Nursery Art Decisions

Things have pretty much fallen into place for the nursery design (only a few, minor changes since my last post)...except the main art piece.  I just can't decide.  I thought I'd share the prints that I'm currently waffling over (all are pictured on the left side above the dresser).

First is "The Meadow" by Melanie Severin.

I like the calm, fluid feel and the touches of pink.  It might be nice for our baby girl to have at least a little pink in her shared nursery.  It incorporates the aqua and some green.  Possibly not the exact shades of green in the pillows, but I think it would look okay.

Another option is "Photo-synthesis No. 6" by Satsuki Shibuya.

It has a lot more green in it and more of a masculine feel to me.  There is a touch of aqua.  I'm not sold on it for some reason.

The third print is "Salvation Mountain" by Britt Bass Turner.

It has a more child-like feel to me.  It's colorful and maybe a bit busy and Seth isn't too sure about it (maybe better for the playroom?). I don't know what it is, but something keeps drawing me back to this one.

Lastly, is another Britt Bass Turner piece entitled "Swoop".

My main concern is the mint green color (upper right quadrant).  Possibly not the best addition with the other greens we have going on in the room.

I would really like to make a decision this week and get the darn thing ordered.  Then I can finalize some other details.

Which print would you choose?  I think I've narrowed it down to option #1 or option #3.  I'd love to hear your opinions!

Bamboo and Sheepskin Ottoman

Rather than purchase the matching ottoman when we purchased our swivel glider, I opted to wait and find something else in my ongoing attempt to trade the "matchy matchy" look for a "collected over time" feel.

When I was collecting items for my antique booth, I purchased a bamboo footstool sans cushion.    I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to go about making a cushion until I came across this picture on Pinterest.

via

I love the texture and contrast of the bamboo paired with the sheepskin rug.  So I got to work replicating the look.

Supplies:

• bamboo footstool
• sheepskin rug (mine was from Marshall's a few seasons ago but Ikea is known for their affordable options)
• 1/4" thick piece of plywood
• foam
• batting
• spray adhesive
• staple gun
• double sided tape (not pictured)

Since the cushion would sit down inside the top edge of bamboo, I measured the inner diameter and then subtracted 1.5" so that there was room for the foam, batting, and sheepskin rug.  Seth cut a circle of 1/4" plywood for me.  I cut a piece of foam about 1" in diameter larger than the plywood, sprayed the back with adhesive, and attached it to the plywood.  I then wrapped it in batting (cut large enough so that you have room to stretch it around and staple in the back) and used my staple gun to secure it to the bottom of the plywood, stretching it tight as I went.  

I decided that I didn't want to put staples through my sheepskin rug and so I secured it using double sided tape.  The rug was longer than I needed but I just tucked it all underneath and used more tape to hold it in place.  

Then, I just popped it on top of the ottoman and it was done.

It ended up being a nice, tight fit so I'm not worried about the fact that it isn't secured to the ottoman.  There are pieces of bamboo underneath supporting it so the 1/4" plywood is plenty thick.

It's so soft and fuzzy.  Perfect for the nursery.  

Spring Succulent Wreath

Being heavily pregnant with twins has left me with little energy these days so I'm seeking out quick, easy projects to decorate our house for Spring.  This succulent wreath fit the bill perfectly.

This was my initial inspiration.

Supplies:

• grapevine wreath
• faux succulents
• hot glue gun
• ribbon for hanging

I found my faux succulents at the dollar tree.  Yes - the dollar tree.  I ended up using 15 of them.  I had the ribbon and grapevine wreath on hand (it was also what I used for our 2013 Christmas wreath).

After removing the succulents from their pots and styrofoam "dirt", I liberally applied the hot glue on their stems, and stuck them in between the grapevines.  I added some green ribbon to the top and hung it on the front door.  Simple as that.

I am pretty impressed with the look of the dollar tree succulents.  

I also love the fact that this wreath isn't necessarily Spring-specific (i.e. no eggs, bunnies, etc). Since my life is going to get very busy in late Spring, it may end up gracing our door until Fall.

I hope the warmer temperatures and Spring weather make an appearance in your area this week!  Happy Monday!

Where My Nursery At?

We are finishing up an accent wall in the nursery this week.  Until then, I wanted to update you guys on where we are with things.  The following mood board portrays my vision and most of the items that will be used in the final room.  (The dresser below is just a stand in for our mid-century thrifted find.)

I'm still undecided about the main, colorful piece of artwork that will tie all the colors together (I'll share some options soon) and smaller accessory items, but this is where things are headed.  The main colors will be blues and greens but some other accent colors will make an appearance.  Stay tuned!

Easy Yarn Banner Art

The wall above our "cat feeding station" has been empty since we swapped the dining room and office (then we repainted and started to decorate).  I came across a pillow with the question "Are you kitten me right meow?" on it a few weeks ago and I decided it would be the perfect phrase for this spot.

I didn't want another piece of framed art so I decided to make a banner instead.

Supplies:

  - ~ 1/2 yard of canvas

  - round dowel rod (not pictured)

  - yarn

  - fabric glue

  - string or jute (not pictured)

  - painters tape

  - stain (optional; not pictured)

First, I cut my piece of canvas to the size I wanted.  Mine ended up being 18" across by " long.  Then, I "hemmed" the side and bottom edges using fabric glue and let that sit overnight.

The next day, I measured and used my painters tape to mark off where my words would go.  I am not good at eyeballing things like this.  If you are, feel free to skip the taping.  My words would have been super crooked and uncentered without the tape as my guide.

I had originally planned to sew the words onto the canvas cloth but the canvas is so thick that the needle left a gaping hole when I poked it through.  So plan B was to use the fabric glue.

I "drew" my word with the glue and then carefully laid my yarn on top.  (Sorry for the lack of progress shots.  Bad blogger.)

After the glue dried for a few hours, I folded the top hem over my stained dowel rod and applied more glue.  The next morning, the glue at this top hem had not held.  Plan B was to use a needle and thread and sew the hem together around the dowel rod.  Turns out, hand sewing a straight line is not my forte.  Onto plan C.  Iron on hem tape.  Worked like a charm.

I tied some jute twine around the ends of the dowel rod and hung up my new banner!

I kinda wish I had left room for a question mark but I realized this after I had centered and glued down "meow".  Oh well.

I like the quirkiness it adds to the room.  It makes me smile when I read it.  Crazy cat ladies unite!

Stay tuned for some nursery updates (the accent wall is nearly complete) and a kitchen update (we bought a new vent hood and the floor tiles are going down this tomorrow!).  Have a productive weekend!

Nursery Wall Color Reveal

Lately, a common question that I'm getting from friends and family is "How is the nursery coming along?".  I usually tell them that it's coming along pretty well...we've put cribs together and painted.  They then ask, "What color?"  And when I tell them, I get varied reactions.  I'm definitely not second guessing but I think most people aren't expecting it.  Don't worry.  It will look much better when the room is finished.  And the color we chose is.......

white!  Valspar's Ultra White to be exact (same as our master bedroom and office).

It is the perfect backdrop for the special wall treatment (hoping to do that this weekend) and colorful accessories that I have in mind.

Sorry - no wide angle shots.  The room is a mess and I don't want to give too much away yet. 

What do you think?  Would you paint a nursery white?

Gender Neutral Nursery Designs

How about some gender neutral nursery designs for those of you who either like to be surprised by the gender of your baby at birth or who are having boy/girl fraternal twins like us?

As I've probably stated before, I really dislike super theme-y nurseries.  They just take me back to the early 90s and wallpaper borders.  I'm not into crib bedding sets either.  I like a more modern, eclectic feel.  I want the room to feel at least a little collected over time versus recently purchased off the shelf at a major retail store.  Sorry if I'm insulting anyone.  Just know that you do not have to purchase everything from the same bedding set and you do not have to pick a theme.  Choose things that you like.  Mix and match a little and create something unique and fun!

I also believe that nurseries are as much for the parents as they are for the baby.  Do you think a baby cares what color his/her walls are?  Or what kind of artwork is hanging above their changing table?  I don't.  When the twins are older and have opinions about that kind of thing, you better believe that I'll be designing a super special room based on their wishes.  But for the nursery, I'd like to enjoy the many, many, many hours that I'll be spending in there looking at artwork that appeals to me as well.  Don't get me wrong - our nursery will also have some kid appeal.  It just won't have trains or planes or cartoon animals everywhere.  Ok.  I'm done.

First up is a colorful option.  Despite the purple, I think this could still work for a boy or girl. (You could always eliminate the purple throw pillow and choose something a bit more masculine.)  The rug reminds me of this wall that Gwen hand painted (!!!) for Creating with the Stars last year.  I love it!

NuLOOM rug / Owl home decor / Pehr throw pillow / Woven basket / Pehr throw pillow / Wire sculpture / Thibaut throw pillow / West Elm storage furniture / West Elm leather chair / Walmart Baby Mod Marley 3-in-1 Convertible Crib / Alphabet Wall Art Print  / Hand Crafted Baby Mobile Counting Sheep / There You Go Print / Knit Wool Pouf, Beige


Next is a peach and turquoise design.  I love calming, muted color schemes for nurseries.  I know that babies see high contrast and bright colors better (since their eyesight is not fully developed at birth), but they can get that from their books and toys.  I think it's probably a good thing for their room to be fairly calming.  It is where they are supposed to be sleeping after all.  Now if someone would make sure that twins understand that, that'd be great.

Crate and Barrel swing arm wall lamp / West Elm vines wool rug / Turquoise window panel / Wire sculpture / Linen peach throw pillow / Kelly Wearstler pillow / rocker  / Ikea Hemnes dresser / Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib / Adventure Quote / Chicken Run / Knit Wool Pouf, Beige / birch tree wallpaper / swoop art print


I went with a sophisticated safari theme for this design.  I really love the color block print from Minted and the David Hicks magenta throw pillow.

Possini Euro Design glass globe chandelier / Crate and Barrel modern wall light / H M lidded basket / navy pillow  / wire sculpture / rocker / Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib / Adventure Quote  / Color Blocking Print / Watercolor Zebra Print  / Aeonium print / Knit Wool Pouf, Beige / David Hicks Dark Wine and Magenta Throw Pillow / Rug


Lastly, another calm, dreamy option.  I'm in love with that Britt Bass Turner abstract.  Ever since I came across it, I've been trying to find somewhere that I could incorporate it in our house to no avail. We just don't have a room that it would work in right now.  So do me a favor and buy it for your house and then send me a picture.

Seagrass basket / Wire Sculpture / Nate Berkus cream throw pillow / Owl Printl / Ikea Hemnes dresser / Walmart Baby Mod Marley 3-in-1 Convertible Crib / Large Industrial White Pendant / Hand Crafted Baby Mobile Counting Sheep / Alphabet Wall Art Print / Knit Wool Pouf, Beige  / Diamond Hand Block Quilt / Squirrel Print / Rug / Abstract Print / Swivel Rocker


So there you have it.  Four ideas for modern, non-theme-y, gender neutral nursery designs. These were at one time all options for our nursery but they have fallen out of favor.  I've got a couple of strong contenders that I'll share with you after we get a bit further along with the design.  It's highly possible that I will change my mind again.