What I'm Loving About YOUR House: Winnie's Nursery
WINNIE'S HOUSE I spend a lot of time talking about my house. It's always "me" this and "we" that. Well it's time for a change of pace. Today, I'm going to show you a room in someone else's house. A very sweet, happy, beautiful, someone that just happen's to be my niece. The lovely, Miss Winnie.
Winnie in her Eclectic Feminine Nursery
Winnie just turned one on Monday. And she is cute as a button, but that part is obvious. I mean can we talk about that hair?! Sooooo cute! She lives in Portland (way too far away from her Auntie) with her parents, older brother Walter, and doggie Perdita. Here are the details...
Winnie's Tiny and Eclectic Nursery
Who: Winnie, 1
What: eclectic nursery in colonial house
Location: Southwest Hills, Portland OR
Size: House is~2500sf, Nursery is 86sf
House Built: 1926
House Remodeled: a few times, most recently 2013
I'm pretty obsessed with Winnie's nursery. It's only 86 square feet, but jam packed with character. Her mama decorated it almost exactly how I would have if I had had a girl (hey, we're twins after all). A mix of patterns, lots of white, an unexpected color combination, and a mature but girly vibe. One might call it "classy eclectic". Or maybe "natty bohemian". Either way, the room is simple, fun, and eclectic. It's comfy for an adult and fun for a kid. A perfect space for Winnie bear. And occasionally, when we come to visit on the weekends, she shares it with her younger-but-oh-so-much-more-wild cousin, Wilder.
Sis and Winnie in her Nursery
Winnies Nursery from hallway
Winnie and Wilder in Winnies Nursery
Winnies Closet
Winnies Nursery Toy Basket from Serena and Lily
Winnies Closet 2
Winnies Nursery Basket
Here's what I'm loving about Winnie's tiny, eclectic nursery:
Wall Paint: BM Simply White | Trim: Matched to original | Rug: Pottery Barn (similar to this one) | Glider and Ottoman: Land of Nod | Changing Table: Pottery Barn | Crib: Pottery Barn | Dresser Knobs: Anthropologie | Baskets: Serena and Lily | Bedding: Land of Nod | Stool: Vintage | Artwork: Vintage | Ceiling Light: Rejuvenation | Curtain Fabric: Serena and Lily
Let me just boast that my sister made those beautiful curtains. I know! And where to start with that rug? I'm head over heels for it. I tried to get my sister to give it to me before Winnie was born, but she wouldn't budge.
The closet is one of my favorite elements in this room. It's tiny and completely impractical for anyone with more than a 3-year-old's wardrobe, but it's just so quaint and sweet, I love it. Truth be told, I could say the exact same thing about the entire room - so quaint and sweet. Sometimes rooms are just better small.
I asked my sis a few questions about Winnie's tiny nursery. Here's what she said:
What is your design inspiration for this room?
I wanted Winnie's nursery to be light, bright, and feminine, but not too girly pink. A space I wanted to be in yet felt right for a baby girl. I added reddish-orange accents to toughen up the pink a bit. And then I layered interesting colors and patterns for my baby girl to look at when she is supposed to be sleeping.
What's your favorite element in the room?
The rug. Every day when I walk by the room, I look at the rug and give myself a mental pat on the back. I mean, how great is that rug? I still can't believe I found it and for such a great price! It's a Pottery Barn Kilm rug that I picked up on clearance when I had one of those 15% off any item coupon emails sitting in my in-box, so I got it for a steal. The only size left was a 5x8', but since the room is so small, it worked perfectly. It feels feminine without being girly. I can stare at it for hours-and I have.
Winnie would probably say her favorite element is her bed. She sleeps really well in there. It's nice and cozy for her. She likes to stand up and yell at the door from above the railing after nap time until mama comes to get her. It's adorable.
How do you use this room?
When Winnie was younger, there was a lot of time spent nursing in that rocker by the window. But now we use the room mostly for sleep and afternoon story time. If we have some free time after nap, Walter, Winnie, and I snuggle up in the chair and read through a few books that Walter picks out of the book basket. At that time of day, the sun streams through the old leaded glass window and makes that corner the best place to be in the house. Winnie usually only makes it through a couple of books before she loses interest and starts watching the birds in the trees outside the window.
What do you want others to feel when they come into this room?
Envy. No, I'm just joking. I want people to get a sense of who Winnie is by looking at this space. So it's a happy, welcoming, and fun space. The room is really small, so it took a little work to achieve that. Between furniture layout, window treatments, and paint, I maximized the efficiecy of the space and kept it feeling light and bright. I think the small size is a real plus to how cute the room is. Nurseries don't need to be big to be functional. I mean, babies are tiny creatures. A changing table, a crib, a rocker, and somewhere to put a few books, and you're set.
Who's your favorite designer?
Sarah Richardson! I really love the way she mixes patterns and uses unexpected color pallets.
Is there anything else you want others to know about this room? Any fun stories or design elements or uniqueness you want to share?
This room has always been a nursery for us. It was Walter's nursery before it was Winnie's. It is only steps from the master bedroom, so it is in the perfect place for those frequent nighttime nursing sessions. When we originally designed our addition/remodel, we thought the nursery would be turned into the master closet, but our architect was able to save it. And now, our master closet is the same size as the nursery. It is a happy space for my happy baby, who is no longer a baby.
I promised myself after having Walter, and realizing how much time you spend in it with a new baby, that I would get a proper rocker and ottoman. And it's the best decision I ever made. It's really comfortable. I've fallen asleep more times then I can count in that chair with a sleeping Winnie in my arms. Plus Winnie has puked all over it and it's cleaned right up. It's a nice size too. It fits one mama, 1 three-year-old boy and 1 baby just perfectly!
That's it for other people's houses, at least for now. I'll be back on Thursday with something about me and oh so self absorbed. In the meantime, I want to wish Winnie bear a very, very happy first birthday. Auntie Sis loves you sooooo much!
xoxo