Celebrity designer Lonni Paul not only comes up with the vision for beautiful nurseries, she also designs the furniture and bedding with her PetitNest line. And she makes sure that moms and dads will enjoy the rooms, too. "I like to design nurseries that don't just focus on the baby because new parents will usually spend many hours of their days and (sleepless) nights in the room -- so it should be a space that is calming and appealing for adults, too."
Giuliana and Bill Rancic's Home Nursery
ELLE DECOR: What did Giuliana and Bill envision for their son Duke's nursery?
Lonni Paul: The inspiration for this room started with the calm soft teal grasscloth wall-covering (from Phillip Jeffries) that gave the room a serene, water-evoking backdrop. Bill and Giuliana have very classic taste when it comes to interiors and wanted Duke's nursery to reflect the style of the rest of their home by remaining sophisticated while also bringing in some playful nautical elements. The contrast between the watery blues and whites mixed with soft greys is both masculine and nautical in feel -- without going too cutesy -- and is not as literal as a traditional navy, white, and red nautical theme. It is a palette and theme that can definitely grow with Duke through the years.
Giuliana Rancic's Office Nursery
ED: Were you working with her existing décor?
LP: We had an empty conference room-like space for this office nursery with standard black commercial office carpeting, plain white painted walls, and a metal-framed sliver of a window. Because this space was not intended to be a permanent fixture in the E! Network offices, we used removable and repositionable wallpaper from Design You Wall. These are a great way to dramatically change the look of your space without having to go to the trouble or expense of hiring a professional wallpaper hanger (yes, anyone can apply these tiles on their own -- I promise!), and they can also be removed and transition to another space/home with ease. The crib and glider in the space are from my nursery furniture line, PetitNest, and all the other furniture pieces along with the rug and wall decor were from HomeGoods -- a fantastic resource for families who are on a budget and don't want to sacrifice great style!
Melissa Joan Hart's Nursery
ED: Can you tell us about your design of the crib and the changing dresser?
LP: The crib and dresser are both from PetitNest. I love designing pieces that are unique and different and the monogrammed crib can be a collectable piece for your child. I came up with the idea of the monogram for the Duke Crib in a more traditional form for baby Rancic. For Melissa, I wanted the room to feel bold and colorful, which is a style she loves. I decided to use the monogram design in a more modern crib frame. The bold blue color on both the crib and dresser is a nice crisp contrast to the white elements on the pieces and definitely gives them a hip, modern perspective while keeping it very "boy" at the same time. Even with the bold, graphic wall stripes, this crib and dresser still stand on their own in the room.
Tiffani Thiessen's Nursery
ED: What kind of an environment did Tiffani want to create for her daughter, Harper?
LP: When envisioning her nursery we loved the idea of soft, elegant, feminine colors and the grayish lavender color of the walls was a perfect fit. I love creating nurseries that don't necessarily scream "baby" and can transition through the years as the baby grows. This nursery was designed four years ago and I still love the palette! I also mixed in more modern elements with the crib, dresser and tailored glider which all play nicely in contrast to the whimsy of the birds and floral print bedding.
