Thursday, July 29, 2010
Shop Like a Design Blogger: Simplified Bee
Today I'm thrilled to welcome Cristin of Simplified Bee, organizer extraordinaire and the final world in baby chic. True to form, Cristin will be sharing with us some of her best tips for pulling together an amazing nursery (or, if you aren't exactly at that phase in your life just yet, then finding the perfect gift for the new mom or mom-to-be in your life).
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Hi everyone! This is Cristin the editor of Simplified Bee and it’s exciting to be part of Averill’s “Shop Like a Design Blogger” series. Thanks, Averill!
Because this is one of the last posts in the series and so many of my resources have already mentioned, I’m sharing resources for what I love designing most: the baby’s nursery room. Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of working with several women expecting their first child. Some have been here in the San Francisco Bay Area, while others are virtual design clients located throughout the United States. When working with virtual clients, typically the home décor furnishings and accessories selected can be easily purchased online. Here are some of my favorite nursery room décor resources.
For Crib Bedding
My favorite resource for classic nursery bedding is Serena & Lily. Their crisp, fresh prints are fun, yet sophisticated and several are organic. Serena & Lily sell fabric by the yard which is nice if you’d like to have some custom upholstery or window treatments. They also offer low VOC paint and accessories that coordinate beautifully with their bedding collections.
One design trend making its way into the nursery is Eastern-inspired block prints. The Rikshaw Design offers a romantic and whimsical collection of crib sets, pillows and accessories, all hand block-printed on soft Indian cotton voile. The line is easy to mix-and-match with coordinating prints, florals, stripes and motifs.
For Nursery Furnishings 
When selecting a crib, expecting parents have a lot of terrific styles and options today. Classic cribs are always in style, but many are now designed to grow with your child and transition from crib, to toddler bed, to full-sized headboard. When shopping for cribs and changing tables, I search Pottery Barn Kids, Rosenberry Rooms, and All Modern Baby.
A good nursing chair is also an important piece and investment in a newborn nursery. I advise my clients to think long-term with this purchase. Will it look okay in a big boy or big girl room? Can we move it to a family or another sitting room? Serena & Lily and Restoration Hardware Baby & Child {above} carry gliders with great lines and customizable fabric options.
For Lighting
Lighting is an important part of the overall design of a nursery. It can set the overall mood and provide needed task lighting. My favorite resource for lighting a nursery is Posh Tots. They have a wide variety and styles to choose from. Recently, I also found some great and economical lighting options at Target.
For Storage
Compartmentalized storage pieces are essential to keeping a nursery organized and efficient. The MacBeth Collection {above left} offers tons of stylish storage tins that are easily tailored to the room’s color palette and best of all can be personalized with your child’s name, monogram or name of item it may be storing. Pottery Barn Kids {above right}, Ikea and Target also have fun storage options for nursery rooms.
For Rugs
An area rug might be necessary if the nursery room has wooden or tile flooring. I always visit Overstock.com first to see if they have any rugs on clearance that might work in the design. Another great resource is Rosenberry Rooms {sampling above}.
For Wall Art
There are so many great options for decorating the walls of a nursery. One trend is the use of wall decals. They are wonderful to use in nursery rooms because the can be easily removed or changed out as your child outgrows the space. I am also a huge fan of original artwork. Etsy has loads of talented artists that will personalize pieces for your little ones. Another favorite spot for art is Polka Dot Peacock where I found the artwork above.
It was a pleasure guest blogging here today. Many thanks Averill!
xo,
Cristin, Simplified Bee
Cristin, Simplified Bee
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14 comments:
As always, love love love this series. Great job Cristen, I wish I were currently decorating a nursery, but next time I do these are great resources! Janell
What a fun post! It's amazing how far baby nursery's have come and all the great stylish offerings. Thanks, Cristin!
Love these post Averill, I am a fan of Rosenberry Kids and Posh Tots. They have the most adorable pieces for children. How fun to see all these great resources lined up for us.
PS Averill , we got the Xbench in and it is wonderful, I know you wanted to know about the quality, I did a post today and show the benches if you want to take a peek,Kathysue
Wonderful Cristin and thank you again Averill for featuring Simplfied Bee.
Karena
Art by Karena
Oh Averill I just LOVED this post. What great options for a nursery...should I ever need to decorate one again you can bet I'll reference this post! That crib bedding is to die for!
Thank again Averill for having me guest post today. You have been such a wonderful blogging friend!
xo,
cristin
Cristin's got excellent taste, so I'm glad that she's part of this series! Those storage tins are adorable - I'm going to check them out now. And I totally agree about thinking long-term when it comes to a chair. I'm so glad that we purchased one that can easily transition to another room in the house or be changed up with a slipcover down the road.
Now I just need a kid.
Wonderful list - I wish I'd had the advice to invest in a good nursing chair when I first purchased one three years ago - so completely worth it!
Those cribs are so beautiful. I really like the white crib with blue sidings. I think it is perfect for my coming baby boy. I know my wife will going to love that crib.
That was great Cristin...almost makes me want to have another...(almost)! :)
Great post and love these suggestions! Especially loving that cute whale basket :)
I love Rikshaw Design bedding. The patterns are such great inspiration to design a nursery around!
What an absolutely gorgeous nursery.
Visit for more information on Nursery Glider
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