Alanna Stang, Cookie's executive editor, lives with her husband and 9-month-old son Lex in Brooklyn. But although their home is near the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, it's also surrounded by honking cars, speeding bicycles and squawking pigeons. (It is New York City, after all.) Alanna wanted to offer her son a sanctuary--and we were blown away by the gorgeous result. No wonder Lex (pictured at bottom) has a 1000-watt smile.

How did you decide on the name Lex? His full name is Alexander, but that's such a mouthful for a little guy. We actually didn't call him anything for a long time--just "the baby." Then we started calling him Lex--we have a Dutch friend named Lex, so we like that nickname.

How did you begin decorating? Did you have inspirations? Well, I was a big believer in not having any baby stuff in the house before the baby arrived. I guess I'm a little superstitious. We were totally scrambling at the end, so I copied rooms that we had constructed for Cookie's first issue. I guess I ripped myself off!

What ambiance did you want to create? I didn't want anything too fussy. It's such a small room that it needed to be functional and simple. I wanted it to be a cozy sanctuary.

The room has touches of dark blue. Did you make a conscious decision to use blue for a boy? We actually didn't know we were having a boy. My parents said we could have the blue Turkish carpet, which they had found on a trip. For a long time, all we had was that carpet. It became the room's anchor.

How did you decide on white for the walls? The walls are actually creamy white--or even pale, pale, pale yellow. I chose the color Air by Yolo, a non-toxic paint company. I wanted the room to be as healthy and natural as possible. I knew we'd paint it right before he was born, and I didn't want that stinky paint smell when he came home. Plus, babies really do go around licking the walls and floors...

Did you have any other design challenges? Our big question was how we'd fit a dresser and crib into such a teeny tiny room. We got the "Austin" crib and dresser from ducduc, and it's working--as long as you keep the dresser drawers shut.

There are so many cute animals. Does the room have a zoo theme? Not purposefully. Almost all the animals were gifts. The green and white fabric bunny is from Lily Pulitzer. We photographed the Babyfairies fabric letter blocks--which come in three sizes--for a story in our September issue, and I loved them, so I bought them.

Are those Russian nesting dolls on the windowsill? They're Tolstoy and Kandinsky--so they're kind of a riff on nesting dolls. My husband and I got them on a trip to St. Petersburg.

Does Lex connect most with a certain stuffed animal? He loves the yellow rubber duck. Our babysitter starting bringing it to the bath, and he wouldn't let go of it. He's teething, so it must feel good.

What else does your son like about the room? Lex loves looking at himself in the mirror. He's very narcissistic! The mirror is from Larson-Juhl.

What's your favorite part of the nursery? I use an air purifier all the time. I also love our two Hable Construction bins. One is a bushel that we use as a hamper; the other is a flat bin that slips under the crib. They're canvas with nice prints and are super useful.

A lot of moms complain that their rocking chairs are uncomfortable. How's yours? Really comfy. But since the chair is big, it's a little awkward in the tiny room. It has become mostly storage for stuffed animals. The rocking chair is from Thomas Moser. The "B" blanket on the crib is from ducduc. The big bunny, made from recycled cashmere sweaters, was a gift from a friend who runs baby clothing and accessories Lola & James. All their products are made from recycled clothing. They don't have a website, but the blankets are available at Barneys.

What an amazing lamp! It's a Tord Boontje lampshade. When we first got it, my mom said it looked a little limp. So I layered another lamp on top. Now it looks really fluffy and cool.

Where did you find the puppy poster? I remember that huge puppy in Rockefeller Center. Jeff Koons made that puppy. We have a signed poster, although I can't remember how we got it.

How nice that the shelves are at Lex's level. Does he have a favorite story? Not really. He just likes to eat books right now. The shelves are from Design Within Reach.

How do you think the nursery helps shape Lex's vision of his home and the world? It's a room that he definitely feels comfortable in. The fact that it's small probably feels good, since the world is a very big place when you're that little. I like to think that it's clean and warm and happy and not too busy--but those are my values. All you can do is hope that he likes it. The Koala print was a gift from artist Laurie Fendrich. The mobile, also a gift, is from Blabla.

Photos by Chris J. Callahan.