One Artist, Six Nurseries: Dana's Design

Over at 3A, we’ve all found ourselves in the “young children” phase of life, all of us having kids (me with our second on the way). And for this reason, many of our friends and clients are in similar stages of life, making nurseries a big part of our design minds. 

We love working on nurseries for many reasons—partly because bringing together a nursery is more than just creating a new space; it’s setting the stage for a new addition to a family. There’s so much excitement involved! And luckily for us, nurseries all start with the same basic foundation, meaning they all require the same basics: crib, changing table, rocker…you get the idea. The true design aspect comes from blending the client’s personalities with the gender (if known) and our design eye. We love seeing the reaction from expectant parents when they know we’ve created something for their home that’s so much more than they ever could have purchased as part of a package at a department store. Nurseries are so personal—which is another reason why we love them! 

One part of personalizing a nursery is selecting fun artwork for a space. Babies are so visual, so we love bringing in simple, bright, and whimsical pieces. When we discovered Gingiber art prints, we were instantly inspired by her fun animal prints to put in a nursery. Here’s where the cool part comes in: we three all work well together for a cohesive design look. But we all bring individual aspects to the table. So we thought it would be fun for you to see what each of us envisioned, all while being inspired by the same artist. This week we will each present a feminine and masculine nursery to share with you.

The idea is to start with a generally neutral palette and add on masculine or feminine elements as needed. None of us have ever been fans of overly “boy” or “girl” nurseries, and we’d probably argue that as a good rule of thumb for any space. We find it makes an overall more appealing space, more peaceful, and it’s very easy to reuse the elements again for a new baby, or for your growing child.

I decided to keep mine clean and simple: modern pieces accented with a little whimsy in the textiles. I love a fun patterned crib sheet, since it’s mainly what babies will see. And I can’t resist pom-pom trim on anything. 

Anyway, onto my designs:

crib // crib skirt // crib sheet // light fixture // bookcase and storage baskets // rocker // ottoman // sheepskin // flooring // dresser // curtains // paint 

crib // crib skirt // crib sheet // light fixture // bookcase and storage baskets // rocker // ottoman // sheepskin // flooring // dresser // curtains // paint 

A few notes about the designs:

1. The curtains are black-outs, which I have now decided are very important in a child’s room. The client I worked for with my very first nursery design insisted on black-outs, and I couldn’t understand why. I always heard (and experienced) that babies were immune to times of day when it came to sleep. That may be true, but what’s also true (as I learned) is that babies turn into toddlers. Toddlers that wake with full energy at the first hint of daylight. So it’s best to delay daylight creeping in for as long as possible!
2. The rockers are originally known as Eames Shell Rockers. They are one of my all-time favorite chairs (I have a lot of all-time favorite chairs, in case you’re wondering why I say that a lot). The “real” reproduction, or even a vintage original, will cost a lot. But fear not, as there are people out there that make nearly identical knock-offs for a fraction of the cost. I chose to source the original for the boy nursery because of the aqua color. However, there is a knock-off in light blue that you can find here. (In the girl nursery, I went straight for the knock-off in that easily-found orange.)
3. The flooring I’ve chosen is not a rug, but carpet tiles. These convenient squares not only make it easy to choose a size that’s perfect for your space, but they also make it super easy to remedy any spills or stains that may prove hard to get out. Simply remove and discard the soiled square and replace it with a spare. For this reason, it’s always best to order a few more than what you originally need! 

I never imagined I’d pick pink for a nursery, but I actually like it here for my girl nursery, with the soft, barely pink walls and in the natural linen crib skirt. And it’s always good push your own envelope! Who knows when we may have a client who wants all pink.

I love that there’s still plenty of room for personalization here—in more artwork, toys and shelf knick-knacks, and other personalized items for your baby. It’s always fun to spell out your baby’s name or use his or her initial somehow if you’ve chosen one. Maybe you can use one of these designs for a starting point in your own nursery! 

Or if you’ve started a nursery design and (as it tends to happen) have gotten more and more pregnant and now just want it finished, contact us here for an easy solution to nursery design. We would love to help!

Until next time!

Get the Look: Estee Stanley Girl's Bedroom

I've long been a fan of celebrity interior designer Estee Stanley's work and this darling little girl's room is no exception.  When I saw it in Lonny several years ago, I instantly fell in love.  The subtle pinks mixed with warm ivories and dark woods make for a sweet and sophisticated space while all of the layers of texture and pattern give it a childish bohemian vibe any little girl would be lucky to call her own. 

The dark wood ceiling and beams might be hard to replicate in your home, but I've put together a few other items to give you the overall look of this beautiful space... just in case you love it as much as I do.

Stripe Rug // Pink Rug // Settee // Woven Baskets // Rainbow Hamper // Chandelier // Headboard // Side Table // Pink Toss Pillows // Embroidered Coverlet // Lamps // Pink Lamp Shade // Sconces // Linen Pinboard // Wolf Animal // Tweed Toss Pillow  // Drapes

Have a wonderful weekend!

DIY Floating Shelves

After writing my post on mudrooms and sharing my frustration with the lack of organizational space we have, Mr. Nguyen told me to pick a weekend and we would knock out the hall project that I have been wanting to complete for over a year. Not only was I surprised that hubby reads my blog posts, I was thrilled to finally get the project done!

Meet our subject. This is the hall leading to our garage. When we moved in, it had been a narrow linen closet with even narrower floor to ceiling shelving and ugly bi-fold doors. The shelves were too narrow to fit much of anything on, so about a year ago we had the shelving removed and the walls patched up. It remained that way until this past weekend.

Since the alcove is too narrow for a bench, the plan was to build a couple floating shelves to act as a an area to display some art and also house keys and such.

After, it was decided to make the shelves approximately 10" deep x  3" high, the following items were purchased:  

 (2) 1x3x8 -one for each shelf                                                                                                                                                                        (1) cabinet grade sheet of 1/4" 4x8- for the top, bottom and front piece for both shelves                                                                 (1) pack of 1/4 toggle bolts
(1) can of Rustoleum stain in "Wheat"                                                                                                                                                        (1) Minwax stainable wood filler (Go with the larger size. I bought the smaller container and ended up needing more.)

To make it easier to transport, we had Lowe's cut down the 4x8 sheet into 4 top and bottom panels and 2 fronts which made the installation go quicker. The first step was to create a skeleton for each shelf using the 1x3x8. *Keep in mind when cutting the outward extending pieces to deduct both the depth of the back brace and front panel from your overall length so that you achieve the correct fished shelf depth. Also note, a 1x3 is not really 3" but actually 2.5". 

The skeleton was then bolted to the wall and then the front, bottom, and top panels were nailed on.

I did not bother conditioning the wood before applying the stain. Once, the stain had dried it was a bit too yellow for me. The store had already closed and since I was on a roll, I decided to give Dana's coffee stain technique a try. One thing to note, use caution when brushing the coffee near the walls. Since it is very thin, it got underneath the painter's tape in some areas which I had to then go back and paint over.

It may be hard to tell from the pic, but after three quick coats of coffee the shelves had achieved a warmer tone that I liked. I definitely recommend using coffee as a stain. Not only is it cheap but smells good, as opposed to the toxic fumes that traditional stains have.

Well, there you have it. Now comes the fun part of decorating. If money were no issue I would purchase one of Jai Vasicek Malachi paintings and it would look something like this.

And on the adjoining wall a row of matte black hooks like this one.

 Vasicek has a waiting list for his paintings, if that gives you any indication of the likely hood I would be able to procure one. So, I am thinking about painting an interpretation of his Malachi series. Eek! I will keep you posted if I get the nerve to do it.

Have a good one!

Moodboard: A Modern Kids' Creative Space

Not so long ago, I stumbled upon a photo of a great kids' space on Pinterest. My husband and I ooh-ed and ahh-ed over it, and then I swear one of us pinned it, and now it is lost forever. I swear I spent an hour looking for it only to turn up with nothing. Nothing even remotely close to how great that space worked. And it was a great lead-up as the inspiration for this post.

So you'll just have to take my word for it. 

Anyway, in my last post, I talked about how we were slowly transforming our would-be dining room into a kid space. It's very important that this is not misunderstood to be a catch-all space for toys. The baby/toddler stage is short-lived compared to the lifespan of a home, or however long your family lives in it. It's important to us that any space belonging to our kids is constructive towards learning and creating. (Or on the other hand, sleeping. As many sleeping spaces as they want!! So long as, you know, they actually sleep.)

So I put together one example of what that might look like for us: 

I like a clean, minimalist approach to a kids' space. Because this may look simple, but anyone with kid experience knows that in real life there would be crayons and paper all over the table, books and knick-knacks on the shelf, doodles and scribbles and backwards lowercase "a's" on the chalkboard wall, and most likely other odd things scattered on the floor. Best to keep the design scheme on the opposite end of busy ;) 

Also, as much as I love adding a few vintage, restored and repurposed pieces in just about every room, kids just don't appreciate that. They like new, bright, shiny. Once your kid is running and talking, they can think on their own. They have opinions. They like the pink sparkle keds, no matter how much you want them to like the red chucks. They'd much rather wear the dinosaur shirt than the monogrammed one. They're kids. What can ya do?

Here's the Sourcing:

Vertical Bookshelf and Storage Cubes - Probably the most widely used storage piece for kid stuff. It's so versatile. Ikea would be a fool to get rid of it. 

Storage Console

Light Fixture

Pom-Pom Garland - No particular source for this. First because it's easy to make yourself, and secondly because every crafty person on Etsy makes them.

Corkboard - Again, no source because you can get it almost anywhere and cut it down to whatever size you need

Round Table Lamp - I thought this was a great inexpensive (but still modern-looking) option because I can see a book go flying and not hear the sounds of lamp crashes quickly following. And it gives a soft glow--probably enough to read a book nearby without overhead lights 

Storage Basket

Bean Bag Chairs - Not the most inexpensive option, but functional, stylish, and they have a removable cover! Winner! 

Wood Table and Chairs - I'm not even sourcing these because it would depress all of us. This is the Eames plywood table and chairs, or as they're more popularly called--the "potato chip chair." I love them. They love me. And they come in kid sizes, making them even more irresistible. Should you ever find these in a thrift store or on Craig's List, it is part of your civic duty to call me immediately. Now that we've covered that, Ikea makes a perfectly good table and chair set for kids that's made of unstained, unfinished pine. We have it. It's unbeatable for the money.

Rug - Indoor/Outdoor. Essential for kids because that equals "hard to ruin."

Supply Cart - I've seen this cute cart used so many ways. It's adorable and functional. Win-win.

Chalkboard Paint - Pretty much anywhere these days. We used Valspar and so far no complaints.

Spot Lights

Paint - A very pale turquoise to give the room a little fun. Also blue is calming. (If you want to incur temper tantrums, go ahead and paint your little girl's room that nice pepto pink. Color psychology is real, people.)

I used a lot of Ikea products in this room for several reasons. Most obviously, it's inexpensive. Ikea makes great products for grown-ups, but I think they take the gold on their children's products. If you don't have kids you'd never know because you probably whiz straight past this section and onto the swedish meatballs and $5 photo frames. But I'm telling you--it's great. We discovered it on our last trip and couldn't break away. They don't just sell "toys", you know? All of their products are well-thought out and have some learning built into them. You can also find great wood and metal play-thing options (making the environmentally conscious parent's feat of avoiding plastic more possible), and for the length of time your kid actually uses the things you purchase, they really stand the test of time. $20 for a wood table and 2 chairs?? SOLD. 

There are a few more expensive items in this room, but keep in mind, this is an inspiration mood board. If you keep your eyes open, you can find some great deals on similar items that may work just as well. Or you may find the price justifiable for your wallet based on the use it will get in your home. All-in-all, it's a feasible space that will get plenty of use from ages 2 on up. The pieces are intended to stick around and change in use with your kids' needs.

Does your playroom need a functional overhaul with the help of a trained design eye? Try E-Design. We would love to help you! 

Until next time!

Client Design: A Modern Classic Kitchen

We recently had a client contact us about helping them update their kitchen.  The couple didn't want to do a huge renovation or overhaul, just some ideas they could easily implement to give their kitchen a facelift.  Lucky for them, our E-Design process was perfect for such a task!

Lucky for us, they already had great bones to work with--an island, shaker style cabinets, a built-in banquette. They had also recently purchased these modern barstools and they wanted to know how to incorporate them into a more traditional style like the rest of their home.

We loved the clean lines of the stools and were excited to get to work marrying traditional pieces with some modern touches.  Here is what we designed.

View fullsize

The lights over the island are a much cheaper version to Troy Lighting's Maidstone.  It was a great fit for a beautiful style on a budget and wasn't too ornate for some modern pairings.  We suggested updating painting their cherry cabinets in Silvermist (SW-7621) and adding this brass hardware for more clean, modern lines.  A good rule of thumb for hardware is pulls on the drawers and knobs on the doors.

For the countertop we suggested this beautiful Torquay Quartz by Cambria.  This was the biggest item in the budget, but it will last forever.  It has the look of marble but with much less maintenance.  They didn't have a backsplash before but were interested in adding one if they could find something in their budget--enter white subway tile.  It's a timeless classic (that's why you see it everywhere), but it's also very affordable. 

For the banquette area we wanted to add in some fun color and pattern with these pillows in a fabric by Kravet.  They add a playfulness to the space and soften the banquette which was previously just a wooden bench.  We topped off the banquette update with this high-gloss, oversized cone pendant light with gold lining inside to add the perfect glow for conversation.

We love how this kitchen turned out, and even better, so did the client!  Kitchens are some of the easiest spaces to update with paint, hardware and lighting.  If we can help you spruce up your space, contact us here.

Chalkboard Walls: A Job Well-Done

We recently painted a wall in our house with chalkboard paint. It's a small little wall that includes a doorway, leading from our would-be dining room to our kitchen. Lucky for us (kind of), we have a very spacious breakfast nook which we use for all our meals, and now we've decided to make the dining room a permanent "learning/play space" for children (and the contents of the space tend to overspill into other rooms of the house, but I think that comes with the territory of children--not necessarily the location of the space). 

Anyway, that room is slowly working itself into something visually pleasing (which I'll save for a much later reveal), but for now, let's take a look at some of my favorite inspiration photos and why they work:

image via Pinterest, original source unknown :( Hate it when that happens! Good things need to be sourced!

From top to bottom this whole wall has been covered. And to add some visual interest and bring your eye to the unique geometry of the space, they've added a wall clock and some personalized hangings. Love it!

Karson Butler Events' clever workspace via Inspired by This

Another floor to ceiling chalkboard wall, this black background not only adds some weight to the light and airy workspace, but it doubles as an inspiration board. 

Image from Family Fun Magazine

Love this! This was one of my main inspirations for our wall. Not only is it an art wall, but it also has an organization function. Everything is neatly placed and ready to become...well...I'm sure not-so-neat ;) 

vintage camera wall photographed by Shawn Hoke, image via Mint Design Blog

Very clever! This shelving and display wall was given a masculine dark backdrop that helps to catalogue this collector's findings. 

image via Dear Lillie blog

A great use of a framed chalkboard space here. I've seen a lot of framed chalkboards, but they tend to all just be floating in the middle of the wall. Terrible. But here, our friend Dear Lillie made it a nice accessory to her well-styled console table, grounding it nicely and tying it in with the rest of the wall space. Very well done!

Preschool learning corner via The Sweatman Family Blog

Another great framed chalkboard. This one, although not as detailed as the image above, still works well. It's height is directly relative to the shelves on the adjacent wall, and the nice accessories below help it not to have that "floating in space" look. This is also similar to what we're going for in our house.

Image from Isabella and Max Rooms via Lauren Liess

I love that this wall is the both the backdrop and the accessory for a gallery wall. The black frames stand out just enough from the deep charcoal walls, and having small frames for your chalk doodles or latest inspirations suggests it's importance to you-- just like the other items in the collage. So smart!

image via Valspar

Another cool thing about chalkboard paint that might not be evident at first is that it comes in a lot of colors. Several manufacturers carry it, but we got ours in a tinted can of Valspar at Lowes. They had a ton of colors! We are able to come very close to matching our other accent wall which is a dark, warm gray (and the walls are not adjacent so you really can't even tell they're not the same color). 

So, based on the above collection of great examples of chalkboard wall execution, I've put together the following guidelines for painting a chalkboard wall in your home:

1. Choose your wall and color carefully. Are you going to go black? If not, the color should relate to the walls in the rest of your home. Just because it's a chalkboard wall doesn't mean it is exempt from relating to the design scheme. And if you are going black (especially a whole wall), make sure the space can handle it. If you're not going for "moody," make sure you've got a lot of good light.

2. Give it borders. Either paint the wall edge to edge, or consider the balance of your selected area. If you're not going edge-to-edge, give it a frame or border. And make sure it's not floating by it's lonesome by itself. Add surrounding furniture or wall decor. 

3. Give it a purpose. Do you want a chalkboard wall just to doodle on? Consider what you might doodle there. A welcoming logo for visitors, daily motivations, reminders, etc. Are your children using it? Add to it's purpose accordingly. Give it some character just like you would any other wall in your home.

4. Accessorize. This goes with 2 and 3 above. Is it solely a doodle wall? Then perhaps put some artsy prints on the area you won't be doodling on. Or whatever inspires your creativity. Is it for organization? Invest in some good shelving or wall hooks. Add a magnetic board or cork board. Tape off a calendar with washi tape. Get creative!

5. Don't neglect it. Ours has week-old doodles and half-erased scribbles on it right now, and it desperately needs a clean sweep to make room for new ones. Granted, it is a kid space, so a little messiness is understandable, but if your area is frequently seen by guests, fix any smudges, keep it updated, and rotate out your design for something new on a regular basis.

If you've been loving some chalkboard inspirations lately, I would definitely nudge you in the direction of "go for it!" After all, it's just one wall. Even though we painted ours for our daughter, we've all found ourselves using it from time to time. I have a lovely garland drawn around our doorway. And having some attention brought to the wall has inspired us to do other things in the space. I love it.

(Although, word of advice, especially if you use a brand like Valspar--the no VOC rule does not apply to chalkboard paint! I assumed because it was Valspar it was safe to sit my tired pregnant booty on the sofa while my husband painted. A dizzy spell and headache later, I decided to read the paint can and noticed the strong advisory to paint in a well-ventilated area. Oops! Sorry, baby! I left the room and we opened the windows after that...)

Happy creating, friends! 

Until next time...