BEAUTY: Interiors--Nurseries

Nurseries and baby rooms: one of the great interior design dilemmas. I know parents who are expecting are caught up in a whirl of excitement. They are entering into unknown territory and preparing for a lot of change in their lives. So perhaps that is why many parents fall back on tired, expected, clichéd nursery design ideas. I also know that parents are excited to be expecting a boy or a girl (if they choose to discover such information ahead of time) but when I see a pink "girl-themed"/princess nursery or a blue "boy-themed"/cowboy-nautical-truck nursery, its like a cheese grater on my spine (please parents, do NOT impose archaic psychological gender restrictions on your children). "Cute-sy" nurseries drive me nuts. A nursery can be as eclectic, stylish, interesting, and dramatic as any other room in the house.

Take for example, this lovely and very sophisticated nursery by Erin Gates. Classic and stylish elements are set off against fantastic warm gray walls. And the painting is a beautiful addition of color and form.

Now, this spectacular nursery by the equally spectacular Tamra Kaye Honey features a slate and coral palette within a Hollywood Regency style. The wallpaper is amazing, and the brass butterfly on the ceiling and the spooky-cool paintings tacked to the closet door make the space.

Designer Summer Thornton used Scalamandré's legendary zebra-print wallpaper in this eclectic nursery that blends vintage, Hollywood Regency, and ethnic elements into a tantalizing, pleasing mix.

This bright, inviting nursery by Lucas Studio is more like a lovely guest room. The color palette and pattern-mixing are superb, lending a sun room or garden room feel.

Lovejoy Designs created a fresh, clean nursery in pale celadon and persimmon. Light and refined. The orange is a perfect counterpoint to the serenity of the celadon and adds a spark of life.

A nursery does not have to be Disneyland or an imposed gender statement. Use your imagination... don't fall back on common, stereotypical "baby" rooms. There are and should be no limits. You can even put a photo mural on a nursery wall of a Slilm Aaron's Palm Springs image, shown below, and make your baby's early years into a fabulous mid-century, jet-set adventure!

http://eringatesdesign.com/
http://houseofhoney.la/
http://www.summerthorntondesign.com/
http://www.harbingerla.com/
http://www.lovejoydesigns.net/

BEAUTY: Interiors--Tamara Kaye Honey

It's been a while since I have posted about Interior Design (since I have been busy with my own Interior Design business) but I recently discovered the work of Tamara Kaye Honey... and it's so marvelously engaging. I love when designers work with a very eclectic aesthetic and her signature style is one she calls The New Vintage. Kaye Honey combines elements, textures, colors and styles to create interiors that I simply want to stare at... I want to discover every inch of what she has chosen. I adore her sense of tableau and her choice of art (especially the vintage 60s portrait of a young woman in the fifth photo down).

This past year, Kaye Honey opened up a design studio and retail space, The House of Honey located in South Pasadena, to promote her delicious vision. Take a look at her website to see more of her profile and some exciting views of her store.


http://www.houseofhoney.la/