Jack and Charlie’s Nursery: Part Two

Having twins meant I had to get creative with the furniture layout of the nursery. I had designed the footprint of this bedroom as part of the second floor addition and had only counted on fitting one crib.

Once we found out twins were on the way I knew I’d have to do away with any extraneous furniture. I bid farewell to the sizeable bookshelf I had been counting on and said hello to wall-mounted shelving from Pottery Barn Kids for display and book storage instead.

For safety reasons, cribs shouldn’t be situated in front of windows, so I had to keep that in mind when space planning. I ended up putting the two cribs on the longest side wall and set the dresser/change station in front of the window, with the glider and ottoman in the other corner. The room sports a decent sized closet so I chose a dresser with a combination of drawers and cubbies which made keeping items like swaddling blankets and bibs and burp cloths easily accessible. Selecting storage baskets from the Land of Nod in a bright blue added an extra dose of colour to the white furniture.

I chose the beautifully detailed Jack and Jill crib from Mother Hubbard’s, a local manufacturer. I liked that all of their pieces are made right here in Toronto using nontoxic lacquers and their line is highly customizable with a variety of finishes and hardware to choose from.  I chose a white painted finish for the furniture because it’s clean and classic. If money were no object, I may have tried a rich navy, but Canadian-made solid wood baby furniture isn’t cheap, so it’s better to invest in something neutral. The cribs have beautiful moulding details and look great set against the back wall.

Bedding is a funny thing when decorating a nursery, because technically you’re really only supposed to have one thing in the crib: a simple crib sheet. The gorgeous quilts and bumpers all the catalogues and stores show as a bedding set are a no-no these days due to SIDS concerns (they can cause suffocation and decrease the oxygen flow around the baby’s face). If you want another layer, you can add a decorative crib skirt like this graphic one from Serena and Lily that we used.

For the shoot, I layered in some extra quilts we use for snuggling on the glider for styling purposes, but these are not part of the boys’ sleeping routines. If you’re insistent on bumpers because your kids are head bangers (like ours!), you can use these breathable mesh crib bumpers which cushion the perimeter of the crib while still allowing for air flow.

The final piece of the nursery furniture puzzle is our glider, which admittedly was a head scratcher for me. When sourcing potential options I didn’t know whether I should get a ginormous extra wide one that I could breastfeed both babies on? If I should get a daybed or just a normal sized rocker? Did I need an ottoman? In the end, I chose the Rena swivel glider from Rooms To Grow. It is generously proportioned and I loved its clean lined track arms and pretty skirt. White contrast piping gives the glider a detailed yet crisp look.

Having closed the chapter on nursing and looking back, I would advise breastfeeding twin moms to stick with a normal sized glider and ottoman. The ottoman is essential for putting your feet up and balancing comforting two babes comfortably. If you have the space and plan on tandem feeding, a daybed or smaller sofa is a great thing to have, but if you don’t have space don’t sweat it. When I tandem fed, I just set up camp elsewhere (I used the guest room and our very deep sofa in the family room as my nursing quarters)

Finishing touches like the vintage chandelier that hung in my grandparents’ home for decades gives the room an eclectic and personal feel. Other sweet touches include the large Hansa stuffed deer from Advice from a Caterpillar, which was a  gift that the boys love playing with. I also like it because it’s a little less expected than the standard enormous giraffes you see in most magazines.

(Nursery photos by Donna Griffith for Style At Home)

Jack and Charlie’s Nursery: Part 1

Nurseries are one of the most popular and fun spaces to decorate (at least according to my pinterest feed), so where do you start when you’re a decorator and finally designing your very first baby room for your own littles? Now that the April issue of Style At Home is out on newsstands, I can finally share how I designed Jack and Charlie’s nursery.

In the days leading up to my first ultrasound, I let myself fantasize over the pretty fabric samples I had been hoarding over the years for my future little girl’s room. (As one of four girls, I was convinced I would be giving birth to at least one little lady down the line) When I found out I was having identical twin boys (what the what?) I had to throw out most of the ideas and start from scratch. Luckily there was one well-suited print  I had tucked away at the back of my mind.

As a design editor at a decorating magazine, I received media releases about new fabric and wallpaper collections almost every week. As soon as the press package for Osborne and Little’s Penguin Library wallpaper crossed my desk I knew I would be using it some day down the line in a project. It was just so me. The bright colour covers mixed with the black and white penguin branding makes for serious eye candy and I couldn’t resist the sense of retro nostalgia it evoked.

The wallpaper appealed to me for the nursery for a number of reasons. I loved the idea of fostering a love of books with my boys right from the start and I thought it was a safe investment to choose something gender neutral with such a wide array of colours to work with. I pulled out navy, sky blue, periwinkle and orange as my main palette but the room could suit a little girl if ever need be in the future with a few easy changes, such as a new purple small area rug, or hot pink bedding and accessories. The paper is also sophisticated enough that the room could become our office one day - book themed wallpaper is fairly academic after all!

Playing on the penguin theme, I ordered cutie pie felted mobiles from needlenerd. I found Bonnie’s work on etsy and was delighted to discover she lived right here in Toronto. She was kind enough to match the colours of the hearts in the mobile to the colours seen in the wallpaper so they coordinate perfectly. A fun fact is newborns only see in black white the first few weeks as their eyes develop, so the boys were madly in love with gazing up at the black and white penguins!

The other main print in the room is the fabulous splatter embroidered drapery fabric, Skittles, from Lulu DK children’s collection for Schumacher. The sky blue has a purplish undertone so it doesn’t scream “little boys only” and the print is youthful while still being chic and timeless. Investing in black out lined drapery was imperative to maintaining a good nap schedule- good window treatments (with brackets to keep dangling cords out of harm’s way) is one area of nursery decor that you should not skimp on! 

In a perfect world I’d have added extra embellishment with navy pom fringe on the leading edge of the drapery panels, like these ready-made panels from PB Teen, and the perimeter of the roman shade, but I had to exercise restraint for budget sake. Budget also meant I couldn’t paint out the ceiling in a soft sky blue- something I was also was keen on doing to punch up the white envelope of the room.

To balance out the strong patterns of the drapery and accent wallpaper behind the crib, I decided to go bold with the framing of my artwork on either side of the window. I chose navy frames with periwinkle mats from PI Fine Art for the lovely watercolours I purchased from Mary’s Flower Garden on etsy. Both my husband and I are major animal lovers and so we welcomes the idea of adding more fauna into the existing penguin mix.

This snapshot also shows a separate little watercolour we purchased of two baby elephants together. We framed these twin babies without the blue mat,  but added an orange filler to the frame to tie in our accent colour. The shelf also shows off whimsical letters made out of old library books from Anthropologie  that serve as another extension of the book theme.

The last literary nod comes courtesy of the artwork on the other side of the cribs by Olive and Birch, another etsy artist. They feature favourite quotes from two of my top children’s books, Peter Pan and Goodnight Moon. What a sweet send off into slumber!

For details on the furniture and accessories stay tuned for part two!

(Top photo and baby blocks  photos by Donna Griffith, Family shot with mobiles by Scarlett O’Neill)

Golden Nursery Finds

It’s so marvellous to see that pretty much every major shelter retailer is having a golden moment right now. It doesn’t take very long to spot something gold or brass when walking the showroom floor or browsing a catalogue or website.

The love for the warm metals has even crept into nurseries and kids spaces, a  place usually reserved for more cutesy and less sophisticated details. This is shown to fabulous effect in the nursery above, designed by Rachelle Belle as seen on the Animal Print Shop blog. In celebration of this golden age, here are some of my favourite ways to add some golden glam into your nursery or kid space:

The Don’t Grow Up (It’s a Trap) Gold Foil Print by Penny Paper Co is the perfect tongue in chic piece to add to a graphic gallery wall above a modern crib. At $27 it won’t break the bank and it is sized to fit IKEA’s ribba for easy and affordable framing.

I love reimaging a vintage dresser as a change table in a nursery (add a change topper and ta da!), and these gilded swirled geode knobs from anthropologie would make for a seriously stunning hardware choice. They’re $18 each and would add an ethereal element to a kid’s bedroom that is fresh and unexpected.

The Emily & Meritt Chandelier Table Lamp by PB Teen would make for a whimsical and welcome light to read bedtime stories by in a feminine and pretty little girl’s room. The beaded arms and delicate flowers would look right at home with a floral wallpaper accent wall. (I’m talking about you Rose Decay)

 

Last but not least for a boho baby’s lair, the global-looking Tangier Bronze Stool from West Elm would be a perfect choice to sit next to your glider. The stool, $299, is versatile and adult-enough that it can be moved into your living room once your glider days are gone.

Personalizing your baby’s space with their initials is always a nice touch and these $10 gilded letters from Indigo add some shimmery glamour to the wall. Spell out a quirky saying or their full name for a maximalist approach.

(Nursery photo by Joe Schmelzer for The Animal Print Shop)

Baby Buy and Giveaway: ELARI Diaper Wallet

Once you join the mommy club, you become an expert shlepper and a firm supporter of the mantra that you can never be too prepared. When you leave the house with  a baby (or babies)  in tow, you need gear at the ready to cover feeding and diapering on the go, with a wardrobe change and toys for good measure.  Translation: you have to cart around a whole lot of stuff – especially for multiple mothers like myself who need everything times two!

But sometimes if I’m going to a friends house for a playdate or class where I know there are extra blankies and toys, or if I am going for a walk to my parents where there are plenty of supplies, I will only bring the essentials- and that’s where my ELARI Diaper Wallet comes in.

Created by a Canadian mom and her sister, this stylish slim case has room for a few diapers, a zippered compartment for moist wipes, a full size change pad that folds away easily, and pockets for two creams or lotions (or hand sanitizer).

It zips up and can be stashed away easily in a tote bag or your purse, or even thrown in the bottom of your stroller for those “in case” moments. It is even a great addition to your regular diaper bag, when you need to slip into those tiny public bathroom stalls to change your little one, and don’t want to have to squeeze your enormous diaper bag inside and get it all germy.

I love the variety of prints and textures it comes in, which adds a hit of chic to an otherwise messy event! They make for great baby or shower gifts, and are a great option for second time around parents who already have everything they thought they could ever need.

Once your diapering days are over, the wallet can be used as a make up case to stash your brushes, compacts and more, so I like that this product will have a second life. Made in Canada using moisture and mildew-resistant materials, non-toxic dyes, it’s machine washable too so you can keep it nice and clean.

The ELARI Diaper Wallet retails from $39.95-$49.95 and can be purchased online on elari.ca or at Li’l Niblets for my fellow Toronto moms. Be sure to like their facebook page as well for creative suggestions on how to use the wallet and to find retailers near you.

If you want to win one for yourself, leave a comment with your name and e-mail by Friday, September 5 at 5pm EST, and I will draw next week and the winner will be contacted directly! (Giveaway is only open to Canadian and American residents with a valid shipping address)

Baby Buy: Kina Lambskin Booties

Now that I’m over six months in to this whole motherhood thing (six of the simultaneously fastest yet slowest months of my life), I wanted to share some of my favourite items that the boys and I love. We received so many beautiful gifts, but one of our favourites that I went out and bought more of in the next two sizes up, are KINA booties.

These adorable lambskin booties are handmade in New Zealand and have become a daily fixture in our wardrobe. Socks really do not like to stay on my little guys’ feet, but these booties have an elastic around the ankle that keeps them on so their tootsies stay nice and warm. The suede sole provides a solid cushion that helps them from slipping and sliding all over the place (they’re getting squirmy!) and I love that the soft shearling lining breathes and stretches with their feet.

We have them in two different colours: natural for Charlie and chocolate for Jack. Advice From A Caterpillar carries them in other colours too, (including a darling pale pink for the ladies) and they cost $55.

Meet the Babies Party on Style Me Pretty Living

I’m very excited to share that a party I planned for the twins is up on Style Me Pretty Living today! Most Jewish families celebrate the birth of their children with a Brit Milah or a baby naming, but because the boys weren’t ready for that rite of passage at the same time and were too fragile to be exposed to large groups of people in the midst of flu season, we chose to have a bigger “meet the babies” party in the spring when they were a bit older and could celebrate together.

I created a vintage-inspired black and white theme and at the heart of the décor were over-sized black and white baby blocks featuring photos of the men of the family going back three generations. These large-scale blocks were a DIY project using wooden cubes I had cut at a lumber yard, that I then painted and podged with enlargements of the black and white photos and stick-on letters.

The two base blocks each show off photos from the early 20th century of the twins’ maternal and paternal great grandfathers and the top block features each grandfather with their father, my husband, on the top.

Although time consuming, making the blocks was a labour of love that added a special personal touch to the party. Guests enjoyed looking at the old photos and pointing out features they recognized in the boys, the newest generation!

There were tons of yummy treats including custom doughnuts from Glory Hole and gorgeous sugar cookies from Ellen Jane Desserts. Photographer Heidi Lau capture all of the lovely details so be sure to check out the full gallery here.

Here are all of the vendors I used:

Black And White Cushions: Ikea | Custom Napkins: Wedding Star | Doughnuts : Glory Hole Doughnuts | Florals: Emblem Floral Design Studio | Party Room: Oakdale Golf And Country Club | Plastic Bottles And Pacifiers : Michaels | Rentals: Lounge Furniture Rentals Inc | Striped Runner: Tonic Living | Sugar Cookies: Ellen Jane Desserts | Table Linens: Around The Table

Bang on the Drum

When I was designing the boys’ nursery I was contemplating integrating an antique snare drum table next to the glider.  I love the playful sense of patina it brings to a child-focused space, such as this nursery sourced from Pinterest.

I spotted a very handsome drum at one of the many antique shops outside of Stratford while on our geriatric babymoon but didn’t take it home because it was too wide. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who loved antique drums because Restoration Hardware Baby and Child offers two British 19th Century drum pieces that are totally charming.

This large bookcase version for $1,599 is an unexpected take on the motif and offers up great storage for keepsakes, books and more. I love the pop of red – very traditional!

PS- A drum table doesn’t just have to be for kids spaces. Look how sophisticated it looks acting as a bar in this image from Cottages & Garden’s article on Katie Couric’s Hamptons home.

My First Mothers Day Gifts

I have always enjoyed the seemingly sappy yet totally sweet sentiment behind Mother’s Day considering how close I am with my own mother and now my mother in law as well. There is no question that I would not have made it through these past few months as a mom of multiples without their 24/7 support. Now that I am a new mom myself, I can truly appreciate how important it is to have a day devoted to recognizing and appreciating moms everywhere.

 

To celebrate the occasion of my very first Mother’s Day with Jack and Charlie, I was lucky enough to receive some very special presents that I thought I would share with you here. Not that Mother’s Day should be  all about gifts- it is definitely about much more than that –but these are some suggestions to make the moms in your life, whether they’re brand new mommas of newborns or seasoned grandmothers, realize just how much you care!

My husband got me a stunning necklace that is not only stylish, but keeps my babies close to my heart at all times. The talented team at Lilliane’s Fine Jewellery created an elegant version of a small gold dog tag with the initials of the boys on one side and their birth date on the other.

Hung on a longer chain, the result is a piece that is delicate enough for everyday wear, but with a modern edge. If we ever have more kids, additional charms in varying sizes or shapes can be added with their initials and birthdates, or perhaps even their birthstones. It’s a totally personal gift that I love to bits and I am so excited to add this meaningful present into my daily wardrobe rotation.

Sidenote: Lilliane’s also made a stunning white gold necklace for my mother that turned out so beautifully. Paired with a diamond chip, it honours her new status as a grandmother and she can add more tags with the initials of her future grandchildren onto the chain as they arrive into the world. She loved it!

The second special gift takes the typical notion of a bouquet of flowers to the next level. As many fellow new homeowners know, tackling a huge reno often means putting landscaping on the backburner until you’ve recovered from that huge financial investment on the interior. What a fabulous idea then for the gift of a flowering tree to a new mom moving into her forever home. They can watch the tree grow right along with their kidlets! I grew up next to a magnificent Magnolia tree and am so excited that my parents are generously gifting me a little tree of my own to plant in our front yard. I can’t wait until it grows and sprouts those gorgeous pale pink blooms in front of my living room bay window. What a poignant way to mark your years of motherhood!

The last present was also an unexpected treat from my sisters, aka the best aunties around! As a noted tea devotee, my sisters knew a gift of fruity iced teas and a mason jar from David’s Tea would make me a happy camper. Hydration is now more important than ever due to my constant nursing and pumping, so sipping on these refreshing iced teas will be a great way to get in some H2O. Even better than the actual gift itself was the darling card depicting three bags of tea steeping the special qualities of a mom: care, warmth and love. Precious! 

Here’s wishing my fellow mothers of the world a very happy Mothers Day! Thank you for all that you do and I hope that your families made you feel as special and appreciated as I did today!

Baby Buy: Carlymegan Love You Forever Blanket

I found out about this beautiful blanket in the most delightful way: a pair of them was gifted to me for my boys – lucky Jack and Charlie!  Made from organic cotton knit by carlymegan, the lightweight and super soft blanket spells out the famous words: “"I'll love you forever, I'll like you always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be,” in graphic black and white with little heart accents.

Obviously like any other red-blooded human, the book “Love You Forever” holds a near and dear place in my heart – even more so now that I am a mommy myself – and as you know I also adore black and white, so these were practically made for me!

The blankets appear to be sold out for now, but check out carlymegan’s site for other adorable handmade baby items, like her amazing PJs!

New Wardrobe Alert: Mossimo Lounge Pants

I knew the recovery from a C section wasn’t going to be all rainbows and flowers, but I was so unprepared for the deflated balloon feeling I’m experiencing with my stomach. I realize having twins pushed my stomach to its limit but holy hell (warning: mom anatomy terminology ahead!) my uterus is still so swollen and painful, making fitting into any pre-maternity pants a pipe dream. This means the only pants I’m wearing these days are sweats and leggings that don’t irritate either my now empty womb/incision and leftover maternity pants- wooo!

 

Considering my fashion limitations, I was very pleased to receive a pair of these Mossimo sweats from my sister, which have a more refined lounge vibe to them as opposed to the bulkier versions of sweats that I often sport. I went up a size to ensure nothing was to snug on my tender stomach and although I still look like I’m 5 months pregnant, I at least feel a little less hefty in these sleeker sweats. And for less than $25 a pop, I bought another pair for myself in black!

Nursery Scheming and Dreaming: Gender Neutral Grey and Yellow

When designing a nursery for your first child it can be daunting. Do you go with a specific boy/girl focus, or do you stay more neutral so you wouldn’t have to change anything up for your potentially opposite-gendered children down the line? You may not even want to find out what you’re having and have to decorate with both sexes in mind,  staying mostly neutral and then just adding in your colour with wall paint, bedding and accessories…

I took all of the above into account when planning my boys’ nursery (more on that later), but first I wanted to share one of my favourite gender neutral nursery schemes: yellow, white and grey. Just look how stimulating yet soft it is in this gorgeous room designed by photographer Natasha Smith:

I’m not a grey person myself, but I do it all the time for clients and enjoy creating a palette around the favourite neutral du jour. Paired with sunny yellow and crisp white, here is a grey-based scheme I put together with a positively precious pachyderm theme:

 

Instead of standard wood finishes or white paint, try a grey crib with modern lines and funky flared legs. Bedding in a yellow polkadot with a coordinating yellow-trimmed cribskirt from Serena and Lily is sweet but still feels sophisticated. A handmade felt mobile off Etsy and customizable art from Land of Nod add a second thematic layer to the nursery that also works in the palette: adorable elephants!

This small scale print fabric from Tonic Living has an ethnic-look that makes the nursery feel more current and less precious- perfect for investment-worthy window treatments. The pattern is totally something that can be used as the baby grows up or if the room turns into an office or spare bedroom down the line. The dresser with change top is an investment piece from  DucDuc that can be customized in a huge variety of colours and finishes, but you could also get this look by painting out an old dresser in a similar contrasting treatment, adding a change pad topper and switching out the hardware.

Ground the pattern in the drapery and bedding with a solid bordered grey rug. A glider with yellow contrast welting  topped with a gorgeous printed lumbar cushion adds decorator details and even more sophistication. Keep clutter at bay and store diapers, creams and lotions in elegant trimmed canvas caddies.

A grey washed wood and metal beaded light fixture and cozy elephant-printed blanket add warm texture while a mustard yellow moroccan pouf pick up on the ethnic tone of the fabrics and provide an extra spot to sit or put your feet up. Stack handmade colour-coordinated baby blocks on a floating shelf in your baby’s initials for an extra special custom touch!

Sources: Mobile,  Crib, Elephant Poster, Crib Bedding, Fabric, Dresser, Rug, Cushion, Caddies, Light Fixture, Moroccan Pouf, Baby Blanket, Blocks

Nursery photo: Natasha Smith