The One That Got Away

It's T minus 2 days until the opening of the 2017 Junior League of Boston Designer Show House, and I finished my space one day in advance of the deadline.  That was a minor miracle considering the painting and wallpapering had been completed just two weeks before.  (Note to self for next show house (if I even do another): employ a painter that does interiors work in the summertime no matter what the weather.  A string of good weather and my painter's exterior jobs delayed my job for two critical weeks raising my anxiety level to the nth degree!)

As you may recall, to participate in the show house, designers must submit room proposals complete with palettes of materials and finishes.  To increase the chances of being selected, the Junior League recommends submitting more than one proposal.  I had submitted two proposals: the one that was selected -- for a home office/study/sitting room -- and another for a baby girl's nursery.  I love my nursery design and wanted to execute it badly.  But . . . the Junior League had other plans for me.

My concept for the nursery sprung from a wallpaper I had seen in an L.A. salon a year and a half ago.  It was an exploded floral design in various values and chromas of charcoal, pink and ‘au courant’ blush.  I searched for the source of this breathtaking wallpaper and discovered it's by Ellie Cashman, an American artist living in the Netherlands.  Her wallpaper designs are inspired by the still life paintings of the Dutch masters.  Coincidently, I recently saw that this wallpaper is cladding the storefront windows of Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue in New York City!

Ellie Cashman’s Dark Floral Wallpaper

For the crib, I selected a lucite crib by Nursery Works.  Its transparency would allow the bold wall treatment to remain center stage.  But its novel design still made a statement.

I planned for an elegant tufted ottoman in crushed blush velvet as a focal point in the center of the room.  Centered underneath would be a hide rug in shades of silver, stone and aluminum.  A contemporary Sputnik chandelier in crystal and polished nickel would illuminate the room, amping up the drama.  I completed the design with a raffia-covered dresser for texture and simple window treatments in a two-sided fabric pulled back to reveal the reverse side with braid trim.

    

        

Pregnant with a baby girl?  This could be yours!

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