nursery series | boy or girl

As I have mentioned in this post and this post, we weren't sure about finding out the gender of our baby. And while I didn't REALLY source/decorate the room before we found out, I knew what direction I was headed in if it was boy or if it was a girl. 

For a boy, I liked the idea of mixing reds and navy with the BM Caldwell Green paint color. Red is pretty out of my comfort zone but I did and still do really like the way a true red looks against the green.  I pictured a room that had a cool, somewhat expected, vintage vibe. Similar in feel to these great boys rooms...

design by Amber Interiors | THE PLACE HOME

design by Bailey McCarthy via Style Me Pretty | THE PLACE HOME

Wixom home via Camille Styles | THE PLACE HOME

via One Kings Lane | THE PLACE HOME

For a girl, I initially loved the idea of doing a blush and dark green room. Emily Henderson shared this mood board for her daughter's room which is a bit more boho than I was thinking but still amazing. 

design by Emily Henderson | THE PLACE HOME

Ultimately, the more I thought about the more I realized so much pink just wasn't us. Don't get me wrong I love blush and consider it one of my "power colors", I just didn't want to be so tied to it. Similar to my thoughts for a boys room, I wanted a nursery that had a vintage feel but mixed with more modern elements. A space that was a bit whimsical and romantic - sort of like the feel of these sweet girl's rooms...

via Inside Out Magazine | THE PLACE HOME

home of Miranda Brooks and Bastien Halard featured in Vogue via The Neo-Trad | THE PLACE HOME

design by Lisa Sherry via Lonny | THE PLACE HOME

Having an idea of how I wanted the room to feel was big in being able to quickly move forward once we found out we were having a girl! And what is more romantic and whimsical than a modern chintz! 

Want to read more? Check out one or all of these related posts. 

blush
february 26, 2014

four poster beds
may 21, 2014

chintz
october 26, 2015

nursery series | paint color

After 14 weeks, I was off and running on the design of the nursery. The starting point proved to be really easy - the paint color. It was a decision that came naturally which is not usually the case when it comes to paint selection. I was just zoned in on what I wanted - dark green. A dark green that wasn't too olive but also wasn't too blue. I had one inspiration image that really stood out for me and once I did some digging and found out the color, I pretty much didn't look back. 

Animal Print Shop Nursery Series photo by Laure Joliet

The inspiration image is from Sharon Montrose's featured nursery projects and I love how the color isn't too kid and works well with lots of different color tones. At the time of selection, we didn't know that we were having a girl or if we were for sure going to find out the gender. So I wanted a color that would be gender neutral for not only this baby but also for future kids as we are unsure of how we might use our bedrooms down the line - see my general design criteria in this post. 

The color, which the Animal Print Shop so nicely displayed at the bottom of their post, is Benjamin Moore's Caldwell Green. This made my life even easier as I have used exclusively BM paints in the house. I bought a sample can, tried it on the wall and that was pretty much it - decision made. 

Now that the color is up, I love it. It looks great with white trim and other neutrals as well with lots of different colors. Some doubters of my color selection (uhhm Mom) thought the color would be too dark but it isn't at all the case. The room has two windows - one with eastern exposure and one with northern so the light is really nice throughout the day but especially in the morning. And being as the room is quite large, it makes also feel more cozy which is the main feeling I want for the space. 

Want to read more? Check out one or all of these related posts.

artist feature: sharon montrose
july 24, 2013

olive green interiors
june 8, 2015

animal patterns for kids
april 3, 2015

pottery barn carlisle sofa review

Pottery Barn Carlisle Sofa | THE PLACE HOME

I have gotten several comments/questions about how we are liking our Pottery Barn Carlisle Upholstered Sofa that we purchased back in December. The quick response is that we are very pleased with our selection. The more detailed answer - should you be interested - is outlined below.

To refresh everyone's memory, we purchased the grand Carlisle sofa with upgraded down fill and single bench cushion in Sunbrella's Sahara Weave ivory fabric. The sofa was ready for delivery back at the beginning of February but due to our construction we delayed its arrival until the first week in March. It then sat covered in plastic for roughly two weeks while the project dragged to the finish line. And while it was frustrating not to get to use it, this actually proved to be a good thing as it somehow trained the dog that he wasn't allowed on it. I then put some sheepskins on top of it for the first few weeks of official use just to be safe.

In terms of aesthetics, I love how it looks in the space. I thought it might be a little big but the curved, classic lines and minimal amount of cushions (two back, one seat) prevent it from being too bulky. The fabric is a really nice white - not too bright and not too cream. And the pattern adds some texture but is pretty much indistinguishable.

 In terms of performance, I find the sofa to be very comfy. Although it is definitely a lounging sofa as its really too deep to sit up straight. My one complaint in this department might be the armrests. While I like the look of the low profile, its not the best for resting your head. I think this could be remedied with a different throw pillow situation but we just haven't gotten around to it.

Most questions from readers have been specifically about the fabric which looks as good as the day it was delivered. Like I mentioned, we had it covered for a few weeks but now we enjoy it au natural so to speak. We have had no major spills but I have wiped off a few dirt marks very easily. I have seen no pulls in the fabric or any other sort of friction markings and it really doesn't seem to be too susceptible to this particular type of wear and tear. I have noticed that the box pleat on the front of the cushion has slipped a little out of place but otherwise, no real stretching or lose fabric. The one criticism I might have of the fabric is that it could be a bit thicker. I don't notice it now but when the sofa was delivered in bright morning light, I could make out some of construction of the cushions - seams, a tag, shadows of darker feathers etc. I don't see it now and I don't think it would be an issue in any of the darker fabrics but it could have been an issue if the sofa was in super bright light all the time. 

I hope this helps some of you readers out there thinking about making a similar purchase. Please comment or get in touch if you have any other specific questions.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Want to read more? Check out one or all of these related posts. 

a green sofa
june 27, 2013

purchasing a new sofa
december 11, 2015

purchasing a new sofa part 2
december 16, 2015