…The Champagne and The Stars (Part 2 of 3)

Part 2 of our coverage of Baby Gatsby Alexandria’s Aurora Nursery features, as always in our 3-part series articles, a mini-interview with the happy parents.

What was your inspiration for the nursery design and décor?
I had the pink and gray color scheme chosen long before we started putting the nursery together. I knew that since we were going with a bit of an unconventional shade for the walls –and a slightly darker one –we would need lighter furniture. I saw the Evolur Aurora crib when we were building our baby registry and I knew the style was exactly what we wanted: feminine and strong. The design in the furniture is what drove a lot of the other accents. We went with the more ornate frames, scroll shelf, and rosette lamp because we felt that it went with the style of the crib.

What drew you to évolur over other nursery brands?
I came across the crib and knew it was the crib for us. We loved the look. We also loved the way the furniture would grow as our child grew. We plan to convert the crib into a full size bed for Gatsby when she outgrows her crib. Evolur really meets that need for us.

Did the room pose any design challenges?
The room is very small, which meant we had to use furniture and accents that didn’t overwhelm it. This is also why we decided on a canopy area versus window treatments. We wanted to ensure the room didn’t feel overly crowded. Another challenge the room poses is in the fact that it is upstairs, in a 2 story Southern California home. This meant that the ceiling fan that we were originally swapping out for a chandelier would need to stay. We knew the baby wouldn’t make it through hot summer nights without this fan.

Did you and your spouse agree on style, or did you blend styles and how?
We agreed on everything except wall color. We bought multiple gray paint samples and tried them on the wall. The color my husband liked was almost white and the color I liked was dark cement (“almost charcoal,” he said). We decided to blend the two color samples and came up with a shade we both loved. When we brought it into the hardware store and asked to have them mixed they refused. Apparently, mixing two existing brand colors to try and create a new one was outside her store guarantee so they could not do it. We found ourselves buying both colors and a large bucket; we were going to mix it ourselves. This process was nerve-wracking as neither of us has much experience with painting. What if the mix was uneven and we ended up with an entirely different color? What if certain parts of the wall were blotchy? We took a chance and were so glad we did. The color turned out exactly as we wanted! As far as the rest of the room, once we decided on the crib we agreed on the rest of the style. Everything just ended up working together very well.

What does this color scheme mean to you?
My husband describes the color scheme as peaceful. I would have to say it is balance. I like the lighter accents with the slightly-darker walls. As I mentioned, they are what I consider feminine and strong. I wanted our daughter’s nursery to be slightly unconventional (gray walls were unconventional in our family nurseries). The things in her room –from the colors, the furniture, and the phrases on the wall –are all projections of what we hope our daughter to be: confident, strong, and empowered.

What accessories did you choose and why?
In an effort to not crowd the room, we went with fewer accessories. Her name over the crib was something we knew we wanted and Etsy provided a great opportunity to have her name custom made (@LesBellesMonogram shop).
The prints over her dresser were gifted to her by her grandma before she was born. We knew we wanted the ornate frames in ivory to go with the beautiful furniture. The colors were central to the design of her space.
The two framed sayings are some of my favorite when it comes to little girls. I knew we had to have them for her nursery. My husband and I want to nurture our little girl in an environment where she feels empowered and we feel that these sayings promote confidence and personality.

The shelf was a must for us because –as it might be obvious given Gatsby’s name –we are big on books. I am an English Teacher/Literacy Teacher/Literacy Coach. Books have been a big part of my life and I want to pass that on to my daughter. She has an extensive collection of books already and we wanted to keep some on display. A floating shelf was a great way to do so without taking up too much room in what is an already small nursery.
The lamp was a more impromptu addition as we wanted something soft that combined the ivory and pink in slightly different tones.
The stuffed animals were all gifted to Gatsby and fit the feel of her nursery –adding just a sweet enough touch. We loved that the bunny was given to her before she was born and without knowledge of the nursery’s future color scheme. It fit in perfectly. The elephant is the only think we added as we love elephants and felt it would be a cozy pillow for her later on also.

What is your favorite piece or design element in the nursery?
My favorite piece in the nursery is the crib. I love the look, the design, the way it sits (and contrasts) with the gray. I really feel that this is the centerpiece of the room and we have gotten so many compliments on it.

Have you thought of how you will use the nursery pieces down the road and can you tell us?
As I mentioned before, we intend for Gatsby to continue using her nursery furniture even after she outgrows her crib. We plan to convert the crib into a full bed and use the dresser in her “big girl” room. The headboard will be just beautiful. I envision a large antique-y ivory mirror hanging over her dresser. We might decide to add a few more Evolur pieces then too.

Is this your first baby?
She is our first human baby (we have a 2 year old Yorkie named Mocha). Her name is Gatsby Alexandria. The Great Gatsby is my favorite novel and I love last names as first names. I have an unconventional name and love that it is mine. My husband and I hoped that Gatsby would feel the name about hers. Alexandria is after the city in Egypt, named after Alexander the Great and formerly home to the library of Alexandria. We are very nerdy, ha!

My husband and I had to postpone our honeymoon when we first got married because I was finishing my teaching credential and he was completing and software internship. We ended up putting it off until April of 2016. We went to Europe at this time when I was around 12 weeks pregnant. We hadn’t even announced it to anyone except our parents. The trip was booked before we were expecting but it was funny how the timing worked. We also bought our first house in July of 2016. We took our first international trip together, bought our first house, and had a baby within a few months of each other. The timing worked out perfectly for everything!

What one word comes to mind when you step into the nursery?
Cozy. We wanted to use quality pieces but create a welcoming and cozy feel for our little girl. I think that she will be cozy –whether she is lounging in her crib, cuddled up in the glider, or perched on the canopied oversize pillow with her stuffed animals.

All photographs courtesy Magaly Yanez and Kristy Romero

Kristy’s website: http://www.inspirationsphotography.com/ (@inspirationsbykristy on Instagram)
The frames pictured are from Etsy shop: Upcycledfairies
The sayings/prints are from Etsy shop: YellowSunshineArt (@YellowSunshineArt on Instagram)
Gatsby’s name over the crib is from Etsy shop: LesBellesMonogram
The 3 prints over the dresser are from Studio Q Gallery (current shop through Amazon)