It can be really hard to buy a meaningful baby gift for someone you don’t really know. My customers come to my shop looking for a special gift.  The first thing I always ask a customer buying a baby gift- Do you know what the nursery looks like? Most do not know what the nursery looks like.  Where do we go from there?  Although my customers do not want to buy from the standard online baby registries from the big box baby stores, I suggest we take a look at what the mom registered for. These baby registries give many clues in terms of simplicity, colors, and style  of the nursery. Do they like shabby chic? Are they more modern or traditional? Lots can be learned from looking at their list of essentials  on big box registries.

Sometimes there  are no baby registries, the only item the customer has is a baby’s announcement.  Baby announcements say a lot about the aesthetic of the new parents.

Almost 19 years ago, my sweet boy Justin was born. Wow!  My baby announcement was very simple. White and gray and meaningful words from a Springsteen song.

What can you tell from this announcement?  Well keep it simple for sure.  But also maybe a bit funky.

I would have loved this stroller blanket from Cici Crib’s online shop.

Or maybe this elephant bookend..

Or this cool clock made from bicycle parts…

Or go out on a limb and get this vintage aluminum diver helmet container, that could be used to great store little toys…

So don’t be afraid or nervous about buying the perfect baby gift if you have never seen the nursery, there are lots of clues to help you pick a fantastic gift!

See you..

Christina

It’s always exciting to bring in new products into the shop. I love vintage. I love modern.  So bringing in some new items that will make a baby’s nursery special  gives us a nice little boost of joy.  We recently brought in Dwell Studio for their clean modern sense of design and quality construction.

I love this little orange bus bookshelf. Click on item- to purchase  in Cici Crib’s  online shop.

Picture frames can make great baby gifts!

Another great selling toy from Dwell Studio is their soft blocks.

From flowers to city skylines, I love their baby blankets and bibs.

I will be heading out this weekend to check out all that’s new in the design world down in Highpoint, NC. So look forward to seeing more decor in the shop as well..

See you..

Christina

Baby J was just born last week. Her bedding was ready at the shop for her. Her crib was this great design which will be available at Cici Crib in November.

The walls and glider fabric in Baby J’s nursery is a calming gray. The only pop was in the baby’s bedding  which was a snappy raspberry pink.

Custom bumper and blanket by Bebe Chic and the  gray square crib sheet is by  Stamattina.

Pink and gray is such truly a pleasing combination. I was checking out Pinterest this morning and found many inspirational pics.  You can get lost in Pinterest…

See you…

My go to place to shop for baby gifts and decor is the New York International Gift Fair.  The summer fair is far more laid back. New products are less common, as vendors are  gearing up for 2013 launches. As I become more of a veteran to this show, vendors will ask my opinion on new products they want to launch for the upcoming year. It’s always a lively discussion. From fashion trends to industry practices, nursery decor changes constantly. I was a definite go on this new 2013  artwork..

Color is always big at the show..

Great chevron chair for a girl’s bedroom!

Some more art that will be coming into the shop in the coming weeks.

I purchased this piece because it reminds me of a client whose nursery we are working on in NYC.

I loved this little piece as well..

I love the booth of Kevin Obrien. His throws and pillows are so luxurious and  special. From the remnants, he hand makes these special stuffed animals.

A visit with very busy mice..

Italian storage!

My day ended sitting on these tree stumps. Made in Italy, each are crocheted. Very comfortable. Could be a great footstool or ottoman in a baby’s nursery. Yes they will be coming into Cici Crib!

See you..

Christina

Quiet lavender was the request from a really nice client for her second daughter’s nursery.  She had most of the furniture from her first daughter, but she wanted to make the new baby’s nursery special. We focused on the longevity of the decor. She knows how quickly her daughter grows up, so pieces were chosen carefully.

We  anchored the space with a really soft carpet and playful wallpaper for over the bead board.

The wallpaper was from Stark and the carpet came from the Sanford Hall showroom in NYC.

The side table will eventually go next to a bed when her daughter grows out of the crib. But for now we needed crib bedding. We chose a sweet set by Annette Tatem.

The lamp is one of a pair that will eventually be placed on the dresser(that  is currently used as a changer). It is a simple vintage crystal  lamp that we had trimmed in the most beautiful lilac linen.

We chose this delightful turn of the century print of girls playing that we framed. It is just so sweet.

A friend purchased a clock from Cici Crib for the room.

My client tells me that people notice the ceiling fixture first, when they enter the room. I hope it brings sweet dreams to the little one….

The window treatments were made from the most beautiful linen from Rogers & Goffigon in Greenwich, CT.

The ties are just perfect.

We also made an embroidered letter pillow from the linen.

Another whimsical picture is waiting to be hung in the room. We would like to put it over the changer, but curious little hands will cause us to move it to a temporary location.

See you..

Christina

I have always collected vintage planters from the 1940-1960′s. Way back when, they were given as baby gifts and I assume they had plants in them.   I used them to decorate my kids’ nursery.  I use them for their toothbrushes. I use them to store pencils. I have one in my bathroom.

Here is the elephant in my bathroom…

At the shop we have a planter on the counter that we use to hold pens. I used it when the kids were babies  to store A & D ointment and thermometers. It has such sentimental value. I won’t sell it…

The planter that holds the business cards sold recently. A new holder is in place…

We have put together some great little gift planters using some of  the vintage planters. They come with a minky soft rattle and a handmade baby comb from Switzerland. They will be going on our ecommerce website that will soon be up and running.  Hurrah!

See you…

Christina

Tangerine Tango is the pantone color for 2012! It is bold. A no apologies, fantastic orange…

Ducduc has forever used this color inside all of their casegoods..

Tangerine Tango is sprinkled throughout the shop. Art  for a baby’s nursery..

 Custom lamp in the great color…

Love these Euros..

Have a happy and healthy New Year!

See you…

Christina

So much elephant merchandise is flowing into Cici Crib this fall. Our store window is filled with elephants. Smart and steady. From gifts to decor, what’s not to love…

New Jellycat elephant…

Chic Jonathan Adler clock for the wall

Babar books always make good gifts…

Our most popular bookend..

Hooded towels,burps and bibs, perfect for baby, from a company that makes it’s products in Texas.

Large wooden elephant for the wall…

Can’t forget the vintage. The vintage toys add a unique decorating touch..

And my absolute favorite is this little vintage wool rug, how great it  would be  in a nursery…

See you…

Christina

Crystal boudoir lamps were very popular from the 1940s-1960s.  They can be  the perfect touch for a little girl’s bedroom. They make some reproductions today, which for the most part are made of plastic. The vintage lamps are twinkling crystal. At Cici Crib they make a transformation from dusty, rusty lamps to beautiful table lamps. I take the lamps apart, replace old pieces and CLEAN them. Then they are sent out to be rewired.

Finding the correct shade is a whole other story. The lamp bases are too big for chandelier shades and too small for most lamp shades. Eventually we find the correct drop and have them custom banded in pretty colors.  Tons of time and love are put in before they reach their final destination.

The lamp below is trimmed in one of the most beautiful calm lavender  linen from Rogers and Goffigon. It is going into a nursery that  I will photograph shortly.

See you..

Christina

There are times  a designer misses the concept of what a client is looking for. This is a fine example. I thought the customer would be as excited as I was about this concept. Great clients. Wrong concept.  It mixes touches of blues and oranges with a neutral cappuccino  color. The carpet in this NYC apartment is a Stark neutral. It will remain. The customer is pretty firmly traditional, but would like a more modern nursery.

The carpet looks like this..

I wanted to use a grasscloth wallcovering  that had  a delicate orange  trellis.

After I chose it, I saw it was used in the Kips Bay showhouse, in a very large room. As you can see the pattern is not overwhelming.

I designed this long changer finished in white lacquer. It had closed storage on the right  side, drawers in the center and a hamper on the left side. Each piece would come apart and be completely painted. This would allow for future flexibility.  Later on, one could use the hamper and dresser in different parts of the room, for example.

On top of the changer we would affix this standard tray.

The crib is very clean, but  still maintains it’s traditional roots. It would be entirely in white.

The glider is the classic glider that I have in the shop slip covered in a linen. The bedding would have dashes of blue and orange. Pic of the side of bumper is below.

Fabrics would be a thin orange stripe piping and ties  with white matelasse  and Annette Tatem soleil orange fabric that is separated by a large ric rac lace.

I wanted to use a 7′ round rug that would achor the room.If the baby was a girl it would be this one.

A boy…

Possible artwork.  Vintage educational posters…

Although the client decided not to go in this direction. The ideas will remain in the Cici Crib library….

See you…

Christina