Name: Frances
Age: 14 months
Location: Chicago, IL
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Don't let "camel-clad" fool you. Frances' parents are not interested in decorating in themes or overdoing any one idea. What they believe in is avoiding over-coordination to achieve the best sense of style, personality, and ease. Although most nurseries are created quickly and have short lives, we agree with mom, Karen, when she says the rooms that appeal to her are the ones that feel like they've been around forever...full of depth and life and variety. More from Frances and her mom, below:
Inspiration: The nursery was inspired initially by my discovery of the John Robshaw crib linens. I had been searching for something outside the realm of traditional pastels that wasn’t by default one of the popular geometric modern designs that had saturated the market. The minute I saw these, I knew I could build the rest of the room around them. The patterns are sophisticated, and the colors are just saturated and offbeat enough.
Favorite Element: The Flensted floating fish mobile above the changing table was a gift from good friends. Not only do I love the way it looks, but Frances never tires of blowing on the fish to make them “swim.”
Hallway entrance to nursery
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Biggest Challenge: Maintaining the guest bedroom functionality of the room, and making sure the design felt like a natural extension of the rest of the condo. We have lofted ceilings and pocket glass doors (if any) throughout, which means you can stand at one end of either floor of our condo and see straight through to the other end. It was important that the nursery reflect similar design choices to the ones we made throughout the rest of the space.
What Friends Say: Friends who know us well have said that it’s a happy and inviting room, and very “us.” I’m not sure everyone completely “gets it” right away, but that’s probably what I like best – that it’s not your typical nursery.
Proudest DIY: Although it wasn’t intended for the nursery to begin with, the art above the daybed is a painting I did of the warehouse building we looked out on from the apartment where we last lived in Brooklyn. It was pretty much abandoned and totally run down, but became a beautiful piece of scenery to us during our time there, mainly because of the way the sunrise reflected off the various window panes. I’m not a painter – it was a labor of love as a gift for my husband’s 30th birthday, but I’m proud of the way we were able to work it into the room.
Biggest Indulgence: I initially wasn’t 100% sold on the need for a super fancy rocking chair, but I’m happy every single day that we decided to buy the Monte glider. It’s probably the most comfortable and well-built chair we have in the house.
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Best advice: Avoid over-coordination! It’s too easy to over-do-it in terms of color scheming and “themes.” I understand the appeal, believe me – Once we found the Salvor camel print for above the crib, I found myself picking up camel-this and camel-that here and there when I was out shopping. But I think the personality of a nursery benefits from choices that aren’t made all at once and don’t always seem to “go” at first. I like a room to feel like it’s been around forever, as opposed to having been created in a moment.
Dream source: ABC Carpet & Home in NYC (I have nothing from here in the nursery, but we are talking about a “dream” source, right)?
Resources: DWELL Magazine, Cookie Magazine, Domino Magazine (may it rest in peace), Grow Kids, The Red Balloon Co., Galt Baby, John Robshaw, Gaddie & Tood, Design Within Reach, Nonchalant Mom, and Ohdeedoh of course!
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Images: Karen Reid
This room is calm and fun at the same time. I love the spacious hallway...makes a great play area.
view alsweetgum's profile
I love the camel print over the crib - makes me wonder why they aren't more common...I've seen almost every other animal in baby rooms. Love it!
view bedelia13's profile
Can we have a whole house tour?! This place looks awesome!
view Sarah in Nola's profile
I love that papasan-esque chair in the hallway! Where can you purchase something like that?
view morgannorris's profile
Thanks! The round rocking chair in the hallway is from IKEA, purchased maybe three years ago. I put one of the small IKEA sheepskins on the seat to soften it, since it's made of bungee webbing. Not the most practical chair, but I do love how it looks!
view Mom to Frances's profile
I love this nursery! it's so nice not to see it "overly" girly but still pretty. Is the guest bed a full size or twin? i like the position against the wall with the pillows and was thinking to do this in our nursery but our bed is a full size
view amy m.'s profile
Gorgeous color combination without being matchy matchy. Nice job! I'm saving this for the files. Where is the crib from, please?
view edava72's profile
Where is the fabric camel from (or where is the sewing pattern from if applicable)?
view BlueLM's profile
I second the house tour request.
It's gorgeous. Nice job!
view crockedteeth's profile
Love it! Can you tell me about the wall in the hallway? Looks like a cool texture?
view ndesigns's profile
Thanks, everyone! Let me try and answer your questions...
The bed is a full, not a twin. It's a great size for guests and for sitting and reading, dressing the baby, etc.
The crib is the Oeuf Sparrow: http://www.oeufnyc.com/sparrowcollection.aspx
The hot pink fabric camel sitting on top of the tall bookshelf is from Cost Plus World Market - I just stumbled on it in the store.
The wall in the hallway was our architect's idea - It's the exterior of the freestanding closet that opens into the nursery on the other side. It's just MDF board of various widths nailed to the closet frame and painted over.
Thanks again for the positive feedback! Who knows, maybe I'll get around to posting a whole-home tour one of these days :)
view Mom to Frances's profile
LOVE the room. Can you tell me what wall paint/colors you used and where you got your window treatments?
Thank you!!!
view JJSTL1's profile
I love love love this room. I agree with the over-coordinating. My daughter's (audrey) room was featured here too and I think I may have been too matchy matchy with my color scheme.
http://pearlsandgreentea.blogspot.com/
view mrslee's profile
The yellowish wall paint is Benjamin Moore Mustard Field - from the low VOC version of the BM line. The rest of the room (and our whole house) is Benjamin Moore China White. The window treatments are a work in progress. I had a very specific shade of gray in mind, and an unusually wide and tall window space to cover. I would have had to go with custom drapes and didn't want to spend the money, so I found two perfectly sized linen-y gray tablecloths from Crate and Barrel and hung them with clip rings (rings and rod are from West Elm). I'm still not 100% satisfied with that detail, but inspiration will strike again I'm sure :)
view Mom to Frances's profile
Mom to Frances,
Small question...where did you get the little watertower bookend I see on the bookcase? Love it!
Thanks.
view Craig's profile
I believe the water tower bank was a MoMA store purchase - actually a gift from the same great friends who gave us the Flensted fish mobile. Friends with good taste are priceless :)
view Mom to Frances's profile
I love the closet doors - where did you get them?
Thanks!
view mhyrrbabe's profile
Not only do i love the room ... I want to know where i can get some good friends with great taste ? : ) you know what they say style breeds
Also what is the turqouise push cart in the hallway and who is it by ?
view Cindyloo's profile
i love the picture of the hallway leading into the room. the big white chair is fantastic! :)
kindly,
vintagedress
www.vintagedress.etsy.com
view vintagedress's profile
I love that rug under the crib! Where did you find it?
view S@rah's profile
I love the bedding on the guest bed. Where did you get it from?
view belinla's profile
The closet doors are actually window treatments from Ikea that are modular, can be fitted with lots of fabric options, and slide from side to side, hung from a track.
The child's shopping cart in the hallway is by Plan Toys, and I actually bought it at the Gap store on Michigan Ave.
The rug under the crib is a set of 8 tiles by Flor - "Stampede" pattern.
The guest bed is covered in a total mix of things! The dark gray coverlet and shams are from Room & Board, the light gray shams are from Garnet Hill, the beige duvet is so old I don't remember its origin, and the bed skirt is just an old cheap tapestry (I think from Urban Outfitters) that I pinned strategically into the right shape.
Thanks again for all the feedback!
view Mom to Frances's profile