early bird pendant light

A sweet souring bird pendant light. A soft light (25-60 watt cadelabra bulb) emits from the bottom, wings and back of this special light. I saw it and it squawked of a nursery nook to me. For details visit Perch Design.

trompe l'oeil fireplace

No fireplace. No problem. Make one.

Domino Magazine is a fave of mine. I hate that my subscription comes a few days after it hits the shelves. It takes all my restraint to not peruse it at the newsstand. This trompe l'oeil fireplace is from their July/August 2006 issue. Unfortunately I did not keep the entire article so I cannot share all the details of the apartment and its designer.

I've held onto this idea because I plan to make one out of matte board to put out at Christmas time. It'll be a magic fireplace that Santa uses to get into the apartment. It is a charming element that takes up little space but adds a sense of whimsy.

candy jar containers

Pottery Barn is right, these are "perfect for kids’ spaces – from the nursery to the playroom – and great for holding cotton swabs, crayons, treats or toys. The snug gasket top provides an airtight seal. 5 x 8 x 8.5" h." They are available with navy or red lids only. That's nothing a can of spray paint can't fix. $12 each. I just thought they were cute.

Bookcase office-craft center

If you are a crafter like me, or if you want a home office that you can keep from tiny prying hands this is a great do-it-yourself project from Martha Stewart. It barely takes up any space.


I have a wonderful desk and cabinet my husband built for us otherwise I would build one myself (my husband would build for me, that is). I am taking inspiration from the tin bins and plastic containers and how wonderfully organized they look. I find it calming.









Here a few sources for some of the storage containers:
Plastic bead containers can be found at Widget Supply
Beautifully patterned file folders and magazine holders at The Paper Source or See Jane Work







I love the idea of framing a swatch of wallpaper with molding, though I don't care for the one Martha chose. There are a lot of amazing papers to choose from these days. Check out the papers at
ferm Living
Mod Green Pod
Fabric is a less expensive alternative with practically limitless options. I like Amy Butlers fabrics at the moment. My favorite site to peruse fabrics is purl soho. If using a fabric I would attach it to a thin particle board first to prevent sagging.
For building instructions visit bookcase armoire how to on Martha's website.

Ben @ Serena & Lily

I'm finding some serious inspiration in the Ben collection. The combination of turqoise, orange, brown and white is virtually thirst quenching. The simple mural on the back wall, the string of butterflies, the parade of animals, the fun colors... it works for everyone.

Everyone, except my checkbook. The Crib is $1690 (plus $425 for the organic mattress), the 3 pc. crib set is $539 and the paint sells for $45 a gallon. All you really need is a corner or empty closet to recreate this look.

Lewis Cube

I want four of these bunched together in the living room instead of our hated pine coffee table. We've been dying to get rid of it but we haven't found anything with enough storage in it to be able to trash it. Husband can certainly make the box and wonderbar! they sell just the slipcovers for $24. That's so much better than 4 x $179. Ouch.
Sadness. Garden Gate Green is no longer available. Navy and red don't work for us. I still think this cube is fab. The slipcovers are removable, a necessity. These would be great for hiding, I mean storing toys.
I must say this photo is so nicely styled. The yellow accents in the carpet and the hot pink flowers are just gorgeous with this green. If I close my eyes I'm on vacation at my dream beach cottage. Love when a photo can do that.

lovely storage baskets

Love these catch and carry baskets from lucyandmichael.com. They are big enough for lots of stuffed animals or finally, a place to put all the balls, balls, balls. A little pricey, but so nice to look at.

LOVE pillow

Woodstock Love Pillow. 14"x18" pillow, $85 at Henry Road. What an inspirational color palette to base a nursery or little girls room on.



For $12.50 you can purchase a package of remnant fabrics which contain six 7"x 5"x1" pieces of fabric. They might be just the thing to start a quilt for baby girls future big girl bed. I'm thinking about ordering a pack but I think shipping is a little high. I hate when you go to order something and shipping adds 1/3rd to the price! You have to order several to make it worth your while. (That's probably their idea).

Via Boxes

I'm filing these boxes in my someday file. Maybe they'll make a bed. Maybe an arts and crafts station. Maybe toy storage... I love the different shapes and colors. My favorite part is that they can be reconfigured as kids grow. That's a must for us. Plus, they are eco-friendly to boot.

P'kolino Play Ottoman - Storage

A little too expensive for me at $189.00 but these P'kolino ottomans look great. They are upholstered with a soft (supple they say) vinyl so I imagine they are pretty kid friendly. The top flips over and converts into a seat or table. I'm into orange at the moment. The more I think about it.... I could stuff them with my babes stuffed animals which are overflowing her storage basket at the moment. This looks nice enough to be in the living room. It could be extra seating when we have people over.... Where is that tax rebate check?

instant nursery art space

My tiny Picasso loves scribbling on this canvas made from Wallies peel & stick chalkboard panels. They are sold as a 4-pack of 9"x12" panels that are repositionable and removable. I bought two boxes from The Paper Source and used six panels to create the canvas.

She's 18 months old so I find myself saying "just here, just here" a lot, pointing to the canvas. Miraculously she hasn't written on the walls yet. Like every parent we know we were afraid that this might teach her that it's okay to write on the walls. The upside to a tiny home is that we can always have an eye on her! I think it is actually teaching her that certain things are only for certain places.

You can buy them online at Olive Kids for $15.99 a pack. They come in a choice of Slate Gray, Grape, Blueprint or Schoolhouse Green. I cut one into a squirrel (I'm obsessed with the cute critters at the moment) and use it as a play date message board. I think these are such a cool way to have fun with chalk without having to commit to chalkboard paint.

one baby, one bedroom

We live in an amazing neighborhood blocks from the beach. There are great parks, farmers markets and every shop you can think of within walking distance. As you can guess, real estate here is astronomical. A never-been-touched since the 1960s 2 bedroom condo starts at $600,000. For something you'd actually consider living in, well they go for at least $800,000. Houses are all well over a $million!

So we are contently making the best of our one bedroom rental. We've carved out a nook for our 18 month old daughter in what was once our dining area. We are committed to maintaining our "adult space" but I am trying to transform our decor into a fun place for a kid too. We like a modern aesthetic, but nothing stark. I believe there is a happy medium between stylish adult living and whimsical "kid-ville."

Since space is at a premium I am on a mission to find the best design for living small and living well. I figure there are a lot of other parents out there in similiar situations to ours. I hope you'll share your design solutions with me as I share mine.