Concept: Baby Girl Nursery

One of my favorite rooms to design is a nursery! They are so sweet, full of excitement and personality and there are so many cute products these days. We love that more and more clients are requesting nursery designs! Designing these rooms at such a joyous time of life is also quite lovely.

While babies are only babies for a short time, the design of a room can grow with them as they get older. Designing rooms that lean more classic in style will last throughout a child’s younger years exciting the life of the room. Most often that is our go-to while avoiding overly theme-y designs. However, I do just have to say that there is nothing wrong with going all in on a particular theme that speaks to you. Walls can easily be repainted, wallpaper can easily be stripped these days (unlike the wallpapers of the 80’s/90’s) and they are only this age once so have fun!

Chinoiserie Classic

For this sweet nursery project, the client requested a pink and sage room. Other than that, we were starting from a blank slate. A pretty pink and a soft sage pair nicely together, and are easily suitable to a baby girl’s nursery. We knew we were going to incorporate wallpaper in this room and that it was going to be the main focal point. We had to get this featured design element right!

As we started perusing various sources for visual imagery, our client kept coming back to pretty Chinoiserie rooms and wallpapers. We then narrowed down the selections to a few options and made the final decision on the wallpaper. That paper would be our jumping off point for the room. We put together a concept board of classic chinoiserie rooms fitting for a little girl paired with other elements that would work well with this style. Gold was the immediate finish that would be incorporated with whites, greens and various shades of pink. We will have all of the final photos once everything is installed! Stay tuned!

Be sure to check out our portfolio for some of our designs for our littlest clients! If you are designing a nursery and need some more inspiration, check out our Pinterest board!

History Lesson

Chinoiserie is a word that derives from the French word “chinois” meaning Chinese. Rather than use the word chinois and implying something that comes directly from Asia, chinoiserie was the European interpretation of Asian decorative arts. The style originated in the 17th Century when trading between Europe and China was exploding, along with other Asian countries. Intrigue over this exotic culture only grew as few people had actually traveled there. As Europeans held Asian design and products in high regard, they started producing their own products through their lens. Tea also became a drink of choice during this time. The tradition of tea drinking, with its elaborate settings featuring tea sets, tables, and chests, significantly increased the demand for chinoiserie.

From the French house of de Gournay to the style popping up on Etsy, it can be found everywhere and at various price points. If you’re feeling fancy, consider using a hand-painted scene from de Gournay. “Our Chinoiserie Collection is based on Chinese wallpapers that became popular in royal palaces and grand houses across the Western world principally between 1750 and 1850.” 

This style has been incorporated into interiors ever since its creation in the 17th century. It works great in a traditional design but can also be incorporated into more current spaces for modern living. It is simply a motif that never goes out of style!