Designing my kids’ rooms has easily been one of my favorite parts of creating our home. The rest of our apartment is much more Scandinavian-inspired—creamy tones, light woods, warm neutrals and a generally calmer palette—so when it came to the nurseries, I wanted to have FUN.
I really wanted both rooms to feel like actual children’s rooms: colorful, imaginative, layered and a little unexpected. They definitely live within the same world, but each one has such a different personality, which feels very fitting for Benny and Nina.
Inside Benny’s Nursery
Benny’s room was the first kids’ space I ever designed, so obviously I went all in. I wanted it to feel like an old-school British children’s room with a slightly maximalist twist—playful and whimsical without feeling overly “baby.”
We layered pattern, color and lots of little details throughout the room, but I still wanted everything to feel warm and collected rather than overly themed. I love a room that looks like it came together over time, and Benny’s has really evolved with him.
Now that he’s two, it’s become so much more than a nursery. It’s where we read books, play with his cars and trains, get ready for bed and spend so much of our time together. He’s obsessed with his mini twill chair and sits in it every night to read his “bookies,” which might be one of my favorite things ever.
I also love that the room doesn’t feel like something he’s immediately going to outgrow. The furniture and bigger design elements can stay while the toys, books and smaller pieces change as he gets older.
It feels playful, cozy, a little maximalist and very Benny.
Nina’s Room, Start to Finish
Nina’s room could not be more different—and getting to design a baby girl’s nursery after Benny’s was SO much fun.
The funny part is that this room was actually my office before Nina came along, and I had already drenched it in pink before I was even pregnant with her. We didn’t choose the gender of our embryo during IVF, so when I found out we were having a girl, it felt like maybe I had been subconsciously manifesting her all along.
For her room, I wanted something whimsical, romantic and old-world. I leaned into pinks, greens, creams and touches of gold, with a mix of new pieces and vintage finds so it wouldn’t feel too perfect or precious.
The green Wave Crib was really the jumping-off point. I LOVE the unexpected green against all of the pink, and it keeps the room from feeling overly sweet. We paired it with Nestig’s Alhambra wallpaper in Rose, the glider and ottoman, the cloud dresser, and floating scalloped shelves.
One of my favorite parts of the room is actually the art. My mom has the most incredible eye and helped me source vintage Raggedy Ann pieces that immediately reminded me of childhood. We mixed those with Shira Berg ceramic daisies and coordinating frames, so the shelves feel collected, personal and just a little quirky.
I never wanted Nina’s nursery to look like I went online and ordered an entire matching room. I love mixing old and new, different patterns and pieces that have a story behind them. My goal is always for you to walk into a room and not immediately know what is vintage and what is brand new.
And selfishly, the glider might be my favorite thing in the entire room. I always tell people to remember that when you’re designing a nursery, you’re not only designing it for the baby. You’re going to spend SO much time in there too.
Two Different Rooms, One Family Style
I love that Benny and Nina’s rooms don’t match, but they still feel connected.
Benny’s is more British, playful and maximalist, while Nina’s is romantic, feminine and whimsical. But both have the things I love most in interiors: color, pattern, vintage-inspired pieces, unexpected details and things that feel personal.
And honestly, designing kids’ spaces has made me loosen up a little when it comes to interiors. The rest of our home can be calm and collected. Their rooms are where I want imagination, color and a little bit of chaos.
Because as much as I once thought I might be the mom with perfectly neutral toys and beautifully styled shelves at all times… my children, unsurprisingly, had other plans.
And I kind of love it that way.
