Nursery Interior Design

There are so many milestones and moments in one’s life. When I look back on what I would consider being my happiest moments, one of them was the first day I spent with my newborn twins in their nursery.

I always recall my mom telling my sister and me that one of her happiest memories also took place in our nursery. She loved the nighttime feedings. Although she and my dad lived in a tiny apartment in the Bronx at that time, she felt that at those moments, she and her baby were the only two people in the world. The quiet, the stillness and coziness were beautiful to her.

I felt the same as my mom in my daughter’s nursery. It was a cocoon that was far away from the world. My children were born in January, in the dead of winter in New Jersey. There was snow, snow and more snow. I was a young mom and my days were entirely focused on two tiny babies. We lived in a lovely home with plenty of room. However, I, along with our ever so patient, the faithful dog spent 99% of the first year of my twins’ birth in their nursery.

The nursery had a comfy chaise lounge with a sturdy back in between the two cribs. Feeding babies in a sitting position is hard on the back. The sturdy chaise alleviated some of that pressure. I had a heavy blanket at arm’s reach. I slept on the chaise many nights during the first year. There was a small sturdy table with a tiny lamp (dim bulb) next to the chaise. The windows were covered with simple soft green curtains with blackout shades by the chaise. The chaise was my “station.” I could close the curtains, grab a bottle and a blanket while never getting up and disturbing a fussy baby I was calming.

The room also had a rocking chair for any victim willing to help feed a premature baby. I love old-fashioned rockers. I know the gliders are great and use them for many client spaces. However, the rockers remind me of sitting on my great grandmother’s lap and rocking away with her as a child.

For the walls, I chose Osborne and Little’s topiary wallpaper. It had shades of green and off whites and little topiaries throughout the design. It was perfect. The base and crown of the room were painted a fern green. The carpet was soft, plush and soft green, which was perfect for hiding every unimaginable liquid that pours out of infants.

There were stars on the ceiling. I always wanted the babies to see a positive image before they went to sleep and as soon as they woke up. The stars were great.

There was a sea of tiny and gigantic stuffed toys in a corner, which my daughters would eventually know and love. The stuffed toys were endless hours of play on cold days when going outside was not an option.

There were family photos on the walls and close to the cribs for the twins to look at and get to know.

Fast-forward twenty years, and here I am, extremely lucky and privileged to be designing luxury homes and nurseries. My children’s nursery has, and still is my inspiration when my projects include nursery design.

My mantra is “Design with Direction.” A space must have a goal or it’s just another pretty room with no soul. The direction of my nursery and any baby’s nursery should be a place of warmth, stimulation and security. Happy day to all.

– Deborah Rosenberg

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