Parisian Chic Shared Bedroom

Designing for my family is a passion of mine. I thrive on making a space special for each of them… To see their faces light up in a room that reflects their individuality, decoratively. Redesigning Soph and Charlotte’s room was no exception. It began with a brilliant Craig’s List find of two mint condition Jenny Lind beds and evolved into an eclectic mixture representing both of the girl’s personalities. By blending newer elements like an Ikea desk spray painted hot pink and older relics like the industrial sign letters above each bed, a naturally delicate balance was achieved. Without hesitation, both girls have settled into their new stomping grounds flawlessly, which in turn makes for a very happy mommy.

xo.j >> www.sophandlulu.com

*Design by J + Photography by D >> www.sophandlulu.com

Source List >>

Beds: Craig’s List / Paint color = Graceful Grey by BEHR, Bedding: Target, Pillows: Target, Urban Outfitters + Home Goods, Industrial Letter ‘S’ and ‘C’: Etsy, Vintage Dresser: Ebay, Floral Rug: Target, Wall Lamps: Ikea, Chandelier: Ikea, Eifel Tower Vinyl Decal: Etsy, Curtains: Ikea, Armoire: Shabby Chic for Target,  Yellow Rug: Home Goods, Desk and Chair: Ikea, Wall Color: African Violet by BEHR

Baby No. 2 Nursery Ideas

Hi all! Lauren here again from A Lovely Lark! We’re currently pregnant with baby number two, and I’ve gotten a lot of questions about if we are a) finding out the gender of baby number two and b) if we will be changing the nursery decor. Yes, we are definitely finding out if this little bean is a guy or gal (December 6th is our ultrasound date!) I think we may have the ultrasound technician write down the gender on a card like we did the last time with Violet and open it at a later date. There’s just something about that moment that I want to be personal, and I don’t want to share it with a stranger. We may even have a very small gender reveal party with family afterward. Since we won’t be having a shower this time around I thought it could be a fun way to celebrate together

As far as the nursery I would like to change the decor a bit but keep the main pieces (crib, dresser, etc.). The only piece of furniture I’d be thrilled to change out is the glider, but I doubt that will happen because we are pinching our pennies so that I can stay home for a while with the baby and Violet. If the babe is a girl I’m really loving the items above. (If you’d like sources, you can check them out here) I thought it was kind of funny that after putting the idea board together I realized the color scheme is very similar to the current nursery. Of course we won’t be able to afford many of the above items but in a dream world this is a favorite look of mine. I’m still thinking on the boy thing – that’s so different for me I don’t have a vision in my mind of what it might look like yet. Stay tuned! xo, Lauren

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the holiday giveaway – win an Ergobaby carrier and over $700 in other loot for your little ones! And more holiday gift guides are up – you can check them out here.

My favorite nursery detail

…is a re-purposed wedding item!

I’m still going to take pics of our finished nursery for comparison to its Pinterest board incarnation, but in the meantime, wanted to share this one part.

For Mr. Floret Cadet and my wedding in June 2011, we ordered custom made wood signs reading “Faith,” “Hope,” “Love” and “Just Married” from a wonderful Etsy vendor, Tree House Wood Designs.  Since making our signs, they have started offering them as a regular shop item – you can see them here.  The flower girls and ring bearer carried these signs down the aisle, held them up during the ceremony, and escorted us out of the church with them – and we also displayed them at the reception later.  They were such a fun detail!

And now they have a new life in our nursery, repainted to match the decor, and displayed on a skinny ledge shaped wall where they fit uncannily well. I love that we will have a daily reminder of our wedding day, that our baby will absorb these words that reflect our values from a young age, and that we saved some money on nursery decor be re-purposing these!

By the way,  Treehouse also makes very cool nursery name art in various fonts, and there are lots of other great ideas for using these wood words in their Etsy shop, including as photo props (a one year old holding up the word “One,” etc).  Be sure to check them out!

How To Create a Sophisticated Nursery

I’m starting a new series over on my blog with two cats all about striking the right balance between sophistication and fun to create the perfect space for a child.

While I think it’s important to bring in adult decor into children’s spaces to prevent them from becoming too “cutesy”, I’ve also seen a lot of spaces lately that are going overboard and taking all of the whimsy, life, and fun out of a space that is supposed to be for little ones. (Example 1, Example 2)

After studying some of the best nurseries and kid’s rooms out there I’ve decided that there are three main elements that work together in each to create a great space:

1. Color Palette
2. Whimsical Touches
3. Statement Piece

Each week on with two cats I’m going to share a few spaces that get it just right and talk about how they did it. I thought I’d share the first set here on Spearmint Baby as well. I’ll start with this colorful, yet sophisticated space of Ramya Giangola and Chiara over on THE GLOW:

Color Palette – is one of the biggest things that makes this room read ‘child’. Separately, any of the important items in this room could easily fit into an adult space – the chevron bedspread, the floral rug or the abstract art . Even the chairs are very grown-up looking. None of these pieces necessarily read ‘kid’ on their own, but together the bold color palette created by all of these items makes this space just right for a fun-loving little one.

Whimsical Touches – stuffed animals, toy dinosaurs, and a playful garland all add to the childlike feel of the room

Statement Piece – Without the bold large-scale abstract art, the space would still be playful, but a little too monochromatic. This colors of this piece in combination with the rest of the space really shout, “This room is playful!” And playful = perfect for a child.

Next up is a room created by Palmer Weiss that I found in Lonny Magazine:

Color Palette – The main pieces in this room are very formal – the valanced drapes, upholstered headboards, bolster pillows, and tailored bedding are all very sophisticated and adult. It’s the color palette that really makes this room come to life. Bold oranges and soft pinks rescue what could have quickly become a very stuffy child’s room.

Whimsical Touches - A couple of ruffled pillows, a fun modern pendant and a few childish knick knacks on the dresser/nightstand are all it takes to add a little childish whimsy to the space.

Statement Piece – The stand-out pieces in this room are definitely the two photographs hanging above the beds. In case the color story and childish touches didn’t win you over, these pieces let you know without a doubt that children live here. (And the sunglasses are a great and unexpected touch).

And last (for today), but certainly not least is this beautiful and sophisticated nursery from Samantha Farjo found over on Decor Pad:

Color Palette – This room is mostly neutral, however the pops of springy green in the space help to add life to what would otherwise be a dull color palette for a baby.

Whimsical Touches – The birdcage pendant, stuffed animals, elephant toy, and polka-dot pillow all add those important childish elements to this elegant room.

Statement Piece – The bold botanical wallpaper would look right at home in an adult space, but the spring green colorway and climbing vines pattern add interest and movement to the quiet solids of the rest of the room.

What do you think of the first three rooms? Do you think that they work well as children’s space? What do you think makes them work (or not)?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

P.S. If you’d like to follow along with the entire series, be sure to check out my blog with two cats next week!

Featured Design – brother and sister bedrooms

these bedrooms were designed by Lotus Bleu Interior Design.

Featured Design – Way Out West

We love this western style boys room created by Melaine of My Sweet Savannah. Melaine offers design consultations over the Internet. For more info visit her Design Consultation page.

See more photos!

Featured Design – www.lutterlagkage.dk

we would like to introduce you to www.lutterlagkage.dk by Stine. lutterlagkage.dk is a boutique full of beautiful children’s clothes and accessories for the home and interior.
Stine is a mother, teacher – and CRAFTER! She works with a unique mix of new and vintage materials, thrift store finds, and loves to use everyday objects for another purpose than intended.
www.lutterlagkage.dk even ships worldwide!

here are some of the beautiful children’s items you can find at www.lutterlagkage.dk:

Featured Design – Linda Solovic

we recently discovered the artwork of Linda Solovic – mixed media collage artist. Linda creates beautiful things out of art paper, found paper, altered paper, found objects, fabric and just about anything she finds interesting or intriguing.

you can learn more about her work at lindasolovic.com and buy limited edition prints of her collages at lindasolovic.etsy.com.

here are some favorites:

NY Interior Design

FEATURED DESIGN!

We love these rooms by Evelyn Benatar from New York Interior Design.

See more photos!

winnie the pooh

Featured Design!

We love this 12 foot by 8 foot Mural by Sandra Ferrigno.

See the completed mural!

Retro Rooms

Featured Design!

We love the funky, vintage rooms created by Interior Design company, Retro Rooms. These unique ideas are inspiring!

See more photos!

Featured Design – Way Out West

We love this western style boys room created by Melaine of My Sweet Savannah. Melaine offers design consultations over the Internet. For more info visit her Design Consultation page.