Home Sweet Home

Creating Your Home Sweet Home!  Baby Love Nursery Design!

As a Maternity/NICU nurse, I can vouch for the fact that there is nothing more wonderful than the birth of a sweet, new baby…and springtime seems to be an especially favorite time of year to have a precious, little one!  (I have a spring birthday and all my children were born during the first part of the year.)  Aside from the thrill of welcoming a new family member, parents love to prepare a special space for their baby as they anticipate their arrival.

Like any other room in your home, you want your baby’s nursery to be a unique extension of your family’s personality and style…while at the same time allowing for it to be a place where your baby can grow and develop his/her own special characteristics!

Things To Consider As You Design A Nursery!

My husband and I now have five grandchildren–three of them arriving just last year!  Not only has it been wonderful to welcome each of these adorable babies to our family, it’s also been fun to see the darling nurseries designed for each one!  Here are a few ideas I came across, as well as some my kids and their spouses shared with me for creating a special nursery that not only includes decorating ideas, but safety tips from pediatricians too.

♥ Style That’s Safe!

While creating a safe and secure nursery for your baby should always be a top priority for expectant parents, it doesn’t need to take away from the of excitement of deciding paint colors, gathering fabric swatches, or other fun design elements you want to incorporate.  Here are a few of the top recommendations from the American Pediatric Association for you to consider as you decorate that special room for your little one!

• Use minimal, lightweight artwork over your crib to prevent any future mishaps of it falling on your baby as they grow.  If you do decide to add framed pictures or other heavier design elements…..be sure and anchor them securely with earthquake-proof hooks and pull the crib away from the wall a little.

My daughter, Malia, and her husband created this unique textured wall by installing individual cedar scallops that they sanded and painted and hung securely on the main wall of my granddaughter, Maylan’s nursery.  This design element added such a fun impact to the room and goes so perfectly with the vintage feel Malia wanted to create, that all she felt she needed above the crib was a simple, lightweight name banner and a few extra strands of lace.  

Painted wall murals or designs, as well as vinyl decals would also be a good décor option for above a crib.  My youngest daughter put a beautiful macramé wall hanging above her little girl’s bed.

• Obviously, buying a crib is always a big consideration when creating a baby’s nursery…getting a good night’s sleep is a common desire for any new parent to be-for their baby and for them!  When assembling a crib, take time to make sure each screw is tightened securely.  The slats on a crib should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart.  Also steer clear of any cutouts in the headboard where a baby might get stuck.  An adjustable mattress is a must too.  

Another important safety factor to consider is to avoid any window treatments with fabric or cords that the baby can reach.  My son and daughter-in-law live in Germany while he serves as a dentist for the Army.  The darling nursery they’ve set up for their sweet little boy, Elliot, who they adopted last September, has a fun European vibe to it.  I love the fact that the windows there have retractable shutters built within the window itself!  Such a brilliant idea–and certainly child-proof!  (You can read more about their adoption journey here.) 

Any stuffed animals and blankets should also be kept to a minimum when putting your baby down to sleep.  If your thermostat is set at a comfortable temperature, the pajamas and swaddle blanket used to wrap your baby in, is warmth enough. (Eli is one lucky little boy!)

♥ Convenient Comfort!

• As a designer, my daughter will tell you that a room’s design and décor shouldn’t collide with the normal ebb and flow of your everyday living!  That seems to be especially true for all the activity that takes place in a nursery!  

You’ll want a comfortable place to rock your baby or offer late-night feedings.  As you can see from my grandchildren’s nurseries, there is a wide variety of rockers available that will suit your décor style. 

(Eli’s sleek rocker is from Ikea, Malia ordered her’s from Babinski’s.)

Overhead lighting on a dimmer or an extra source of ambient light to help keep the room soothing while you care for your baby during the night without fully jarring you both awake is a nursery plus too. 

(The modular Ikea lamp is similar to the one that Mandi put in her nursery and fits her fun, ecclectic modern design style.  The unique natural wood cylinder table light on Eli’s dresser/changing table is also from Ikea.) 

Having soft, durable floor coverings or rugs with lower fiber pile for easy cleaning is nice to have in a nursery since they will more than likely become a frequent play area for you and your little ones! 

(Rugs make a big design statement–I like the selection of rugs from USArugs.  I also love the Oh Joy brand from Target and Land of Nod for nursery decor! )  

 ♥ Trends and Treasures!

• I remember trying to incorporate the latest trend styles into my nurseries when I had little babies, but I think the prettiest home design is most often created when you use a thoughtful mixture of both trendy décor items and timeless treasures that have a sentimental value–as well as special pieces that have been passed on to you from previous generations. 

Hanging on the wall as you enter my granddaughter, Maylan’s cute nursery is a picture I had in my girl’s bedroom when they were little.  I had it reframed after my sweet grandmother gave it to me; looking at it always makes me feel like somehow she’s watching over us!

These little vintage shoes on Maylan’s dresser were another special treasure passed on to Malia and add a unique touch to the room.

 Sitting on top of Eli’s bookshelf is the sign his parent’s held for their adoption profile pictures–he’ll know that he joined their family in a very special way!  Nursery décor doesn’t get much better than that! 

My mom used to say that a child’s room should mostly reflect love– she often told me she was a better person for having children…..and grandchildren!!  I echo her sentiments!

Our families truly do provide us with our greatest adventures in life!

What’s something you love to incorporate in nursery décor?

–Mary

Creating Your Home Sweet Home!  Floral Decor!

Depending on where you live, your spring weather might still be a little bit too fickle for planting flowers outside…but that doesn’t mean you can’t consider a little floral decor inspiration for inside your home!

When we were first married, any talk of floral décor seemed to conjure up scary visions of flower velour sofas and baskets filled with dusty, plastic flower arrangements in my husband’s mind!  But then again…in those days his idea of good interior design often resembled a log hunting cabin in the mountains without a single flower in sight!

There’s a saying that goes… “Be faithful to your decorating taste, because nothing you love ever really goes out of style!”  I am so thankful that our decor tastes evolve!

(Fun fact–my mom used to have some gold tables in her living room, much like the ones pictured above.  I remember some great conversations and good times gathered around them with family and friends…so although our tastes may change over the years, I’m sure glad the memories last!) 

Floral Décor That Isn’t Scary!

As an experienced designer, my daughter, Malia, will usually recommend creating a good balance when it comes to certain design elements.  With this in mind, here are a few things to consider when adding floral decor to your home.

• A Little Goes A Long Way!

Like any other design statement, the use of too many flower features can be a bit overwheming…like most things in life, moderation when decorating is a good rule of thumb to follow.

 (via Home Decor)

Using a neutral wall and furniture palette makes it easier to add extra floral detail to your room, like the pictures, pillows and other accessories shown in this room.

(via Anthropologie)

(via A Beautiful Mess)

Should you decide to go bold with a particular floral design element, like the sofa or wallpaper above, it’s usually a good idea to keep other decor features more simple and understated.

• Explore The Many Forms Of Floral Decor!

If you’re just not ready to commit to more permanent, pricier items like wallpaper and large furniture pieces, there seems to be plenty of other options to consider when it comes to adding some unique floral decor to your house.

Updated floral print fabrics for curtains, quilts and pillows, as well as botanical prints and area rugs, can certainly add a neat floral flair to any home’s interior design!

(I’ve found that JoAnn’s and Hobby Lobby carries a good variety of floral fabrics, Target stocks a great pillow selection and rugsUSA has a nice assortment of rugs in various styles and sizes.)

 • Silk Flowers Are A Good Option

Silk flowers used in home decor today get the “most improved” award–a far cry from the ones used in our mother’s and grandmother’s generations!  In fact, I think the silk flower arrangements now look so good that it’s hard to tell the difference between them and real ones often times.

(via Fixer Upper)

Beautiful silk flower arrangements are a wonderful way to give a room some personalized character and make it feel extra warm and inviting…and you just can’t beat their low maintenance quality!

Even something as simple as the single silk peony put in an old perfume jar on my granddaughter’s antique dresser gives it such a fun finishing touch.

(I have gotten some of my most favorite silk flowers online at Magnolia Market.)

• There’s Floral Decor For All Design Styles

While some design styles seem to lend themselves more to floral decor than others, it can certainly be fit into any decorating scheme.  My daughter often likes to add a few eclectic accessories from different styles to the overall theme of a home.

From a vintage painting to modern metal art, or country flower pillows in a rustic setting, floral decor just seems to make any space more welcoming!

My grandma always used to say that every room in our houses deserved some flowers…even if it was just a few daisies in a jelly glass jar!

I hope everyone has a happy spring!

 Does floral decor give you a panic attack? What are some fun ways you incorporate it in your home?

–Mary

The Creating Your Home Sweet Home!  Feature Walls!

I haven’t posted a Home Sweet Home journal entry in quite awhile, since during the summer months we tend to focus more on all the outside jobs that need to be done, but today I want to share with you a neat project that my daughter and her husband recently completed in their darling new home.

Like me, I’m sure that many of you had grandparents who proudly adorned the walls of their homes with an eclectic array of family photographs…each picture having a unique story that went along with it…..you know, the stuff that family folklore is all about!  Ha!

“It’s hard to truly understand somebody without visiting them at home–the walls of their house reveal their character and share a bit of their story!”  Gilbert Higbit

Meaningful Feature Walls!

Like other decorative elements we put in our homes, I think it’s important to personalize walls and feature a few special items that are meaningful to us!  Obviously, each wall doesn’t need a full-throttle design treatment, but giving a little attention to a few key walls, especially those you see when entering your home, lets those who come to visit catch a glimpse of your personality!  In her work as a designer, Malia recommends that you try to stay on trend with your decorating style throughout your entire home, this way, all  the rooms of your home flow together better and your house will seem bigger.

(via Ecowood Design)

(via wannah.net)

(via Vintage Home)

Whether it’s adding an architectural element with a unique wood design, a simple wallpaper treatment or an unusual framing technique, feature walls help to create a neat, added dimension to your home’s décor.  

The Look Of Old Wood Shiplap On New Walls!

A favorite home remodel show I like to watch on HGTV is “Fixer Upper” where the husband and wife team of Chip and Joanna Gaines fix up older homes for their clients in the Waco, Texas area.  One design element tthey quite often have to work with is the wood shiplap that’s often found behind the wall coverings of these old homes.

(via merzbaudesigncollective.blogspot)

Pre-sheetrock, interior walls were done in either wood shiplap or plaster.  Shiplap was usually cheaper to install; typically the wood was covered in cardboard, then painted or wallpapered.   

Malia knew when she built her home that she wanted to incorporate the look of old shiplap on a big wall by her entryway staircase–she also wanted the wood used to be painted white too, while still showing the different textures and variations of the wood.  After doing quite a bit of research on various techniques, this is the semi-DIY approach that Malia and her husband, Shane, took to get the shiplap look they wanted on their wall.

Malia decided she liked the look and texture of knotty fencing wood.  (All the wood was sanded, but not so much as to compromise the wood grain and knot holes.)

Shane set up shop in their garage temporarily while he prepped and painted all the wood.  (Shane highly recommends buying a paint sprayer for a project like this for two reasons–to get an even coat of paint and to save time!)

The big wall where the shiplap was going to go got a coat of the same paint color as the wood.  Since Malia was going for more the casual, farmhouse look with the shiplap, there would likely be some small gaps in the wood when it was installed, and she didn’t want her other wall color showing through.  (The feature wall and the wood were both painted with the same color of paint as the trim paint used throughout the rest of Malia’s home.)  

Malia and Shane laid out the wood in the pattern they wanted, but opted to have a professional carpenter install the shiplap wall.  (As you can see, trim pieces were put up along the wall’s outside edges.)

And…the finished product!  Malia added her personal touch with her choice of unique wall hangings!

Malia found the large, divided mirror at Pottery Barn–besides its neat decorative element, she loves how it gives some depth to the tall wall.  I really like how Malia kept the wall hangings simple so they don’t detract from the unique look of the shiplap.  (Malia also put shiplap on some walls in her dining area to help tie the rooms together.) 

This project was a large undertaking that required careful planning and some good teamwork between Malia and Shane, but like most things in life, it’s always worth the effort when the outcome is how you envisioned it!  Great job, it’s just beautiful, Malia!

Have you been brave enough to take on a big home improvement job?  I’d love to hear about it!  It is always fun to be inspired by other’s decorating projects!

–Mary