apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think those cards are great. Ideas that come to mind would be:
-paint the walls in a color similar to the card background (boring I know but wait there's more!)
-frame the cards and hang in a collection similar to the picture above. paint a large rectangle behind the prints, I love the idea of the robin's egg blue.
-thinking in layers you could add a white picture mold border at the edge of the blue rectangle.
-add a similar blue rectangle (with or w/o frame) elsewhere in the room and add a chalkboard center (either chalkboard paint an area or actual chalkboard) for you or child to play with.
-dark wood furniture and frames would pop.
-a leopard print or zebra stripe rug would be fun without taking it to the level of "theme room"

Ideas just run from there! Have fun, the cards are a great starting point!

Here is the link to the light blue room that Martha Stewart shows with those cards.

http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/alphabet-wall-frieze?autonomy_kw=nursery&rsc=header_6

love those cards! I'll have to check out my local Michael's.

I like the idea of keeping bedding neutral/solid-colored so that you can switch out decor as you please. It looks like you can run with the vintage theme and get vintage children's posters.

If you'll be having turquoise walls, I really like the looks of this Dwell Baby set:

http://www.shop.com/Dwell_Baby_Motif_Crib_Set_Robin-41284506-54798005-p!.shtml?sourceid=298

How about checking out the fabrics at www.reprodepot.com.

Here is a modern fabric that keeps with the zoo animals theme without being too matchy-matchy: Sweetpea Zoo in pea green, it also comes in yellow on ivory, http://www.reprodepot.com/swtpzg.html.

i like the idea of a light robin's egg blue on the walls, a zebra stripe rug for some whimsy, and then for the bedding go with the organic cotton look to accentuate the creamy/antique looking quality of the cards. for example... the "Organic Giant Dot Nursery Bedding" from PB Kids. i think that dark or white furniture would both work in this setting.

love the cards!!

Thanks for all the ideas!!!
I fell in love with the cards but then I haven't found anything else that I love.
I love the zebra rug from Target so I definitly want to incorporate that.
Keep the ideas coming b/c I have been completely creative in all the other rooms in my house and this the one I am blanking on!!!!!

Dwell Baby's dots sheet sets come in many colors - brown, blue, etc. that could be gender neutral. If you don't want to spend the money for the whole set you can just get the fitted sheet and then a pillow.

handmade lovies and blankies in a pretty blue at www.piecetextiles.com

This cribsheet from Babystyle would look cute:

http://www.babystyle.com/common/q-collection-junior-organic-galileo-fitted-cribsheet-p.asp?pmid=26740&dept=4&sc=489i

and would still allow for a choice of wall colors.

I am expecting next week, and just finished our nursery. Although the full bedding sets are cute, and really set the mood for the room (in pictures), you don't really use the comforter, and I've read that the bumpers are not recommended as they could be a contributing factor to SIDS. I'm not saying I didn't still buy a comforter (you know, for the pictures). But, just something to keep in mind if you find something you like but don't want to spend a fortune for the whole set.

I wasn't planning on buying the quilt. Everyone I know has told me that they never used it. My sister-in-law, who is 17, has started quilting so I was going to ask her to make something in some fabrics I find.
(Right now she is making one for my husband and me that is our old t-shirts that we don't wear but cannot give up. I cannot wait!)

Hey, here's another idea. I see lots of orangey colors in those cards, and that's another awesome modern gender neutral color. I like robin's egg blue or light blue with orange accents. Or you could do an orange wall. That might brighten things up too. An reddish orange would be nice, there's quite a bit of brownish red in their orange.

Love the idea of turquoise -- I used it in my own children's nurseries as a key accent colour.

They both had a Jenny Lind crib custom-painted in bright turquoise with a distressed finish (from the now-defunct Plain Jane Kids), with a turquoise-upholstered mid-century modern rocking chair.

I think what would be really cool in your nursery is not to coordinate the colours in your nursery to the colours in the alphabet cards, but rather, match the colours in your nursery to the colours that would go with the feel and vintage of the cards. That way, it wouldn't be too matchy.

For example, some of the PBKids gingham sheeting would be fun, and seem appropriate to the era of the cards.

Another piece that keeps popping into my head is a vintage wooden child's chair painted a lovely fire-engine red, although I think it would be good to interject another era to keep it lively -- perhaps a bright Eames rocker.

A rounded creamy painted 1930s dresser could be fun:

http://www.redshoeshomegoods.com/photomod/numberdresser1.jpg

Thank you for all of your ideas. I will be sure to post pictures when we're finished.

With the oranges in the cards, the first bedding I thought of was the Pixel Organics line with the tigers and such.

http://store.urbanbabyrunway.com/litiandkiorc.html

And you can buy the sheets separately if you don't want the full set.

I also would like to second or third (or just reiterate) that we've not used the "crib sets" (and we've got two), no comforter and no bumper (was concerned about using them & he's never really knocked his head - and i'm now knocking wood). I also bought those cards & love them but have yet to incorporated them because we've come up w/many other things in his room... I think that it's great to add things bit by bit and then MOVE them around or CHANGE them up... (because it's visually stimulating and they always notice a difference no matter how slight)...

i LOVE the robins egg blue & orange ideas from everyone... and dont stress finishing the room... it'll come.

I have been looking on my favorite site to search, etsy and I found this great quilt from Joel Dewberry Aviary fabric.
http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.43559515.jpg

I am thinking that I may buy that one, or make it, and do a crib skirt from the orange fabric. I think I just want to do simple white panels for the curtains with the orange fabric incorporated some how.

I have lots of time, but I am a planner.

I have those cards -- got them for my son, who is now 5. I wouldn't worry matching them to bedding, they could really pretty much go with anything. Pick out bedding that you like and then get a backing mat for your frame that marries the two.

Funny that someone mentioned the PBKids gingham bedding. That's actually what I had for my son. In blue.

I'll use the cards again for my Wee Tot, when s/he gets here. Thanks to the PP who linked to the urbanbabyrunway.com -- I didn't know that site and they've got some cute sheets.

I just got these cards for $6.99 at Michael's. How did you all display yours? I was thinking of twine and clothespins..