Date: July 29, 2022 | Story: Tiffany Adams | Photography: Rett Peek | Styling: Steph Smith |
After learning they would be grandparents times two, a Little Rock couple creates a colorful, comfortable nursery fit for twins
When Leslie and Joey Wiggins learned their son and daughter-in-law, Blake and Courtney, were expecting twin boys, they knew they needed to make a move—to the couple’s neighborhood, to be exact. “Like most people, we are very family oriented and wanted to be close by to help and to watch them grow,” Joey says.
As luck would have it, they were able to find a home under construction that backed up to the soon-to-be parents’ property. They called on designer Jill Lawrence, whom they had worked with on their previous home, to personalize the space and create a dream nursery.
“They were just giddy over having grand babies,”the designer says. “However, we wanted this space to be a little bit more sophisticated to blend with the rest of the house.” Jill had saved a fabric from a trip to the Decoration & Design Building in New York and thought it would be an ideal choice for the room’s statement piece. “This is not a standard nursery; I took a risk, and they totally trusted me and the direction,”she says. She played off of the primary colors in this drapery fabric by bringing in warm metals and tons of texture.
Knowing the room needed to accommodate two cribs, two chairs, and a changing table/dresser as well as accessories, square footage was a priority. Jill employed both thoughtful space planning and a rich wall color to speak to this. “A lot of people will say you need togo light when a space is small, but I prefer to embrace the size and make cozy rooms,” she says, pointing to a peacock-colored grasscloth that covers the walls. “It’s like a little jewel box.”
Practical yet stylish features include a Sherpa rug for added softness when the little ones are crawling, dimmable floor lamps for reading and feeding, and electric reclining chairs that swivel, glide, and have a USB charging port. “I hadn’t done a nursery in along time and it was really such a joy,” Jill says of the experience.
Black-and-white images of the pair’s first days captured by Lyndsey Sullivan Photography are a sweet finishing touch to the design.
“They say it takes a village to raise a child, so we are here to help and be together anytime.”
—Joey Wiggins, homeowner
Design Resources
Interior design Jill Lawrence and Lindsey Forshee, J. Lawrence Design Accessories Fabulous Finds and Tipton & Hurst Bedding, fabrics, furniture, and lighting J. Lawrence Design Rugs J. Lawrence Design and ProSource of Little Rock Wallpaper Designer Effects Wallpaper (installation) Debco Paint &Wallpaper Window coverings Nancy Osborne
