IT'S A...!

September 11, 2015 silvia illingworth

It's official. We're having baby #2. And this time around we're not going to find out the gender. That's right. We're going the old fashioned route and plan to hear the "IT'S A...!" in the hospital room. We're really excited that we've been able to stick to our guns on this. But god help me, the nursery! I always thought creating a gender neutral nursery would be a piece of cake. But it turns out I find myself wanting to create a space that fits a boy or a girl.

After going back and forth, I decided to pull the trigger on one big ticket item to satisfy the intense nesting. And surprise surprise, it's the wallpaper. After much debate I landed on the bold and graphic star print from Sissy & Marley. So what's next? Well that all depends on how the "IT'S A...!" sentence ends...

IT'S A GIRL!

IT'S A BOY!

Into the wild.

February 2, 2015 silvia illingworth

A couple weeks ago I was helping my sister shop for her new apartment in San Francisco when I came across some inspiring art. We were at Room & Board when I saw Sharon Montrose's animal prints on the wall. I found them to be such an interesting balance of whimsical and raw. Something you could truly put in a nursery or kids room as easily as your dining or living room. My husband and I have been talking about baby #2 and with talk comes design - I can't help it. So I got to thinking about how I might incorporate these lovely prints into a new room.

We're pretty sure we don't want to find out the sex of our next baby (we did with #1) so keeping it gender neutral was key. I worked both James' glider and crib into the design since he'll most likely have outgrow them once the time comes along for a new family member. I'm also debating bringing our dresser from the master bedroom into the new space. I've had my eyes on another one for quite some time. It was out of stock when we moved into our home and I just couldn't wait it out. Of course now it's available and I'd love to have it. Go figure.

Here's my take on a modern gender neutral nursery, all inspired by those lovely animal prints.

1. West Elm P endant 2. Sissy + Marley Wallpaper 3. Mobile 4. Animal Prints 5. Dresser 6. Paper Mache Elephant Head 7. Oeuf Classic Crib 8. Throw blanket 9. Crib Sheets 10. Rug 11. Laundry Hamper 12. Side Table 13. Pillow 14. Glider

Wallpaper obsessed.

December 3, 2014 silvia illingworth

Wallpaper, oh how I love thee. I currently have 3 different papers in my house adorning the walls of my master bedroom, laundry room & James' nursery (#3 below!) Sometimes I wish I had 10 more rooms to decorate so I could justify using double (ok, triple) the amount of wallpaper we currently have. Lucky for me, I have a mom who did her fair share of DIY wallpapering back in the day, so I've been lucky enough to both use her services (free of charge of course) and also pick up some tips and tricks along the way.

It's such a fun way to add instant personality to any space. You can do the entire room, or many are bold enough where one wall will do. No matter which way you go, wallpaper is sure to make a statement.

There are so many great designs out there for all types of rooms, but here are my top 10 picks for my littlest clients.

1. JAM by SISSY + MARLEY