The Missoni Home Nabarniz Rug

Recently, I partnered with Chairish, an exclusive, curator approved, online marketplace for vintage and used furniture, to come up with a mood board centering on this very colorful rug. I decided to create an office space mood board and started with the rug. I chose this Missoni Home Nabarniz Rug from Chairish because of its unusual shape and its vibrant display of color. I am currently decorating my office studio at our new home, and this style study makes me want to splash the room with tons of vibrant colors because of this amazing piece.

[1] Missoni Home Nabarniz Rug's fun, octagonal shape creates an interesting conversation starter in any space. It is made from New Zealand wool that is dyed in pink, purple and green. The 3.6" thickness doesn't hurt a bit either. $843, Chairish.

[2] Studio Mirrored Desk $499, Z Gallerie.

[3] Saarinen Executive Armchair with Casters, Chartreuse. $2,067, Design Within Reach.

[4] Dupioni Silk Drape, Indigo. $189, Pottery Barn.

[5] Rubber Coated Orange Wastecan $24.99, CB2.

[6] Arod Work Lamp, Gray. $39.99, Ikea.

[7] Tanner Bookcase. $479, Pottery Barn.

[8] Iron Circle 30" Wall Clock. $79.96, CB2.

[9] Gerrebo Picture, Gingersmere. $29.99, Ikea.

Pouf-a-Palooza

I love poufs. Poufs make me happy. I literally was looking at all the poufs on One King's Lane all afternoon admiring each one. Here are just a few of them. They all look lovely right? Don't you just feel like you want to relax on the pouf and read your favorite summer book?

Well, I do.

One King's Lane asked me to style a room based on one special pouf of my choice. I picked the Abigail Round Pouf.

The room I came up with is a small reading room. I imagined it to have a white modern desk with vibrant home accessories. Here's the mood board I made.

I started with the pouf and played around with the accessories. I chose the big items first and went on from there.

I wanted a modern white desk, and this Alba X-Leg Desk fit the bill. It has modern "X" legs that I love. The drawers reminded me of the Parsons desk. A yellow rug with a subtle pattern was what I had in mind to ground all the items together. The Zeus Flat-Weave Rug is perfect. The color is a bit mustard and the pattern mirrors the desk's legs.

On the wall, I opted for a bluish rectangular mirror. I think this went perfectly with the turquoise bookshelf that was a steal at less than $60.

As for the small accessories, I wanted a bit of metal and color, so I chose the following: a chrome lamp and a green ceramic artichoke for the table. I picked an  oversized jack to display on the bookshelf because I just love them, and white will just pop out from the blue bookshelf. Of course, a couple of bookends is a must, and these pinecones ones work, especially if they're just $15. I also got a trio of boxes for storage in pink, and a hydrangea arrangement to bring some outdoors in.

Well, this is just my mood right now. It's kinda gloomy here in my side of the world, so I wanted some vibrant colors for my reading room. What would you choose? Drop by One King's Lane and I'm sure that you'll find what you're looking for.

Images courtesy of One King's Lane.

Design: A Quick Kitchen Before and After

One of my clients asked me to design his studio unit with a limited budget. It was a tiny light blue and some ridiculous pearly cream colored space. Let me show you the kitchen... err... ette. See? I told you it was tiny.

My client wanted space and storage, and to make it more masculine and warm. The pearly cream cabinets with the light blue walls give off an icy, impersonal feeling.

A simple color paint completely changes the mood of the kitchen. Below is a digital look of the kitchen.  I was just playing around with my photo editor real quick so this will have to do.

The cabinets were refinished into this espresso color, and still used the sleek, stainless steel handles. We left the existing black granite countertop; but added  a couple of shelves right below the overhead cabinets to free up some counter space. We removed the breakfast nook to make space for a dining table for four. Finally, the walls were painted this warm mocha color, and the side wall about two shades lighter.

Here is the finished kitchen area.

 

Design: 'Alyssa' Moodboard

Congratulations to all the winners of the Auction for Action by Unicef Philippines. They raised about P2.85M for the kids. It is such a worthy, worthy cause. You get to shop for a designer piece and get to help, too.

I was eyeing the Daphne chair by Daphne Oseña-Paez. But the bids have overtaken my self-imposed limit of spending on the Daphne. I knew it was going to be a competitive bidding, because it's such a pretty chair. Sigh. Too bad. Maybe I'll just buy it direct from Dimensione.

Copyright Unicef Philippines Auction for Action / Daphne Oseña-Paez

I created a moodboard for a little girl's bedroom/playroom for Allie when she's a bit older and can use a big girl's bed already. I started with the Daphne chair piece, and went on from there.

I wish there were more accessible online furniture stores (with professionally taken pictures I hope) here in Manila. I would happily browse through them before going to the brick-and-mortar store that has the item/s I wanted. That way, I would not be wasting my time passing through horrendous traffic, then finding out the store doesn't have what I like. Wouldn't that be a great sales booster? Sadly, I haven't encountered one yet, so I used mostly international brands in this final board. Good news for my US readers, right? The Daphne chair, though, is a Filipino brand, and I don't know if it can be shipped internationally.

Here are the details:

[1] The Daphne chair: I love the way it looks. It is so playful, girly and it reminds me of castles and princesses. Although it comes in a variety of colors, I chose this cream color so it can match any color palette. Available at Dimensione.

[2] The color palette: For this room, I chose Martha Stewart's Milk Glass Pink for the walls -- a bit muted but you can still recognize its pinkness when contrasted with white. I picked candy pink, aqua and grass green for the room accessories, but stuck with mainly white furniture.

[3] Bin box organizer: Ikea's Trofast storage combination in white, with green, pink and white bins is a perfect storage for this playroom. It provides easy cleanup -- just toss and slide. It matches the palette too.

[4] Bed, sheets and pillows: I just love this Brighton Daybed from Crate & Barrel. It has that cottage vibe going on, but it still matches the overall theme of the room. For the sheets, I chose this blush pink print from Pottery Barn Kids called 'Grace', which has fairy tale illustrations on it. Perfect! Then, I went with this pink Rose decorative pillow from PBTeen. It softens the linear nature of the daybed.

[5] Printed curtain panels: This Soraya curtain from Anthropologie is very whimsical. The panel is printed with a fun line drawing of flowers, leaves and lots and lots of scallops.

[6] Rug: I always put a rug in a bedroom. It softens the place and brings everything together. I chose this Land of Nod rug called Bright Braids because it's so colorful, and when you looks at it up close, it is made of braids. So feminine!

[7] Mini chandelier: I love this one. I think it brings a subtle elegance to the room, and complements the gold detail of the Daphne chair. The mini chandelier is from Shades of Light, and I chose white metal so it contrasts the walls but not the ceiling (I recommend painting the ceiling an off white color). If you don't want to splurge, what you can do is hunt for an old mini chandelier in thrift shops or garage sales, and you can just spray paint it white. Good as new!

[8] Anywhere chair: Okay, I am biased here, but I love love love Pottery Barn Kids' Anywhere Chair. So here it is, in green mini dot with white piping. I added some owl plush toys too, also from Pottery Barn Kids.

[9] Playtent: Here's another one from The Land of Nod. It's their teal polka dot Play Canopy. It's a perfect addition to any kid's bedroom to encourage imagination.

[10] Monogram Art: This 'A' monogram is a diy piece. The font I used is Century Gothic, in color pink on an aqua background. I simply added mini dots on the letter. I opted to use gold frame to match the Daphne chair gold detail.

Mood Board: Lavender and Sunshine Nursery

The mood board mania is back!

Here is a reader request for her baby girl's nursery. She wanted grey walls, with accents of purples and yellows.

I hope you like it.

1. Wall Paint - Restoration Hardware in Pumice. I chose the lightest grey in the Restoration Hardware Flint family to make the accent colors pop. It would look great with white ceilings and trims.

2. Crib Bedding - Dahlia Crib Bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. When I saw this, I thought it would be perfect for your little girl's nursery. It has this geometric (with a bit of girly fun on the side) print which I thought you'd like too. Plus, it's on sale! What more can you ask for?

You can also get this Not a Peep - Yellow Polka Dot from Land of Nod, or something similar, as your second crib sheet. It would still match the bumper.

3. Curtains - Anita from Ikea. This is made from heavy fabric that has pattern if you look closely. It helps block out light and sound, which I think is ideal for a nursery. I have this in my home, and love it! It's really cheap too -- $30 for the pair. You can add some sheer white curtains behind it to let light in without sacrificing privacy.

4. Rug - Soho Chrono Rug from Overstock. I'm so glad you chose this rug. :)

5. Lighting - Ikea Astrid Ceiling Lamp. This ceiling lamp from Ikea is adorable, and will fit in the nursery.

6. Glider - Babyletto Nara Glider. If you don't have one already, I suggest that you take a look at this glider. Although it's a bit on the pricey side, I love that it has a modern style, and it doesn't "rock" but glides. Add some decorative pillows like the Hayward lavender pillow from Crate & Barrel, or the Crewel diamond pillow from West Elm.

7. Changing Table - Hemnes Chest. You'll be able to save a lot if you find some kind of dresser/chest of drawers that can double as a changing table like the Hemnes Chest or the bigger 8-drawer chest. You can even upstyle this piece just by changing the cabinet pulls. I found an antique brass french tassel pull that's 46% off -- $3.50 per piece from D. Lawless Hardware.  Then, just secure an ordinary changing pad on top, like this one.

8. Art Prints - You Are My Sunshine by Yassis Place. Here's an etsy find. I love that this one is simple, colorful and joyful. If your budget is really low, you can even make this as an inspiration and DIY your own prints with purple and yellow as your color theme.

Finally, personalize it even more with your grey, purple or yellow small decors. Look for some you already own.

Freebie: Custom Mood Board (and How-to)

Freebie Alert:
I miss doing mood boards. I haven't done one in ages. I know I should do one again soon. I'm just lacking the right room inspiration. If you like the mood boards I did, and have a room that you want to redecorate, I welcome requests. I'll do one for you for free if the room idea you have inspires me. :) So send some suggestions my way, and help me rid myself of some mood board craving.


Mood boards I did before:

A navy and mustard nursery

A Reader's Bedroom

A Paris-Inspired Bedroom

A Bright and Bold Nursery

A Gender-Neutral Nursery

Anyway, back to my real post. A reader requested that I post a tutorial on how I do mood boards. I am by no means an expert, but I think it's a great idea to share with you how I do them. The way I want my mood boards to look is to make it feel like a real room so you can visualize it without clutter.

I usually use Photoshop, but Keynote works too.

Okay, here we go.

For a sample image, I am using West Elm's Slipper Chair (so pretty).


STEP 1:
Scour for images of your selected pieces. Images with plain backgrounds are easier to manipulate. If you can find one with a white background, the better.

STEP 2:
Clean the image so that only the piece that you want is left. Erase even the white background. Keynote's "alpha" or Photoshop's "Lasso" will do the trick. You need to delete the background even if it is white.

Using Keynote: Click and drag out the color/s you wanted to make transparent. Do this over and over again. See what I mean if your photo is not clean?

Using Photoshop: Use the lasso tool to select the chair, then ctrl+shift+i to invert the selection, then hit delete.

Cleaned up image using Photoshop.

STEP 3:
Layout your mood board. Add text or numbers to identify the pieces. Here I used my Reader's Bedroom mood board and replaced the swivel chair with this one.

Here's the before photo:

STEP 4:
Share the love!

Crafts/DIY: Merengue Merci Favors

 

 
 

My daughter's christening reception celebration was held at a French cafe. I wanted to give favors that would stick to the French theme. My first choice though was to give away macarons.

Image from Cannelle et Vanille blog

Aren't they lovely? The photo's from one of my favorite blog reads, Cannelle et Vanille. I had a big problem though. I didn't know how to make macarons, and making them according to everyone requires hardcore baking skills, which, again, I do not have. Another option was to buy them from a bakery and it was too expensive. So, macarons are off the list. Maybe next time I'll give them as favors when I learn how to do it.

Image from Bakers Royale

I read somewhere that merengue cookies were also French-y in nature. They were much easier to bake, and less expensive to buy. Buying a piece of macaron lets you buy more than a dozen merengue cookies. At first, I decided to just bake them but luckily, I found a store that sells merengue cookies with the right colors. I just needed to repackage it.

Here is the breakdown of the things I used to come up with the merengue favor gift bags (for 60 people):

• Merengue cookies (180 pieces) : $11.25 
• Food-grade cellophane bags with square bottom : $7.50
• 1 roll 1/2" pink satin ribbon : $4.00
• 10 pieces textured boards for "merci" cards : $1.00
• Plastic sealer : borrowed
• TOTAL : $23.75

I borrowed my mom's plastic sealer, which I think is awesome. It kept the merengue cookies dry in Manila's very humid weather. 

Anyway, that equals around $0.40 per person. Okay, keep in mind folks that these are Manila prices. But, I bet it's going to be as cheap if you DIYed your party favors. Buy your materials from Michael's or even Amazon. Just plan in advance and borrow big-ticket items if you have to.

I'll share the merci cards template next time!
 
 

Design: Alyssa's Baptism Mood board

Moving from Atlanta to Manila was a horrific experience for the moving (without movers) haters like us. We had six years of living in the US accumulated into 40 or so boxes, not including the huge luggages we brought with us. We had them shipped to Manila from the US and we are still waiting for more than half of the shipment.

Hmm, you're probably wondering why I'm ranting about our moving experience. Well, most of my craft equipment and supply are in those very same boxes, and planning baby Alyssa's baptism became harder for me. Good thing the best sisters and aunts one can ever have are here to help.

In Manila, baptism is sort of mandatory for babies. My baby is now a bit more than 4 months old, and my parents have been adamant to get her baptized asap since she has been already traveling with us. Baptism is very important in the catholic religion that most parents have their infants baptized as early as a few weeks old.

Anyway, here is the inspiration mood board that we came up with for her baptism celebration.

1. Color palette   2. Martha Stewart Tissue Paper Pom-poms  
3. Hand-drawn map from Occasions Niagara
4.  Christening invitation from Tiny Prints
5. Pink meringue kisses from Bakers Royale

More soon!

   

   

Get the Look: Christopher Noto Bathroom

  
I'm starting a "Get the Look" post series where I source out interior elements to mimic a designer room. I hope you like it.

Designer: Christopher Noto
Area: Bathroom
As seen in: Architectural Digest

Image from Architectural Digest

Here's the style mood board for probably much less than the actual cost.

1. Flooring. Tile Shop. Empress Green Marble, $10.99 / sqft. Lansdale Carrara Marble, $8.99 / sqft.
2. Tub. Costco. Clawfoot Tub, $849.99
3. Tub enclosure. Vintage Tub & Bath. Clawfoot Tub Shower Enclosure in brushed nickel, $145.95
4. Shower curtains. Ikea. Aina curtains, $49.99 / pair. Tiebacks. JCPenney. Supreme Tassel Rope Tieback, $10.99 each
5. Chair. Walmart. Bernards French Provencial Chair, $229.99.
6. Side table. West Elm. Natural Tree Stump side table, $159.00
7. Wall art. World Market, Nathan carved wood wall panels, $11.99 / set of three
8. Mirror. Ikea. Songe mirror, $79.99
9. Vase. Pottery Barn. Rustic white vase, $49. Figurine. China Furniture Online. Kwan Yin, $139.00

    

Design: Mustard and Navy Blue Nursery

Inspired by the color palette navy blue and mustard, here again is another gender-neutral nursery mood board. It's also an ode to the year of the rabbit (2011). I hope you like it!

1. Wall decal. Little Lion Studio, Follow the Little Rabbit Tree.
2. Pendant lamp. Nova, Kimura Pendant.
3. Crib. Ooba, Nest crib in Walnut.
4. Crib Sheet Set. Oilo Studio, Wheels crib set in Cobalt.
5. Seating and pillow. Room & Board, Shay Glider. Willa Skye Home, Lattice Work Designer Pillow. 
6. Area Rug. Capel, Tweed Square Deep Blue braided rug.
7. Window Panel. Crate&Barrel, Bella Porte Citrine curtain panel.
8. Dresser. Room & Board, Hudson Steel Base dresser.
9. Lamp. Pottery Barn Kids, Jared Star shade and Mason base.
10. Mirror. Target, Oversized Gold Sunburst.
11. Art Print. Nicole Fitz Gibbon, Yellow Bunny.
12. Storage. Room Essentials, Medium Storage Bin.

Here are some other nursery mood boards that might interest you:
Modern Filipino
Bright and bold
Calm and refreshingly neutral

    

   

Design: A Reader's Bedroom

Here's a mood board for my other sister who's a book-lover.

1. Color palette: Walls - Behr, Billowy Clouds. Ceiling - Benjamin Moore Aura Hazy Skies. Baseboard and Ceiling moulding - Benjamin Moore Aura Decorator's White. Pinks, sage greens and browns are the main colors that I used in this mood board.
2. Main Light: Restoration Hardware, Avia Flushmount ceiling light - for a diffused and soft glow in the bedroom.
3. Photo wall: One of the must-haves in this bedroom is a photo wall installation. Her walls are made of concrete, and putting up photo frames is a hassle. Here is a picture hanging system from Vidal which uses a ceiling rail and cord system to hang frames without drilling holes on the wall. Wall art - Famille Summerbelle Papercut Paris map and Keepcalm shop "Keep Calm and Read On".
4. Window covering: Overstock.com Serenity Rice roman shade behind Ikea's Hedda Blad curtains to control the light coming in.
5. Display glass cabinets: Her bedroom has one whole wall devoted to book display. Here is Ikea's Hemnes glass-door cabinets to store and display books as well as other accessories. To keep clutter in the cabinets to a minimum since the glass is transparent, I suggest using white media boxes like these from Ikea.
6. Desk and task lamp: Target, Merlot Fenton wood and glass-top desk. Ikea, Barometer task lamp.
7. Chair: Ikea's Skruvsta swivel chair in Krokek fabric brings a bit of whimsy into the room with its colorful pattern.
8. Sheets: Crate&Barrel Marimekko Saarni Sage bedding.
9. Nightstand area: Nightstand - CB2, Century nightstand. Lamp, already owned. Alarm clock, Bed Bath and Beyond T-Bell Analog alarm clock. Carafe/glass, Crate&Barrel Bedside carafe.
10. Other accessories: Pottery Barn, Galvanized Pails as organizers. CB2, The End bookend.

Hope you like it N!

 

Design: A Modern Filipino Nursery

  

Yesterday, I posted about Kenneth Cobonpue's Le Petit Voyage crib. Of course, I just had to do another mood board inspired by it. The crib looks like a modern interpretation of the traditional Filipino duyan.  At least I think it is.

In this mood board, I tried to mix and match natural elements with modern decor. Below are the details (this time with links).

• Color palette. Pale pink, aqua green and grey are the main colors here. The wall has a pale pink color called Billowy Clouds from Behr. 

• Crib and glider. The crib from Kenneth Cobonpue's Voyage collection started this whole nursery mood board. It makes use of rattan fibers wrapped on a steel crescent-shaped frame. This grey glider from Monte is simple, comfy and such an eye candy. Another thing I like about it is that it does not look like a traditional glider that it can be placed anywhere around the house.

• Dresser and storage. As usual, I added a chest of drawers instead of a changing table. Can you tell I'm not a fan of changing tables? This dresser from Ikea provides space for baby clothes and other stuff. Additional storage baskets made from wicker can be put on the floor for toys. You can never have to much storage space.

• Rug and curtain. The grey Chrysanthemum rug from West Elm where the crib will stand will definitely add a bit of softness to the room. As for the curtains, I couldn't find any ready-to-hang curtain I like, but when I saw this fabric from Free Spirit called JD36Pond, I thought I can just easily make a curtain by just using iron-on fabric tape.

• Lighting. Capiz is a typical Filipino element in the traditional Filipino house, so using a plain capiz chandelier will perfectly fit here. The simple white lamp on the dresser is from Regalong Pambahay.

• Accessories. Another typical Filipino material is bamboo. Jonathan Adler has this modern take on a bamboo mirror. A pink ribbon on top adds that cute factor. The Nova 68 steel mobile and the jade bird bowl bring in more green fun!

• Wall art. A shadow box will serve both as a keepsake keeper and wall art. You can put a favorite baby clothing and pair of baby shoes in it. A framed monogram like the medallion monogram from baby&child personalizes the room. Finally, the third wall art pictured is very special to me. My sister made it for baby A. It has an illustration of a traditional Filipino hut, and the lyrics to a children's folk song about the hut and the plants surrounding it.

Whew! Nursery mood board no. 3 ... done.

Here are some more nursery mood boards that might interest you:

Bright and bold

Calm and refreshingly neutral

  

   

Design: Paris-inspired Bedroom Mood Board

My sister is planning to renovate her room soon. She asked me to create a mood board for her using some of the accessories she has already.

She wanted a room with a color palette using light turquoise, grey and white. Her bedroom has wooden floors that I don't think she will replace anytime soon.

Here is what I came up with:

• Accessories for inspiration. She already has this stacked bubble crystal lamp (she got it for Christmas from our other sister) and she already has some miniature Eiffel tower metal objects. These became the central inspiration for her bedroom.

• Color. I am obsessed with grey walls... and so is she. For her room, I chose (1) Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Grey for the walls, (2) a darker shade for the wall baseboard, and (3) Restoration Hardware's Light Silver Sage for the ceiling.

• Bed and linens. Her room is quite cozy, so a daybed is perfect. This white Brighton daybed from Crate and Barrel has a farmhouse appeal that will lighten up her room. The damask sheets here are from Target Fieldcrest. I was in love with the Eiffel tower pillow when I saw it in iviemade's Etsy shop, and I thought it was perfect for her room. Another decorative pillow I chose for her is Dwell Studio for Target's privet pillow. She also asked for a nightstand, and this Ikea Hemnes piece will do the trick. It has a small drawer, and a shelf underneath where she can stack her magazines and books, or a storage basket.

• Rug and curtain. My sister's room has one whole wall of huge windows. I picked this sheer curtain panel from Z Gallerie with a bird and leaves pattern that also complements the privet pillow and decor. A simple bordered rug from PBTeen in her desk area will also look great.

• Desk area. West Elm's Pratt desk and their Overlapping Squares side chair have nice lines that will bring in a sense of openness in her tiny room. A small decorative pillow (not pictured) on the chair will be nice too. Adding Ikea's Lack wall shelves will give additional space to put accessories and books.

• Wall art. A vintage French art print from Cafe Badulaire and a modern Paris skyline poster from Ilovedesign2010 will link the whole room together with the bird / Paris motifs. Z Gallerie's Chrysanthemum plaque is another wall art I chose for added interest and color.

• Other accessories. To complete the whole room, some accessories I chose were West Elm's metal birds on the wall shelf and Z Gallerie's bling picture frames. On the desk, a nickel task lamp (Shades of Light's Natural Spectrum lamp) and Crate and Barrel's hurricane candle holder on the desk will bring in silver and more blues. 

I hope you like it S.

Design: A Bright and Bold Nursery Mood Board

I enjoyed creating my first mood board that I decided to make another nursery mood board just for fun. This time, I used bright and bold colors... yes, and a bit girly... for a little girl's nursery.

Color palette: hints of pink, red, orange and yellow

• Wall paint. This time, the wall color I chose is Benjamin Moore's pink essence. BM's white zinfandel works too.

• Furniture. I love the simplicity of Ikea's Gulliver crib. The reds and pinks of Pottery Barn Kids' Harlington crib sheets (as pictured with the crib) and the airiness of the Poang chair from Ikea work well with the crib. As for the dresser, I chose Room & Board's Moda for its modern appeal, and yes, because orange works well with our color palette.

• Lighting. Last year, I attempted to create my own capiz chandelier like the one in West Elm but I failed - I didn't have time. Okay, okay... maybe I was just so lazy. So when I saw this pink/orange capiz chandelier from PBteen, I thought it was the perfect inspiration for a bright and bold nursery mood board.

• Area rug. I am a sucker for graphic rugs. CB2 has a great collection, and their Moth rug fits the bill for this theme. The taupe color in the rug plus the red graphic brings all the furniture together.

• Curtains and pillows. Our favorite Swedish furniture store made it again to our list. Their Aina curtain looks great with our chosen color palette. Crate and Barrel's pillows are perfect accessories for the room.

• Other accessories. Etsy's a great place to find independent designers, and I found the perfect set of art prints for this room - colorbee's "All you need is love" set. Pomlove's pom mobile is another Etsy source (you can also DIY this, I'll make sure I'll post the "how to" soon). For the toys, I used the owl plush from Pottery Barn Kids.

Okay, I am now officially tired. Bright and bold nursery mood board ... done.

Design: Nursery Mood Board

In less than 3 months, we will get to see our baby for the first time. That made me realize ... she does not have a nursery yet.

For the first few months she'll be sharing our room, but I need to think about what her room will look like. Hmm, okay Mommy G... time to roll up your sleeves.

Here is a mood board I whipped up together during the past few days. It's just a compilation of ideas that I think would look great for a nursery. We want a room that's serene and light, not too girly, but still a bit feminine.

Color palette: shades of grey, blue, green and cream

• Wall paint. On the walls, I like something neutral and can go with anything. Grey is a wonderful color, and it has this calming effect. Restoration Hardware's lightest paint in the Flint family, Pumice, looks amazing. Another alternative is Benjamin Moore's Tranquility, but it seems like it's leaning towards the greenish grey side.

• Area rug. Her future room is not at all carpeted, so an area rug is a must. Besides, I believe that a rug brings a room together. Pottery Barn Kids' trellis carpet has a subdued graphic pattern, comes in light green, and goes well with the color palette that we chose. 

• Crib and bedding. Serena and Lily is a great place to get crib beddings that are super soft and comes in sets. They're a bit expensive, but feels so luxurious. As for the crib, I wanted a crib that is simple and modern ... like the oeuf classic crib in birch/white (not pictured), but it's waaaay out of my budget.

• Dresser / Changing Table. Instead of getting a separate changing table, we figured it would be more cost-efficient to just use a low dresser like Ikea's Malm 6-chest dresser, and diy a changing pad on top. The drawers can still be used for storage, in addition to the existing closet.

• Rocker. Another one that's way up on my nursery wishlist ... an Eames rocker in white ... or maybe in light blue. A piece of designer furniture really makes a difference.

• Lighting. I have my eye on using a drum shade pendant for the nursery. I found one that I like - it's by Shades of Light, and it goes so well with the trellis rug, don't you think? Jonathan Adler also has these lovely giraffe wall sconces that I'm planning to put up above the dresser - at both ends of the art print display. I think the giraffes bring a bit of whimsy into the room.

• Curtains. I wanted a sheer white patterned curtain on top of a plain white/cream canvas roman shade. Crate and Barrel's Marimekko Madison sheer curtain has a white-on-white leaf design that softens the room, and with the additional roman shade, we can instantly make the room darker when the baby is sleeping.

• Accessories. babyjives' cloud mobiles took my breath away when I first saw them. I think they're just adorable. As for the artworks, I love avelisa's art prints.

I'm still missing a few accessories like pillows and decorations, but those are just minor things. Nursery mood board No. 1... done.