Photographer John Murphy's archival pigment prints will have every child thinking they are peeking through Alice in Wonderland's looking glass. After 10 years of combining influences ranging from Eastern tapestries to children's books, Murphy has just released our newest infatuation: black-and-white animal prints layered with arrangements of vibrant remastered flowers. Perfect for any child’s room or frankly, any room of the house, these paintings are so delightful, we might just snag one for ourselves. See for yourself here.
Nursery Art posts
[See Nesting Main]
[From Nesting]
New Fantastical Animal Prints
Photographer John Murphy's archival pigment prints will have every child thinking they are peeking through Alice in Wonderland's looking glass. After 10 years of combining influences ranging from Eastern tapestries to children's books, Murphy has just released our newest infatuation: black-and-white animal prints layered with arrangements of vibrant remastered flowers. Perfect for any child’s room or frankly, any room of the house, these paintings are so delightful, we might just snag one for ourselves. See for yourself here.
[From Nesting]
Smarter Walls in a Jiffy
New from the decal mavens at WallCandy Arts, this 50-piece set of wall stickers is made with baby's visual and cognitive development in mind, and is designed to grow with your little one. The first stage for newborns--who science has shown can focus best on high-contrast imagery--is an attention-grabbing black-and-white scene: 
But in just a few months, an infant will start to see and be attracted to bright colors. That's when you upgrade to Stage Two:
And later, babies start responding to faces, so the final stage of the Smarts package involves sticker frames that parents can use to incorporate photos of their family into the tableau:
Plus, the stickers remove easily from the wall, so you can store them away (for baby number two) when your infant graduates to toddler status. Genius.
[From Nesting]
Subtle Kid's-Room Makeover
Stefanie, a government psychologist, and Ryan, a Biotech manager, from Rockville, Maryland, sent us photos of their 4-year-old daughter Hayley's bedroom makeover. We love how their small tweaks made huge differences. Check out these before and after shots.
What was the color palette you were working with?
Her favorite colors are blue and pink, and I also love contrast, so I tried to introduce brown and white to tie in her bedframe and all of the white accessories. The floral curtain fabric really helped. It's a Michael Miller fabric called Flower Crystals from the Corduroy line.
Were you going for an Asian vibe—the bed, the tree decal, the lamp—or any theme in general?
Yes, I try to have some Asian-inspired pieces throughout the house, because my husband is from India. Also, my best girlfriend is from China, and I'm definitely drawn to that kind of decor. We bought the West Elm bed because of its Asian vibe. But I actually bought the cherry-blossom decal from ShaNickers on Etsy, because we live in the D.C. area, and I love the cherry blossoms we have here, so it was a nod to that. And I got the lamp because I thought it went well with the Michael Miller fabric. But, in general, I did want it to have a sort of Asian feel, because Hayley is half Indian, and that's a part of who she is.
What tricks did you use to save space?
I put her dresser in her closet to have more floor space. I hung a shoe organizer behind her door to organize all of her small items, like stuffed animals and costume jewelry that seem to clutter the floor. There are storage bins under her bed, where she puts her special stuff, like her drawings, animals, and doll blankets, which I do not touch when cleaning or purging the room. I put 3M hooks on the back of her closet doors to hang dress-up clothes, and on the side of the bookcase closest to the door to hang play necklaces. There are two pillows on her bed that I added pockets to (only one is complete in the photo). I thought since I was adding pillows for decorative purposes, I wanted them to be useful as well. Hayley loves to use them as stuffed-animal beds or doll beds, or to carry toys throughout the house. So now they have more of a play purpose too. I'm still working on a big pocket pillow for the bed.
Are there any furniture pieces that were difficult to tie in?
There are some things she made me keep in the room: the rose-petal play cottage and the Sleeping Beauty vanity. I tried to tie all of her interests together and somehow make the cottage and Disney stuff work too.
Are there any items in the room that are a product of a DIY?
I painted the bookcase white before I really knew how to paint furniture, but I like it because it fits the canvas totes I got from Lowe's.
How did you settle on these prints from Etsy?
They remind me of my daughter, who has dark brown hair and likes animals, butterflies, princesses, fairies, and dancing.
Every image in the room is hung on the wall except the one on the shelf. What is that one of?
The framed photo is of her pet goldfish that died just before I redid the room. We are on to Goldy #2 now.
Do you have any tips for saving money while decorating a room?
I love to buy prints, but I hate spending a lot of money on frames, especially odd-size frames. So I buy framed artwork at Goodwill, and I recycle the print and paint the frame. Half the frames on the art wall were frames from Goodwill that I painted white, the rest I had on hand. Also, I found that a lot of craft stores have cheap unfinished frames that can be painted or stained. I did not have anything custom matted. If I could not buy a cheap ready-made mat, then I used scrapbook paper or fabric as the background. Last, I have a lot of stuff that I never use, and I've just committed myself to finding a use for it.
Give me a rundown of your Etsy finds.
Over the bed
"Love" poster = Made by girl
drawings of little girls = Belle and Boo
Top row
"Ashland tree of peace" = Creative Thursday
"Dancing Fairies" = original painting from JMC designs
butterfly = daughter's drawing
elephants = scanned from book
"Morning Swing" = Tummy Mountain
Make a Wish (edition 2) = yumi yumi
Second row
"You're beautiful / It's true" = made up by me in Photoshop
Peacock Girl = Lindsay Brackeen
une duex trios = postcard from Blue bonbon
Fairy School Portrait of Ophelia = High On Craft
In Bloom = original watercolor from Orange Studio by Helen Dardik
"Animal ballroom" = watercolor done by me in high school
Third row
"Do not go" = original postcard from yaelfran
"Spring bunny" = original AECO painting from Ashley White Jacobsen
Baldwin = Tim's sally
Thanks, Stefanie! Check out more of our favorite kids' rooms and send us a shot of your own!
What was the color palette you were working with?
Her favorite colors are blue and pink, and I also love contrast, so I tried to introduce brown and white to tie in her bedframe and all of the white accessories. The floral curtain fabric really helped. It's a Michael Miller fabric called Flower Crystals from the Corduroy line.
Were you going for an Asian vibe—the bed, the tree decal, the lamp—or any theme in general?
Yes, I try to have some Asian-inspired pieces throughout the house, because my husband is from India. Also, my best girlfriend is from China, and I'm definitely drawn to that kind of decor. We bought the West Elm bed because of its Asian vibe. But I actually bought the cherry-blossom decal from ShaNickers on Etsy, because we live in the D.C. area, and I love the cherry blossoms we have here, so it was a nod to that. And I got the lamp because I thought it went well with the Michael Miller fabric. But, in general, I did want it to have a sort of Asian feel, because Hayley is half Indian, and that's a part of who she is.
What tricks did you use to save space?
I put her dresser in her closet to have more floor space. I hung a shoe organizer behind her door to organize all of her small items, like stuffed animals and costume jewelry that seem to clutter the floor. There are storage bins under her bed, where she puts her special stuff, like her drawings, animals, and doll blankets, which I do not touch when cleaning or purging the room. I put 3M hooks on the back of her closet doors to hang dress-up clothes, and on the side of the bookcase closest to the door to hang play necklaces. There are two pillows on her bed that I added pockets to (only one is complete in the photo). I thought since I was adding pillows for decorative purposes, I wanted them to be useful as well. Hayley loves to use them as stuffed-animal beds or doll beds, or to carry toys throughout the house. So now they have more of a play purpose too. I'm still working on a big pocket pillow for the bed.
Are there any furniture pieces that were difficult to tie in?
There are some things she made me keep in the room: the rose-petal play cottage and the Sleeping Beauty vanity. I tried to tie all of her interests together and somehow make the cottage and Disney stuff work too.
Are there any items in the room that are a product of a DIY?
I painted the bookcase white before I really knew how to paint furniture, but I like it because it fits the canvas totes I got from Lowe's.
How did you settle on these prints from Etsy? They remind me of my daughter, who has dark brown hair and likes animals, butterflies, princesses, fairies, and dancing.
Every image in the room is hung on the wall except the one on the shelf. What is that one of?
The framed photo is of her pet goldfish that died just before I redid the room. We are on to Goldy #2 now.
Do you have any tips for saving money while decorating a room?
I love to buy prints, but I hate spending a lot of money on frames, especially odd-size frames. So I buy framed artwork at Goodwill, and I recycle the print and paint the frame. Half the frames on the art wall were frames from Goodwill that I painted white, the rest I had on hand. Also, I found that a lot of craft stores have cheap unfinished frames that can be painted or stained. I did not have anything custom matted. If I could not buy a cheap ready-made mat, then I used scrapbook paper or fabric as the background. Last, I have a lot of stuff that I never use, and I've just committed myself to finding a use for it.
Give me a rundown of your Etsy finds.
Over the bed
"Love" poster = Made by girl
drawings of little girls = Belle and Boo
Top row
"Ashland tree of peace" = Creative Thursday
"Dancing Fairies" = original painting from JMC designs
butterfly = daughter's drawing
elephants = scanned from book
"Morning Swing" = Tummy Mountain
Make a Wish (edition 2) = yumi yumi
Second row
"You're beautiful / It's true" = made up by me in Photoshop
Peacock Girl = Lindsay Brackeen
une duex trios = postcard from Blue bonbon
Fairy School Portrait of Ophelia = High On Craft
In Bloom = original watercolor from Orange Studio by Helen Dardik
"Animal ballroom" = watercolor done by me in high school
Third row
"Do not go" = original postcard from yaelfran
"Spring bunny" = original AECO painting from Ashley White Jacobsen
Baldwin = Tim's sally
Thanks, Stefanie! Check out more of our favorite kids' rooms and send us a shot of your own!
[From Nesting]
Cloud Shelf
As the weather gets cooler, kids and mamas cuddle up inside more often to read those favorite stories. ("Again, again!") We're loving this new cloud shelf from Fawn & Forest for displaying each day's literary canon. So cute and graphic!
-- Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo
P.S. Cloud mobiles, and a great bookcase in a Brooklyn nursery.
(Via Minor Details)
[From Nesting]
Moveable Wall Stickers
We love impermanent decorating solutions! Little Chipipi's Moveables are reusable wall stickers that go easily on walls and, more important, come off smoothly so you can redecorate a room at the request of your little one. These cute stickers come in many options; choose according to the personality of your child. For girly girls, the butterfly patch (above), red robin, flower power, and baby animals stickers will turn any room into a haven of fun design and entertainment. For the boys, the range includes drive time (below), ships ahoy, and outer space.
[From Nesting]
New Plywood Art
Remember the Alexander Girard PLYprints we raved about earlier this year? Velocity Art and Design just started selling some new designs (all on discarded plywood) in a larger size. We'll take one for each room, please.[From Nesting]
Nursery Art: Botanical Prints
We loved Kim Ludy's son's bedroom (complete with a trapdoor!), but this week, it's her Etsy shop, Trampoline, that's making our hearts pitter-patter. Ludy scouts vintage pieces in flea markets and thrift shops in Massachusetts, and our current favorites are these botanical lithographs. What science-loving kid wouldn't adore old-school butterfly prints? --Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo
P.S. More of our favorite children's bedrooms...
[From Nesting]
Amazing Where the Wild Things Are Mural Video
Th Big Boy Room from Creede on Vimeo.
Thanks to Design Mom for introducing us to this incredible time-lapse video of artist Tony painting a mural inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. (It took 54 hours to create!) Learn more here and here.
[From Nesting]
Monster ABC Poster
You know we're obsessed with cute alphabet posters over here. Check out this new one from L'Affiche Moderne. Love the X monster on the xylophone!
[From Nesting]
A Creative DIY Nursery in Philly
What happens when an apparel designer at Anthropologie and a graphic designer for Urban Outfitters have a baby? They create one ridiculously cool nursery (and a beautiful baby girl named Charley Mae). From the custom mobile to refurbished vintage finds, Amanda and Dan Gneiding tell us how they put it all together.
How did you choose the room’s color palette?
We decided to wait until the birth to find out the sex of the baby, so we wanted to use a somewhat unexpected neutral color palette for the nursery. We thought that it would look nice to have pale walls with pops of bright furniture. My husband calls this color combo “pencil yellow and chalk.”
The crib looks antique. Where did you get it?
We got this at the Golden Nugget flea market in Lambertville, New Jersey--great for vintage furniture finds and little tchotchkes. We painted the crib, and my mom made all of the bed linens with fabrics from Mood and IKEA. [Note: New standards recommend a two-inch slat width and there is a risk of lead paint--we tested this for lead paint with an easy at-home kit we got at the hardware store.]
We love the custom mural! How did you come up with the concept, Dan?
Voila! Trompe l'oeil for baby! We are going to encourage her to color it in as she grows.
The nursery looks like it was very well thought out. How far in advance of Charley’s arrival did you start decorating?
We started decorating about six months into our pregnancy, but I began collecting this and that along the way. We collected almost everything from flea markets, eBay, and websites. Amazingly, it was ready in time for her arrival, even though she decided to arrive a month early!
Tell us about Charley’s bird mobile.
The mobile was handmade for Charley by my friends and coworkers in the Anthropologie design department; each one is so much like the personality of the person who made it. It makes me smile every time I see it....
I know we’re going to get questions about the zebra rug. Where is it from?
This was by far my best find. I saw one at Jonathan Adler but couldn’t afford it, so I scoured the Internet for something similar and found this one at Target for $60! Who doesn’t want to learn to walk on faux zebra!
Does the Modest Mouse poster have any special significance?
This was our soundtrack the year my husband and I fell in love.
The white couch is gorgeous. Can you tell us about it?
For our outdoor garden wedding three years ago, my mom and I recovered and refurbished some vintage chairs and settees for the guests to lounge in at the reception, this one was a favorite that we kept after the event. It has an all-over bee jacquard pattern and honeycomb texture.
Where did you find the adorable night light?
Online at 2modern.com. There are lots of options, but this one looks like her aunt Caitlin’s dashund puppy, Yocco.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about the room?
It was a really fun project for my husband and I to do together; it’s a romantic indoor date to share some inspiration, a paint can, and a pizza...
Thanks for sharing Charley's nursery, Amanda and Dan!
[Photos by Alison Harbaugh at Frecklephotography.com]
How did you choose the room’s color palette?We decided to wait until the birth to find out the sex of the baby, so we wanted to use a somewhat unexpected neutral color palette for the nursery. We thought that it would look nice to have pale walls with pops of bright furniture. My husband calls this color combo “pencil yellow and chalk.”
The crib looks antique. Where did you get it?
We got this at the Golden Nugget flea market in Lambertville, New Jersey--great for vintage furniture finds and little tchotchkes. We painted the crib, and my mom made all of the bed linens with fabrics from Mood and IKEA. [Note: New standards recommend a two-inch slat width and there is a risk of lead paint--we tested this for lead paint with an easy at-home kit we got at the hardware store.]
We love the custom mural! How did you come up with the concept, Dan?
Voila! Trompe l'oeil for baby! We are going to encourage her to color it in as she grows.
The nursery looks like it was very well thought out. How far in advance of Charley’s arrival did you start decorating?We started decorating about six months into our pregnancy, but I began collecting this and that along the way. We collected almost everything from flea markets, eBay, and websites. Amazingly, it was ready in time for her arrival, even though she decided to arrive a month early!
Tell us about Charley’s bird mobile.The mobile was handmade for Charley by my friends and coworkers in the Anthropologie design department; each one is so much like the personality of the person who made it. It makes me smile every time I see it....
I know we’re going to get questions about the zebra rug. Where is it from?
This was by far my best find. I saw one at Jonathan Adler but couldn’t afford it, so I scoured the Internet for something similar and found this one at Target for $60! Who doesn’t want to learn to walk on faux zebra!
Does the Modest Mouse poster have any special significance?
This was our soundtrack the year my husband and I fell in love.
The white couch is gorgeous. Can you tell us about it?
For our outdoor garden wedding three years ago, my mom and I recovered and refurbished some vintage chairs and settees for the guests to lounge in at the reception, this one was a favorite that we kept after the event. It has an all-over bee jacquard pattern and honeycomb texture.
Where did you find the adorable night light?Online at 2modern.com. There are lots of options, but this one looks like her aunt Caitlin’s dashund puppy, Yocco.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about the room?It was a really fun project for my husband and I to do together; it’s a romantic indoor date to share some inspiration, a paint can, and a pizza...
Thanks for sharing Charley's nursery, Amanda and Dan!
[Photos by Alison Harbaugh at Frecklephotography.com]
Nesting Continues
