Category Archives: Scheming

July 5, 2012 · 8:22 am

Scheming: Meredith and Daniel’s Nursery

N U R S E R Y

 s h o p p i n g 

Aimée Wilder ‘Baby’ wallpaper in Fuschia
Le Klint 171 pendant light, Lumens
Oeuf  ‘Sparrow’ crib
Olio ‘Wheels’ bumper
Mitchell Gold ‘Alex III’ sofa
Jonathan Adler Monogram custom wool rug
‘Ava’ mirror
World’s Away ‘Werstler’ dresser

*   *   * 

The nursery has been the easiest room to put together so far. And it’s definitely the most fun. Even my son was like, “Wow, that’s so cool!”  Meredith had already picked out the navy blue bedding and knew she wanted to pair it with hot pink. I knew this Aimée Wilder wallpaper was it as soon as I spotted it on Walnut Wallpaper.  Hot pink and curvy like the bedding, the pattern is modern, which was important—I was careful not to get nautical or too preppy.

The mirror is mine—purchased from One King’s Lane a while back, it’s sitting unused in my bedroom. I suggested a handful of modern white and mid-century sputnik style chrome fixtures. Meredith preferred the white ones, so we went with this Le Klint. The Mitchell Gold sofa will be slipcovered in white cotton duck with a navy blue piping (not sure what fabric yet).

Meredith was really attracted to the idea of doing one of Jonathan Adler’s custom rugs so we could get all three colors on a single piece to unify the overall palette. (The ‘Design Your Own . . .’ tool on the JA site is super fun to play around with.) The monogram design is simple and classic. One problem though: Meredith and Daniel haven’t decided on a name yet. So, that order is waiting til the birth certificate has been signed, sealed, and delivered!

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June 27, 2012 · 8:04 am

Scheming: Meredith and Daniel’s Entry

FINAL  E N T R Y   SCHEME

Jonathan Adler “Greek Key” wallpaper in gray/white
Jonathan Adler  “Queen Anne” mirror in orange lacquer
Bungalow 5 “Odom” console in gray lacquer
George Nelson “Pear” lamp, YLighting

West Elm “Crescent” bench in whitewashed ash
Timorous Beasties “Butterflies” wallpaper in frost

* * *
THE  P R O C E S S 

I started out by ordering swatches of about a dozen wallpapers. Some were great, others were unpleasant surprises. (Oversize metallic patterns on mylar—no thanks.) My favorite was Timorous Beasties “Thistle Superwide” in black on ivory; no surprise to those of you who read regularly.

Meredith wasn’t crazy about the more illustration-like choices, though eventually “Thistle” grew on her, and she asked about a less bold version.

I liked the idea of doing “Thistle Superwide” in gray on ivory, with Timorous Beasties “Birds’n’Bees” in the powder room. Neither one of us are huge bird fans, but the quality of the papers and the colors look beautiful together. Nevertheless, we decided to hold out for a swatch of the new “Butterflies” paper. We’re still waiting!

I stopped by Jonathan Adler on Newbury to take a look at some furniture and rugs. They had a wall with a console done in  “George“. Fab!

Cole and Sons “Hicks Hexagon”  |   Jonathan Adler “George”


Photo: Mikkel Vang for Domino

Then it hit me: David Hicks “Hexagon.”  It’s fresh, but timeless. Daniel liked the blue colorway, but Meredith preferred a more subtle pattern, so I put this together:

S C H E M E  1

Lights: West Elm “Polyhedron” – Sonneman “Castelli” – George Nelson “Pear Criss Cross” – Z Gallerie “Glo” – IKEA “Knappa”
Wallpaper: Ferm Living “Ribbed” –  Kreme “Chevron” – Jonathan Adler “Greek Key”
Consoles: West Elm “Source” – Bungalow 5 “Odom” – World’s Away “Noho”
(Meredith & Daniel’s own octagonal mirror)

*  *  * 
S C H E M E  2

Meredith loved the chevron and the Greek key papers, along with the simple gray lacquer console. Many of the pendants I had chosen only used 60-watt bulbs, so we went with a George Nelson; they’re great functionally, aesthetically, and budget-wise.  Then I added  a couple of other consoles that look pretty with the chevron paper.

Wallpaper: Kreme “Chevrons”
Light: George Nelson “Pear Criss Cross”
Consoles:  Bungalow 5 “Parsons” – Bungalow 5 “Marco” – Bungalow 5 “Odom”

*  *  * 

I also suggested a bench for around the corner, since there was plenty of room, and with a toddler, quite useful. Here’s the “Butterflies” paper that we’re still waiting to see in real life. Love the green; perhaps for the powder room?  Details for the consoles show the lacquered grasscloth finish and nailhead detailing.

*  *  * 
S C H E M E  3

The nailhead console was too short, the white too white (plus, no drawer), so the glossy gray lacquer it is. With a pale gray paper and the console’s simple silhouette, I was afraid the finished look wouldn’t make enough of an impact. Although we never discussed orange for anywhere in the apartment, I couldn’t resist adding this mirror. She loved it!  Yay! Now we need to find somewhere else to put the octagonal mirror.

*  *  * 
S C H E M E  3

And finally . . . 

Do you love it? We do!

I love the quirky silhouette of the mirror paired with the clean-lined console. Its curves, plus that of the classic modern pendant, provide contrast against the pale backdrop of the bold Greek Key pattern, while the shape of the console echoes it. And the orange and glossy gray colors really pop. Can’t wait to see it IRL!

MORE: Scheming: Meredith & Daniel’s Master Bedroom

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June 19, 2012 · 5:08 pm

Scheming: Meredith and Daniel’s Master Bedroom

If you read my blog post about gray sofas earlier this month, then you know I have sashayed into the realm of decorator. To recap: A friend asked me to decorate her new four bedroom apartment in New York City. There’s no construction, kitchens or baths involved; it’s the paint and wallpaper, furniture, rugs, lighting, and accessories. There are a few pieces making the move that I’ll need to integrate, and the toddler’s room is pretty much set, leaving the master bedroom, nursery, guest bedroom/office, playroom, living room, and dining room.

The master bedroom seemed like the easiest place to start. Meredith is really drawn to this bedroom, particularly the jade color, designed by New York City designer Fawn Galli.

Designed by Fawn Galli

I’m a huge fan of Fawn’s work. In this room, I  love the dramatic green headboard and wallpaper with surreal  tree forms. However, the bedroom that really spoke to me for this project was the one I wrote about for TradHome, by San Francisco designer (of whom I am equally enamored), Palmer Weiss.

Designed by Palmer Weiss

Some of the differences between the two rooms reflect how my tastes and Meredith’s can differ. She tends to favor curvier, more feminine styles, while I really like more spare, hard-edged lines. Luckily, blue and green are both of our go-to colors.

She knew she wanted an upholstered headboard. After sifting through styles and swatches from Jonathan Adler, Dwell Studio, Serena & Lily, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Ballard,  Williams-Sonoma, Oly, Cisco, Vanguard, and Lee Industries, we chose the Serena & Lily Pondicherry trimmed with nickel nailheads. We haven’t confirmed an exact fabric yet, but it will be white.

For wallpaper on the bed wall, we ordered samples from Walnut Wallpaper, Graham & Brown, Burke Decor,and indie designers’ sites. I didn’t find a jade green—most were sea foam or pale sky blue. She liked several, and we narrowed it to two choices: Grow House Grow! ‘Mme. Jeanne’ and the new Timorous Beasties ‘Butterflies,’ which we have yet to see IRL (in real life).

Master bedroom floor plan

Which decorating scheme do you prefer?  
Feel free to leave feedback. Remember, I’m new at this.

Scheme #1

*   *   *  

Scheme #2

S H O P P I N G

Scheme #1
Wallpaper:
Grow House Grow! ‘Mme. Jeanne,’ Grow House Grow!

Bed:
Serena & Lily ‘Pondicherry’ Bed with Nailheads, Serena & Lily.

Nightstands:
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay Concave Side Chest, Zinc Door.
Bungalow 5 ‘Jacqui’ Side Table, Clayton Gray Home.
Jonathan Adler ‘Preston’ Side Table, Jonathan Adler.

Rugs:
Suzanne Kasler ‘Oria Flower,’  Safavieh.
Jill Rosenwald ‘Fallon’ flat weave wool rug,  Zinc Door.
Surya ‘Spectrum’ wool rug, RugStudio.
Suzanne Kasler ‘Athene’ wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Martha Stewart ‘Ikat Marsh’ wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Frontier Moroccan flat weave wool rug, Zinc Door.
Bowron vintage shearling rug, Burke Decor.

Chandeliers:
Arteriors ‘Caviar’ Staggered Pendant, Candelabra.
Calais Glass Chandelier in Aquamarine,  Z Gallerie.

Dressers:
World’s Away ‘Studly’ Dresser, Zinc Door.
Jonathan Adler ‘Channing’ 6-Drawer Console, Jonathan Adler.

Scheme #2
Wallpaper:
Timorous Beasties ‘Butterflies,’  Timorous Beasties.

Bed:
Serena & Lily ‘Pondicherry’ Bed with Nailheads, Serena & Lily.

Nightstands:
Bungalow 5 ‘Jacqui’ Side Table, Clayton Gray Home.
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay Concave Side Chest, Zinc Door.

Rugs:
David Easton Paro Grid wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Shabati Paxi wool & acrylic rug, Zinc Door.
Surya ‘Spectrum’
Thomas O’Brien Deco Garden wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Thom Filicia ‘Griffith Park’ wool & viscose rug, Zinc Door.

Chandeliers:
(Existing) Five-Light Coral Branch Chandelier, Ballard Designs.
Arteriors ‘Caviar’ Staggered Pendant, Candelabra.

Dressers:
Bennett Lowboy Dresser, Zinc Door.
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay 12-Drawer Dresser, Zinc Door.
Vanguard Mirrored Chest, Horchow.

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