Baby's Nursery

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...

Beach Baby

We are finishing  a baby's  nursery inspired by beach cabanas! Oh Summer is leaving us!

The room is very light and airy. We chose  window treatments that were very similar to these.

We used this  fresh  Newport Cottages crib. The fabric panels on either side of the crib can be covered in any fabric of our choice and are completely removable for reupholstery.

We chose this striped fabric for the panels in the crib.

We chose this bookshelf from Newport. It was painted white on the outside. The inside back wall was painted aqua.

A nice accessory for the bookshelf would be this cute frame from Cici Crib .

For the bedding we did a cute crib skirt, fitted sheet and toddler blanket. The skirt is a seersucker orange with a fine wale cordoroy border.The fitted sheet is an aqua dot. Instead of a bumper we accessorized with a toddler blanket has the same outer fabric as the skirt,  but lined with super soft minky.  All custom made by Bebe Chic.

This area rug would look nice.

I would love  to finish off the nursery with this piece of art. Framed in weathered driftwood, it is just perfect.

Happy Summer!

Oh just a note that Wee Westchester did  a great little post about us on their very cool blog. Thanks Wee Westchester!

See you...

Christina

New Colors from Ducduc

Ducduc and their sister company, The New Traditionalist,  has revamped their finishes for their children's line of furniture. Once a custom request, now a standard option,  colorful finishes are offered on their cribs, changers and children's bedroom furniture. The range of choices makes decorating a baby's nursery or a child's bedroom a colorful experience! I visited the showroom in NYC to check out their new offerings..

A sneak peak at the new catalog..

A great twist on a traditional changer/dresser...

Modern cribs get more color..

A simple kids desk..

Love this transitional crib...

More color for a baby's changer...

See you...

Christina

Vintage Crystal lamps for a little girl's bedroom

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

Nursery for a special baby girl

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

Nursery design in my mind

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

Warhol and the Poodle

It is true that our tastes change over time. I am seeing more clients that would like to refresh their current, relatively newly decorated rooms. The rooms are currently traditional, but they would like to make them more transitional. Add more modern. Give the room lightness. Add something that is unexpected. Ok the last sentence is my theory.  My current client has a little girl that is growing out of her crib. The nursery was very traditional. We will have to keep some of the furniture from the nursery.  Her  crib bedding, named Greta,  was from Serena and Lily. All very lovely.

The pink in the Greta bedding is a bit dusty. It is a tough pink to work with, since it is hard to find complementary pink fabrics.  The old decorator made a valance out of the same damask pink fabric and the walls are also the same pink. Lots of pink!

Realizing how difficult the pink was to match, the mom bought the complimentary sheets for the big girl bed in the same Serena and Lily pattern.  Called Gracie, Serena and Lily has since discontinued it.

So now, my job is to change the nursery into a little girl's bedroom  and add a modern feel to the space. So lucky that this Gracie bedding  can easily harmonize  with some modern elements.   The mom also  bought this fun Andy Warhol print that we will use as inspiration.

For the bed, I would like to do a high headboard upholstered in white faux patent leather.

I found these pillows at the last gift show that will add a little sparkle to the bedding. They are so delicate and sweet. From one of my favorite companies, Sivaana.

At the end of the bed I would like to put this upholstered  brown and white linen storage bench .

We will keep the nightstand.

I found a crazy fun lamp to put on it.  We may change out the shade.  But how fun is it!

We will keep the simple white dresser

And add this mirror.

A nice bookshelf is needed...

A loveseat will sit underneath the Warhol with a very cool fixture

I wish I could blink and it would be done. How easy that would be....

See you...

Christina

Around the World in Eighty Days

Once again it is trade show time.  I completely look forward to checking out all the new stuff!  Yesterday I spent the day at the New York International Gift Fair.  It was a day of exploration.  A trip Jules Verne would be proud of.   Whether one is decorating a baby's nursery or child's bedroom or even a playroom, using world travel as inspiration is endless. Could see these hot air balloon prints in a nursery...

So love these  riveted aluminum pieces made in the same way as an airplane's body. The bookshelf and desk...

The round desk is really cool..

A trunk used as a side table..

Framed reproduction racing car steering wheels...

A very worn leather chair..

Pillows are just fun..

These pillows will be in the shop soon...

As will these animal heads that are made of paper mache in Haiti. I liked them because they seem so friendly. Not at all scary.  Slightly rounded in nature and handmade...

Like these elephant prints...

It was quite a trip to the show... See you..

Christina

Children and Animals

Just browsing through some of my vintage children's books, I came across a lovely book, Children and Animals.  From the School of Emmy Zweybruck, copy written 1935. It seems this book was originally printed in Austria. These pictures are so stencil like and stylized. You can really decorate a kids bedroom or baby's nursery  nicely with these pictures. How great they would be  as art.

I just love them.

See you...

Christina

Art created from children's shoes

At the intersection of Main Street and Maple Ave, in Armonk,  is an incredible frame shop,Framings. Every work day, I stop at the intersection before turning into the parking lot for Cici Crib. Yesterday, I couldn't keep my eyes off of a large piece that was in her shop window. Cars behind me honked. So I quickly turned and parked and marched right over to Judy and Carter's jewel of a shop.  Not only are they some of the nicest people I have met, but also some of the most talented.

Judy told me she completed this project  for a designer. The designer had saved all her daughter's shoes and Judy created this long shadowbox. I think it is about 12 feet long. I can imagine it will be hung in a bedroom,playroom, really anywhere..

It is so sweet. It really tells a story from the parent's excitement of having a baby girl to her first walking shoe, a ballet slipper, a trip to Disney World  to a the last shoe, that perhaps the little girl picked out. A black rugged hiking shoe.

I hope the Mom keeps the shadowbox. Fast forward 25 years.. Wouldn't it be nice to see in her granddaughter's nursery.....

See you..

Christina

Monkeys everywhere

I sold my vintage sock monkey in the store last week. A bit sad about it. I will miss him.  Another customer picked up her bumper made with this great monkey fabric..

Monkeys are such a popular inspiration for decorating a baby's nursery or a child's room.

Vintage sock monkeys makes their appearance...

New Arrivals bedding and accessories....

Monkeys used in wall stickers...

More  mod monkeys...

Look how Tobi Fairley decorated for her daughter's playroom. Tis the season...

Happy Holidays! See you...

Christina

Wallpaper on the ceiling

As far as children's rooms go, we are oh so familiar with clouds on the ceiling. Whether they are painted or wallpaper, it seems like we see it quite often.   But what if we just chose beautiful wallpaper to line the ceiling. How nice... House of Turquoise

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original

Nursery  by Rhoney Design. I so love this sweet home for baby...

2009-09-rhoney
2009-09-rhoney
47b9d639b3127cce98548ffe747600000045100AaNXLhq3csmSg
47b9d639b3127cce98548ffe747600000045100AaNXLhq3csmSg
47b9d639b3127cce98548ffc747400000045100AaNXLhq3csmSg
47b9d639b3127cce98548ffc747400000045100AaNXLhq3csmSg

Girls bedroom by David Cafiero...

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194027-33-009

Then there is Miles Redd, oh so chic constellation ceiling.Ok maybe this isn't wall paper, but so inspiring...

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7-10-2010+5;45;56+PM

See you...

Christina

Conran Shop At ABC Carpet

I was in the sort of new  Conran shop in the basement of ABC Carpet the other day.  The sign on the landing is the first notice of the shop that lies below. I guess we shop owners are all the same in our goal of making a customer's visit a personal experience.

The merchandise is surely well edited and really fresh.

A ping pong table with a chalkboard surface..

So I found my 2 favorite items. Love the robot...

What about these bird pendants for a nursery..

So cool.

See you...

Christina

Alphabet decorating for a nursery

I found these brushed aluminum letters at a flea market not long ago. They are quite large.  The dealer told me they came from  an old car dealership. The letter A went into a little boy's bedroom. We mounted the A on top of a large aluminum framed bulliten board. I still have the letters F and C. I wish I had more. The font is so simple and clean..

Collecting letters and putting them up thoughtfully can be a really fun way of decorating a nursery.

Shabby chic letters in a shabby chic nursery...

You don't need an entire alphabet to make an interesting statement. Just begin by collecting the odd letter at a flea market and look what you can create...

This is one of my favorites...

This is no ordinary mural in this modern nursery...

At Cici Crib, Binth's alphabet poster is oh so stylish.

This print has alphabet whimsy..

Crib bedding with an alphabet pattern.

Many different alphabet directions.

See you..

Christina

Leryn's Nursery

I would say one of the nicest parts of my job is meeting some really good people.  I remember the first time Bari  made her way into Cici Crib. Her smile filled her entire face as she talked about the upcoming birth of her daughter, Leryn.  We discussed many details of the nursery.  After months of planning and waiting, the moment finally came. Leryn arrived in early July.  It' s so nice to see good things happening to good people. Bari wanted the nursery to have a bit of a bohemian feel. Very soft and relaxed.  Perfect for baby. The bedding completely inspired her. It is by Elizabeth Allen.

A petite chandelier was needed in this cozy little nook.

Storage bins from Macbeth were purchased from Bari's registry at Cici Crib.

The artwork is from Oopsy Daisy.

Birdies and butterflies are delicately painted  through out  the room  The inspiration was taken from the bedding, as well as the artwork.

A lovely nightlight fits right in.

And, of coarse, a vintage pin caddy that came from Bari's nursery when she was a baby.

Thanks Bari for sharing your daughter's lovely space.

See you..

Christina

The New Birdhouse

After I came back from a short trip to Pittsburgh, I told Miles that we needed a birdhouse. My sister's small city garden in Pittsburgh is a bird's paradise. There is gourmet birdie food and fresh water daily. You hear chirping all day long. When I came home, I realized how silent our yard  was. So we went to the Wild Bird Center and picked up all the bird necessities. We set it up and waited. It took 3 days for the birdies to discover the new restaurant. Oh my goodness, it is out of control now. So many different kinds of birds. Cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, gold finches.....

The yard is full of chirping and it is so peaceful. I see how we are inspired to decorate with birds.  We see birds in lots of nursery decor. So cute for  baby. At the same time as our birdhouse was set up, these charming clocks came into the shop. Handmade in the USA.

There will be more birdie decorating stories in the future.

See you.

Christina

Atlanta Highlights

Back from the Americasmart and happy to be home. I feel inspired and design rejuvenated. I can't say there were many baby products that were new, but some of the showrooms were filled with solid  design ideas.I arrived in Atlanta just in time to sit in  on a talk given by Suzanne Kasler. I love her interiors. It was nice to hear about what inspires her. Like most " visual people", she is not just inspired by an interesting spaces, but by unexpected color arrangements, fashion,and the fine arts.  Anything that may catch her eye, she " files" for future references. Her own foyer is just beautiful.

After the lecture, I started to make my way around the showrooms. The interesting looks of industrial influences were apparent from the get go. It seemed like a celebration of the industrial revolution. Just great for  a boys bedroom or even nursery. Check out this funky dresser.

This little cube seat duals as a storage unit could  also be used as an ottoman.

I love these large wooden  letter plaques. The entire alphabet is available.

They can be made into side tables as well.

More interesting looks....

A kid who loves adventure could use some of these decorating ideas...

Love this ottoman..

What a nice lamp for a baby's nursery...

This lamp will make it's way into Cici Crib this Fall.

Next up it was all about color...

See you...

Christina

A visit to the Fela's Shrine!

We wanted to go out with the boys  before they left for their summer journeys. So last night we went to see the broadway show, Fela. Wow the music and dancing were so original. So cool. So much fun. It was a true story of a legendary man named Fela Kuti.  The Shrine was the name of Fela's nightclub in Nigeria during the 1970's. It was a wild time. The costumes were great and the set was interesting. I wasn't allowed to take pictures of it. Too bad. It was so colorful. One corner was decorated in African masks. It's clear that tribal  masks can make a great design statement. Check out this room from Elle Decor.

A real feeling of Africa come out of these tin animals I have in the shop. They are made by artisans in Zimbabwe. They would be a great inspiration piece in a baby's nursery. All lined up on a shelf. How neat is that.

It was a fun night out!

See you.

Christina

Art for a little girl's nursery

This Viennese lithograph came into the shop this week. It dates back to the  turn of the century and is in great condition. Colors are clear and the size is quite large. It is absolutely lovely.  It appears that the  young subject is  Herta Zuckermann.

This picture would be a lovely piece to use as inspiration for a nursery or little girl's room.  Maybe create  a little nursery  with European feel. Children's rooms in Europe seem far more relaxed and playful, but not cutesy.

Some  Swedish rooms from Lila Villa Vita   Blog

Vita Nyanser's blog has some sweet children's rooms.

Lot's of old linens and quilts could be used to create a very cozy space.

Simple crib bedding using white pique fabric and a little red gingham piping would work nicely.

I saw this light fixture in Pittsburgh last week. That would be sweet to use.

If it is a traditional nursery then we definitely could use this crib from Newport Cottages.

How one picture can inspire the decor of the entire room.

See you

Christina

Love the dot

Sometimes when I mention polka dots as a decorating idea, I get a groan from my customers.  Yes, it  has been over used. Dots on the bedding, dots on the window treatments, dots on the rugs, and painted dots on the walls. Too many dots! Seen too many times.  But that simple circle can be quite inspiring. Check out Emily Clark's little girl's bedroom. Aren't those exaggerated dots fantastic? It sooo easy. You can just paint the wall  and use the wall stickers to make the circles.

A little more of a classic polka dot for this little girl who loves pink and green.

Love the oversized dots..

Another room that used wall stickers.

See the dots in Cici Crib that are also wall stickers.  Easy decorating for a nursery.

A painted chest of drawers in a bedroom or nursery can create a nice statement.

A simple shade in polka dot is definitely not overdoing it.

Polka dot decorating is endless. Just don't overdo it.

See you.

Christina