I got a call from a dad who wanted to do a surprise nursery for his wife and new baby daughter. Both mother and daughter were having a bit of a rough go, and were in the hospital when he called me. I could hear his worry and love for his family over the phone. His wife admired a little girl’s room, that I had decorated and blogged about.   There was no one to make design decisions. He wanted a nursery like the little girl’s bedroom and it had to be pink. Be positive and move quickly forward.

We got much of the room together in 6 weeks.  It was entirely custom. A huge feat, which I must really thank my vendors for making such accommodations. It was a nursery that would grow into the little girl’s bedroom.  The changer would be very temporary. They needed adequate storage and a comfortable glider to feed the baby.

This was the room before…

I decided not to wallpaper the entire room, as the wall’s quirky angles  would hinder the look of the paper. We did one wall. It looked like an outline of a house. Perfect. I chose a sunny yellow crib to welcome the little one home.

This very traditional armoire  looks a bit more transitional, when we added the lattice fabric.  It will be nicely centered against the wall when additional muscle arrives. It is a solid piece.

So sweet…

It was really a very rewarding job. Baby is just thriving and I’ve gotten to finally know the lovely mom.

See you…

Christina

This morning the New York Times Home section has a story on playhouses. I remember going over to my friends house and playing in her playhouse all day. It was even decorated with little curtains. The Times showed little houses that are completely over the top, yet very traditional. Like these from Treasured Heirlooms.

But there are so many different secret spaces that can be created for kids that are both inviting and very dreamlike. I keep a file of inspiring little spaces. Here they are…

Love this little house My Shabby Streamside Studio…

See you…

Christina

A very nice family came to visit the shop in the latter part of June. The little boy was just a complete sparkle of a kid. Having only boys myself,  I so appreciate the idiosyncracies of boys. He loves airplanes, trains, big trucks, loud construction equipment, etc.. The family was moving to Westchester from NYC in about 2 weeks time. They needed to have a room ready for their little boy, on moving day. He was leaving his crib behind and needed a big boy bed. New neighborhood, new house, new bed. We needed to work quickly.  Ofcourse, we had a holiday weekend in between. Adds a little more stress to the equation.

This is the room when I first saw it. A classic bedroom from a house built in the 1920′s.

The couple really wanted wallpaper. We chose this Ralph Lauren paper..

The company did a quick ship on the artwork..

The window treatments just couldn’t be done in time. Obviously, panels would overwhelm the windows.  I really didn’t want to do standard shades or romans. The windows are quite low to the floor. Any kind of cord is an issue. We chose a roller roman shade. It is a new shade, that we are beginning to use. No outside cords. They will be ready by the end of July. The flush mount light fixture is also back ordered, but will be in shortly. Made of glass, it will give off ample light.

The room was ready for the little boy..

I was there to  see the excitement on the little boy’s face. Some really good perks  of my  job!

See you…

Christina

I posted about a little girl’s bedroom  I was working on in April.  It was the room with the poodle lamp. I will show it shortly, as we are still waiting for a few key items. Mainly the  poodle lamp itself.  Backordered since April,  the waiting is driving  me crazy.

We also needed  a very small sofa. Not really a loveseat, more like a sofette. Something so very petite, but can fit an adult as well as a child.  There are really no little sofas out there that work for a child. Why is furniture so oversized??  We liked the Jonathon Adler junior lampert sofa. But the dimensions are for a child. It is tiny and very uncomfortable for an adult.

So we changed the dimensions, and angled the seat to make it more comfortable. We had it made by a great workroom in Mount Vernon, NY. I got a little tour of the place. From carpentry to upholstery a piece which starts out on paper comes to life…

So many interesting custom made pieces. Much of their work is for hotels and restaurants…

Then there was our sofette..

And finally in the room. Perfect for a little girl and her mom…

See you…
Christina