Date:  July 30, 2020  |   Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Lauren Cerrato  |  

One mom’s love for tailored, traditional design shines in her newborn’s nursery

Creating an elegant, playful, and sweet space was the objective for both designer Chandler Bailey and her client Jessica Koehler when embarking on this nursery design. “She thought she was expecting a little girl, so she would send me inspiration boards that were all pink and flowers,” says Chandler, who had previously worked with Jessica and her husband, David, to refresh other spaces of their home. “Jessica has a traditional, feminine style, so even when she found out they were having a little boy, she felt she could bring in some of her favorite softer elements.”

An eye-catching wallpaper overhead is one such element and was the starting point for the room. “I probably looked at hundreds and hundreds of samples,” Jessica laughs. The pattern she landed on—Scalamandre’s “Balinese Peacock” in Sky—would be equally at home in a formal dining room, which is one of the reasons Jessica loved it for this room. A custom paint color on the walls and thick, cream-colored drapes complement the ceiling treatment. “I think custom drapery makes such a difference in every room, and that was a priority of mine,” Jessica says. Plus, black-out drapes are functional for baby Walt, now 4 months old, to get his shut-eye.

The next thing on Jessica’s must-have list was a vintage bamboo dresser to fill the role of changing table. “We searched and searched and finally found one with the bones we liked,” she says. “We lacquered it blue, and I love the way it turned out because it’s so timeless, yet the color makes it a little playful.”

One of Jessica’s favorite touches finishes the design: silk bows adorning the corners of the crib. “Throughout the process, my husband has been like, Who are we kidding, this nursery is for you,” Jessica laughs. “I just wanted the nursery to be a space I could be at 2 in the morning and it be calming and pretty, and it is. It really is my favorite room in the house.”

Play Room
To make space for a baby boy, Jessica and David transformed one of two guest rooms in their house. “We chose this one because of its size; there’s so much floor space, and I wanted him to grow into it and have room to play,” Jessica says. Acrylic shelves currently hold a colorful library of children’s books; however, as Walt ages, Chandler says, the shelves are deep enough to swap out books for toys or more collections

Wild Style
“One of the very first things I knew I wanted in the nursery was the big, big giraffe,” Jessica says. From there, a subtle animal theme emerged, from the peacocks in the wallpaper to a grouping of six playful animal prints by artist Amy Peterson over the crib. By the window, a side table shaped like an elephant also plays into this theme. Its light-weight wicker frame makes it easy to move around during playtime.

Design Resources
Interior design Chandler Bailey, B. Interiors Bedding, furniture, mirror, and wallpaper B. Interiors Lighting Pottery Barn Paint Benjamin Moore Painting Blake Gibson Rug Bear Hill Interiors Window coverings Cynthia East Fabrics