Room of the Day: Nursery Design Is All in the Family
Loving touches abound in this playful, modern, gender-neutral bedroom in Chicago
When mother-daughter design team Diane Schmunk and Emily Barry heard that their respective daughter-sister was expecting, they sprang into action. They put together a nursery that maximized a small space, investing in pieces that would grow with the baby. The result is colorful, playful, modern and full of personal touches that were made with love.
For a baby shower gift, Schmunk and Barry created this one-of-a-kind mobile with felt balls bought on Etsy. The baby’s father made the sketches of the church where he got married and a tractor to represent his home state of Texas.
The fact that the parents wanted to keep the baby’s gender a surprise played into the design. “We wanted the room to feel modern, colorful and gender-neutral,” Barry says. They also chose pieces that will grow with the child, like the overdyed blue rug and modern rocker.
Sleepytime Rocker, Nursery Works; rug: Loloi
Sleepytime Rocker, Nursery Works; rug: Loloi
Schmunk and Barry gave the baby alphabet cards from Etsy and hung them on the wall. To do something similar, you can find this type of twine and tiny clothespins at stores like Michaels, Jo-Ann and Paper Source.
Grandma Diane, aka Didi, made this snuggly giraffe as another gift.
“This area was just a random nook with nothing in it before,” Barry says. The design team added shelves to take advantage of the height and provide much-needed storage. “They use it for blankets, toys, diapers, books.… So it’s functional as well as decorative,” she says.
The mom-to-be found the vintage chest with the intention of turning it into a changing table. The piece has midcentury modern flair, plenty of storage and an ample surface for changing diapers.
“We have a lot of little things going on here, like the alphabet cards and the books and the mobile. We needed something big and dramatic to balance everything out,” says Barry, referring to the colorful artwork. It will suit the child at all ages.
Artwork: Minted.com
“We have a lot of little things going on here, like the alphabet cards and the books and the mobile. We needed something big and dramatic to balance everything out,” says Barry, referring to the colorful artwork. It will suit the child at all ages.
Artwork: Minted.com
This artwork is from a children’s book, but really, does anyone ever outgrow the fantastic illustrations from Where the Wild Things Are?
By the way, it’s a boy! And his name is Owen.
See more Rooms of the Day
By the way, it’s a boy! And his name is Owen.
See more Rooms of the Day
Nursery at a Glance
What happens here: Reading, sleeping, late-night feeding, diaper changing, playing
Location: Chicago
Size: 135 square feet (12.5 square meters)
Designers: Diane Schmunk and Emily Barry of Rehabitat
The designers specialize in e-design and began with what they call a Rehab Box. After getting to know their clients’ goals and tastes, they send a box full of design boards, details, paint samples, plans and elevations, and everything else needed to complete the design of the room. Of course in this case, the grandma- and auntie-to-be were also there in person to put everything together.
Paint: Super White, Benjamin Moore; crib: Ikea; pouf: Cost Plus World Market