A Nursery with Room to Grow

Page 2

A Mix of Patterns

"By keeping everything in the same soft color palette, I found that I could layer paisleys and stripes and even add checked accents," Debra says of the three wallpapers and six fabrics she and Stephen chose for William's bedroom, bathroom, and closet. "I also wanted the room to blend with the rest of our apartment, so we used the same wool sisal carpeting in our bedroom across the hall."

The tiny closet is lined with wallpaper depicting architectural renderings of trains, a pattern that's also used with a white background in the bathroom. Says Stephen, "I love to make the inside of a closet look as neat and attractive as the outside," and a delighted Debra calls her son's closet "a little jewel box."

Finishing Touches

The apartment's previous owners had installed several full-length shelving units around the room, so Debra created extra storage with a collection of fabric-lined baskets. "I just throw toys and stuffed animals in, and the room instantly looks neat," she says. Framed baby pictures, silver keepsakes, collectible fabric baby shoes, and classic children's books such as a hardcover set of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit stories add personality to William's room. One wall holds a collection of 1930s pencil drawings of babies and children by English illustrator J. H. Dowd in simple silver frames with wide white mats. "Groupings of pictures always make an impact in a room," says Stephen.

The total effect is timeless without being fussy, just what Debra hoped to achieve. "To me, the furniture has a classic feel, but the room is comfortable and inviting because of the colors and textures," she says. "We all feel happy here."

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Copyright © 2003. Reprinted with permission from the October 2003 issue of Child magazine.