2011 was a very productive year for us, and we’ve now created over 80 nurseries and child spaces. To make space for new rooms on our website, we have to say goodbye to some of our images. Next week, we’ll be adding new photos of an adorable Western theme nursery, so we wanted to share this train theme boy’s room one more time, before removing it from our portfolio…
The starting point for this boy’s train theme bedroom was an idea we had to use actual wooden train tracks as chair rail style molding.
Throughout the room we placed train-theme elements, such as these beautiful chrome table lamps reminiscent of a train station.
The custom built hard-wood window seat was made to perfectly match the shutters and provide both storage and a fun place for the family to enjoy their space.
We finished off the room by adding custom towels and cute bath accessories to the attached bathroom. Our goal was to create a fun and functional room for this train-lovin’ guy – mission accomplished.
Versace has been in the news a lot lately, mainly for their affordable fashion debut at H&M. But Donatella has had something else up her sleeve that has flown under the radar in America. Versace has launched a new Young Versace boutique in Milan, right next door to Versace Home.
Young Versace Boutique in Milan, Italy
It’s hard to even see the clothes in the photos of this amazing boutique because the interior design is so bold. The style boasts a chic monochromatic lilac color scheme, contrast moulding, greek key patterned carpet, carousel seats, and giant candy canes – a paradise for a little princess, even if she can’t touch anything.
Young Versace Boutique in Milan, Italy
So if you happen to have a trip to Italy planned, you might think about taking in some eye candy at Young Versace.
After a whirlwind couple of weeks, we’re so happy to be able to sit down and write a blog about one of our latest celebrity nurseries. We created this nursery design for Mel B (Scary Spice of Spice Girl fame) in her Los Angeles home. Here’s a quick video showing the transformation, and below are all the juicy interior design details…
The gorgeous images of Mel B’s nursery are by the spectacularly talented David Casas of Full Spectrum Photography.
The gorgeous nursery interior design project in Mel B’s Los Angeles home started with the choice of silver nursery furniture by Bratt Decor.
Custom nursery artwork by Oopsy Daisy brings an element of Mel B’s British background into the beautiful Los Angeles space.
The beautiful nursery glider by Angel Song in lush lilac velvet is a beautiful spot for nursing and snuggling, and the cute little table by Restoration Hardware Baby & Child makes it convenient.
The grey silk fabric draped ceiling and custom blackout window treatments were created by the super-skilled team at Lily’s Custom Drapery and Upholstery. The sparkling pendant, which coordinates with the wall sconces and sparkling nursery chandelier were made by I Lite 4 U.
In the background of this photo, you can catch a glimpse of the beautiful stretched canvas artwork by Oopsy Daisy, and the spectacular hand painted wall murals by Spotted Moon Art & Design for Children.
Also on the crib wall is a beautiful crib crown, custom made by Lily’s Custom Upholstery & Drapery, especially for Mel B. And, as no crib is complete without a crib mattress, baby Madison is lucky enough to be resting her head on a Naturalmat mattress.
Completing the luxury nursery design is the fabulous silk crib bedding set, designed by Little Crown Interiors and made by Angel Song, and an adorable child’s sofa, also made by Angel Song.
A few weeks ago, we featured a book on our Nursery Culture blog called Crazy Design. Upon exploring the publisher’s website (Vivays Publishing), we found many more incredible books to peruse. The one that ended up arriving at our door is titled 10 Principles of Good Interior Design by Vinny Lee. This little black book is filled with secrets of how interior designers do what they do. The book is written in a simple manner, explaining each element of design in a concise and understandable way. It’s a great easy resource for us to pick up when we need a little inspiration.
10 Principles of Good Interior Design by Vinny Lee
The book features essential interior design principles like Purpose and Function, Focal Points and Features, Colour, Pattern and Texture, and many more – all accompanied by beautiful photos of interior design projects of all kinds.
Sample Page from 10 Principles of Good Interior Design
One of our favorite aspects of this book is that in each section, they’ve included “Expert Advice” from various well known designers from all over the world such as Karen Howes, Romeo Sozzi, and one of our personal favorites, Jonathan Adler.
Sample Page from 10 Principles of Good Interior Design
At the end of the book, there’s a few summary pages with the key points of each element – a fantastic quick-reference tool.
Sample Page from 10 Principles of Good Interior Design
10 Principles of Good Interior Design is set to release on October 15, but you can check out the book on the publisher’s site, or pre-order your copy here.
Some babies are just lucky. Sunday night, we pulled up to the Los Angeles home of one of our nursery interior design clients, and took a moment to enjoy the beautiful scenery. This baby will not only have a beautiful nursery design, but a fantastic view as well. We count seeing the spectacular neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Orange Counties as one of the many reasons why we love our jobs so much!
Every now and then, we interior designers come across an accessory or piece of furniture that looks, well, crazy. Since we are nursery and child space designers, what most people consider crazy, we consider whimsical and fun. We have the wonderful excuse to put weird, strange, funny and crazy things in our spaces since they are for the little guys, not the adults…technically. One of the craziest things we’ve ever seen while out shopping for clients was a life-sized horse with a lampshade on its head. And wouldn’t you know, said horse lamp just made an appearance on the cover of a new book, Crazy Design.
Crazy Design, by Beatrix Foisil-Penther and Claire Chamot
Flip through the colorful pages and you will find an array of bizarre, weird and hilarious pieces that might scare off an adult, but would playfully brighten up any nursery or child’s room. You can buy the book here, or go to the publisher’s site for more information.
It’s no secret that Italy is an interior design Mecca. Italian style encompasses a chic and modern aesthetic with absolutely stunning craftsmanship. One company caught our eye in particular because of it’s extraordinary whimsy and out-of-this-world tailoring. Sicis is a sparkling gem of a company out of Italy that creates mostly mosaics, but has branched out into furniture, lighting and accessories. The furniture pieces completely took our breath away – just have a look for yourself!
Jalousie 1 Chair by Sicis
The Jalousie 1 Chair has 3 gorgeous birds, but look closely and you’ll see that the middle one is actually covered in mosaic.
Symphonie 1 Chaise by Sicis
If only flowers really grew cobalt blue, velvety soft and 3 feet high. This chaise is just plain dreamy.
Papilions 1 Sofa by Sicis
Those are not butterfly pillows – they are actually upholstered into the back of the sofa in fabulous jewel tones accenting the rich silvery cushions.
Sedia de Fidanzamento 2 Chair by Sicis
There’s nothing more whimsical than a chair with hearts stacked 6-high.
Sicis has so many incredible designs, we will surely share more soon! For now, we’ll dream about the day we can put one of these gorgeous pieces into one of our interior design projects…
Elle Decor Magazine has always been a staple source of inspiration and resources for Little Crown Interiors. We just love their savvy and elegant approach to interior design. In addition to the print magazine, we also receive their newsletter, which arrived in our inbox today and featured a fabulous faux-bois bench by Currey & Company. The Elwynn collection even has a smaller bench and matching chair!
Earlier this week, we wrote a couple of tips for hiring a nursery designer, and today we have more for our Little Crown Interiors Nursery Design blog readers. As nursery designers, we have spent years creating amazing spaces for children, and whether or not you hire Little Crown Interiors, here are some things to look for if you’re seeking some help for your nursery design…
#1 Investment Worthy - When considering a nursery designer for your child’s room, be sure to listen to what your interior designer has to say about the investment you’re making. How are they going to help you make the most of your hard-earned dollars? Are they focused on the “here-and-now” or are they thinking about the future – or both? What is this interior designer’s approach to budget management? Whether you’re looking at a spending limit, or unlimited spending, the bottom line always counts!
#2 Do a Little Leg Work – While a great nursery designer will be able to turn your ideas into an unbelievable all-around interior design, they probably are not an actual mind reader. The more prepared you are, the better and more efficiently they will be able to interpret your ideas. To that end, try doing a little leg-work before hiring your nursery designer, and have some thoughts in mind. See how they react to your ideas – that will give you some insight into their way of thinking. After you’ve spoken with them, there’s a little more leg-work for you to do: take a moment and reflect on the nursery designer’s presentation. Do you feel that they truly understood your ideas? If so, then they’re probably a great fit for you. If you’re not sure though, don’t hesitate to call and inquire further.
For more tips on hiring a nursery designer, check out our first post in the series HERE. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, for up to date tips, advice, pictures and more from the nursery designers of Little Crown Interiors.
