of the room clean and light and simple, with a couple of toys as accepts... especially my favourite, Eeyore. Gund used to make lovely little stuffed versions of the classic characters. I gave a complete set to my niece seven years ago, and now I wish I'd gotten some for myself. :)
view TammyE's profile