Name: Mallory Gray
Age: 2 months old
Location: Hickory, NC
Often parents choose yellow when creating a nursery without knowing if they're having a boy or a girl and it can feel like a compromise, but here a buttery yellow paired with gray, bright white and rich woods results in a sophisticated and playful space where yellow is the star.
Parents Laurie and Andy, an interior and graphic designer respectively, are paid to be creative for clients, but found their most important client closer to home. Below Laurie tells us more about their daughter Mallory's beautiful room:
Inspiration:
We wanted to create a nursery that would inspire creativity and create a cozy refuge for our little one. Our key inspirational terms were: whimsical, eclectic, imaginative, & playful.
Favorite Element:
The wallpapered ceiling. When Mallory lays on her back, she is drawn to the contrast of the dark birds on the light backdrop (mommy and daddy love it too).
Biggest Challenge:
Designing the room not knowing the sex. We wanted a sophisticated, yet soft look and we didn't want the typical green & yellow, gender neutral look, so we went with a color palette (dove gray, butter yellow, antique white & blend of natural finishes) that coordinated with the rest of our home.
What Friends Say:
"Can we move in?"
Proudest DIY:
The hand-painted mural of a tree that Andy labored over for 2 weekends in a row.....and the decision to paint over it!!!
Biggest Indulgence:
The many vintage children's books, including the out-of-print edition of Alec Wilder & Maurice Sendak's "Night Songs & Lullabies". From this particular book, we framed pages of sheet music and hung above Mallory's crib.
Best advice:
Start soon. Get as much completed as you can while you are able. The end of my pregnancy was quite enjoyable because I had the time to focus exclusively on myself and my baby-to-be. And check out lots of sources. I couldn't believe it when I found my perfect crib at Walmart!
Dream source:
Local Antique Mall for accessories and old frames and Etsy for affordable art.
You've combined vintage and modern elements so harmoniously - any tricks to pass on for parents hoping to do the same?
In all my rooms I like to combine antiques with lots of personality with newer, cleaner elements. The vintage pieces add warmth and character and the contrast adds interest. I find rooms that are all brand spanking new to be rather dull and showroom-esque. An antique chest can make for a great changing table. Also, in my small nursery using a larger glider was out of the question. So, instead, I opted for a mid-century modern rocker that adds so much to the overall design.
How is creating a room in your own home different from designing for a client?
For some reason I find it much more difficult to design a room for myself. When designing for a client, it's easier to listen to what they want and then approach that with an open, yet critical eye. When designing for myself, the endless sources that I'm exposed to lead to stimulation overload and it's hard to make what I think is the "perfect" choice. For instance, I will move a piece of art five times in one day. It is harder to know when to stop when it is your own space. I have never wanted to please a "client" more than my little girl.
Since Mallory's arrival you've had a chance to really use and spend time in her nursery - does it live up to your expectations? How does being there with her make you feel? Have you made any changes or rearranged anything?
The best and "final" touch of the room was Mallory, herself. She brought the room alive and it's funny to us how perfect it suits her personality. We are still on the look-out for a rug to go under the crib. And a few of the touches we added after we knew our baby was a girl, such as the chandelier. As Mallory gets more mobile, we will definitely have to move some of the smaller more delicate accessories to higher shelves. And of course the little vignette of books and feather on her changing table, is now home to her diapers and baby wipes and such. But, we couldn't be more pleased with how the room turned out. There is nothing better than going in her room with the early morning light trickling in and Mallory gazing up at her birds. What a perfect start to any day!
Can you tell us a little about your family business, Rhoney Design?
My husband, Andy, and I started the business 4 years ago. Andy does mostly graphic design and brand management. Together we have also done custom invitation and stationary design. Also, Andy has designed and built custom furniture for my clients. He's a "jack of all trades" so to speak. I run the interior design portion of the business specializing in residential design and event planning. Being based in Hickory, NC, we have a lot of access to the furniture industry. My job has also led me to work with national furniture companies in designing their stores and showrooms all across the United States and Canada. More recently, Rhoney Design has branched into event planning--handling all aspects of an event from conception, design, invitations, and even recently...photography! Rhoney Design has also worked with out-of-state clients with our "Design in a Box" program in which I will design a room/rooms based on your measurements and preferences. The client who selects this service will receive a custom designed room with resources and products that are readily available through open to the public sources.
Thanks, Laurie! Readers, you can more information about where Laurie purchased many of the items for this nursery here.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
oh wow, so many lovely vintage items! i'm in love :)
we also use a beautiful antique dresser as a changing table. i don't know if anyone else will recognize it, but there's a wonderful vintage fisher price roly poly chime ball on a shelf in one of the pictures... i found one for my son ogden at a farmer's market for only $3.00! terrific.
view mamatank's profile
I like the style, but the branch table looks like an accident waiting to happen. Other than that it's beautiful.
view Laucus116's profile
this nursery is so cute...i'm installing the same wallpaper this weekend! love the gray pom-poms!
j
http://prudentadviceformybabydaughter.blogspot.com
view jaime5's profile
The ceiling is gorgeous! The giraffe sconces are adorable as well. Great job!
view aspenchick's profile
Oh, I LOVE that wallpaper on the ceiling. It just looks amazing!
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
I love it! The color scheme, the feel, the artwork and vintage items, the bedding and those lovely pillows, the dresser--all so nice!! It is full of interesting things to look at an touch, without feeling busy at all--very inspiring.
view hyzen's profile
Love the colors scheme! The wallpaper on the ceiling is also my favorite part. Great job!
view racheloncegentry's profile
Where is the rocker from?? Gorgeous.
view Cstrand's profile
Great color palette and beautiful, charming room. The bedding is great, hand made? Can you reveal the source for the crib sheet?
view edava72's profile
i love the shade and the giraffe sconces. (okay, and everything else, too!) awesome room.
view doubledutch's profile
This is a great nursery. I love the storybook/imagination feel. I love the plates with the blue against the yellow walls. The ceiling is so beautiful.
Where did you get that knick knack curio? I love it!
Thanks!!
view sethanddez's profile
Such a pretty nursery! We're creating our nursery right now so I'm looking every where for inspiration and I like the use of color in this room. I haven't seen a lot of yellow rooms but they've done a great job with it!
view Tabitha (From Single to Married)'s profile
Beautiful, beautiful room! I love everything, it' s perfect! I'm saving every single picture for future insipation:) Thanks for sharing!
edava72, I think the crib sheet is from Walmart or Target. My son used to have the same one in blue.
view ivpb74's profile
Especially loving your crib skirt and twin Jonathan Adler giraffe lamps...which I hope you got at a discount! :)
view TheLittlestChicken's profile
It's not my style, but I still admire how artfully everything was put together.
For practical reasons, I prefer not to put small objets within child's reach, even if it's ok now. I hate being forced to move objets all the time (they just get bigger and bolder, and we love children that way). I also wouldn't want to clean that room.
But boy, how beautiful to just look at !
view Loora's profile
I LOVE a lot of elements here. Especially the giraffe sconces and wallpapered ceiling. Although I do think the room could use a little bit of editing.
view Megan in AZ's profile
I love love love this room! I'm terribly jealous that you bought the Adler giraffe sconces--they're wonderful, but not cheap. And I love the vintage rocker--what is the fabric on the cushions? It's gorgeous. I do agree with the earlier poster that the branch table will have to be put away when the baby gets mobile. It's a lovely table though.
view Pencils's profile
Though I do think this room is cute, there are a few things I noticed that set off some alarm bells.
First of all, I would never hang anything on the wall above the baby's crib or changing station- you just never know if they will fall off. I would never hang a picture above the head of my bed and so could not justify doing that in the nursery. I would at least move the crib away from the wall a bit, in case one of the picture frames does fall.
I'm hoping the small objects/ shells are glued onto the curio display shelf- if not, I would attach them so that they do not somehow find themselves in baby's mouth.
Crib bumpers are a big nono- they increase the risk of SIDS and are strongly discouraged in Canada, as well as on SIDS safety checklists. A safer alternative would be a "breathable baby" bumper. They're not as aesthetically pleasing but then that really isn't the point, I suppose.
Overall, a very cute room. Sorry I was so critical but I think nursery safety should trump all else.
view Kate79's profile
The nursery is amazing and so charming! You did a wonderful job and this is coming from a designer of nurseries in NYC. Yes safety is very important and I am sure you have considered that when pulling the room together. I have been designing bumpers for nearly 30 yrs. and have no concerns about the safety as long as they are very tightly tied and all ties are on the outside of the crib.
Enjoy the room and the baby!
view charmgirl's profile
I love non-traditional colors used for neutral rooms; definitely a room to grow up with ... and bravo on not finding out the gender; it one of the best surprises ever!
view saraheklein's profile
Wowza! This room takes my breath away. I can see why their adult friends want to move it. It is so utterly sophisticated and whimsical at the same time. A hard feat to accomplish! There is so much to love about this room. First off the color scheme is original and not too trendy...the soft buttery yellow and gray is perfection with the wood tones. I don't think I would have thought to bring in those needed tones, instead keeping with just white. She definitely has a designer eye. All the touches are just so precious as well. I kept finding the cutest touches as I literally stalked the pictures and their website. The shadow box with the tiny animals and shells....I'm in love! Love the corner shelves with the little deer and the blocks with "MR" guessing for their daughter's initials. The rocker is to die for (yes, where did you get that fabric for the cushions?) and the vervain pillows in the crib, I die! I am sure Mallory will love this room far into her teens. Well done, well done indeed!
view wendy12's profile
I adore the framed sheet music! I have some wonderful vintage sheets that are too precious to use on my piano, but this is a great idea - I never would have thought to hang them!
view MamaJen's profile
Thanks to all who left such sweet feedback about our girl's room. To answer a few of your questions--the rocker is an antique mid-century modern piece. We scored it off of ebay. The crib bedding is all handmade with the exception of the sheet which is from Babies 'r Us--it is still in the stores, and currently on sale! (it is from their modern bedding line) The Adler sconces are made here in Hickory by the Robert Abbey Co.--I got a few connections there and scored them for such a deal it is insane...great perk! The shelf with the shells is actually an old antique drawer (notice the pull) and was probably an old tool drawer for nuts and bolts. That was found at an antique show. And, finally, the fabric for the cushion on the rocker is Pindler & Pindler. Hope that helps!
view laurierhoney's profile
Beautiful room! I'd love to know what paint colours you've used for the yellow and grey?
Thanks!
view somegroovychick's profile
Just gorgeous! I would love to move in there too!
Can anyone lead me in the direction of where I can buy some of the wooden bird houses on the wall? My son has a bird themed nursery and I have been hunting everywhere for some like this. I am in Australia, so it needs to be somewhere that ships internationally.
Thanks : )
view Melanie79's profile
What paint colors did you use on the walls? They're perfect!
view moniquejoyce's profile
Melanie,
The bird houses were from a craft store, Hobby Lobby, for dirt cheap. They had lots of different sizes and styles. Michaels would be another source
Moniquejoyce,
The colors are: Antique White-Sherwin Williams and Glass Slipper (blueish gray) by Ben. Moore
view laurierhoney's profile