Sarah 101: Trish's Nursery
Time for another recap of the latest Sarah 101 episode, so avert your eyes if you haven't seen the episode yet!
In this episode, Sarah tackles a modern nursery for a little boy. I was looking forward to this episode because Sarah really was one of the forerunners of creating stylish nurseries that aren't overly themed or babyish. Here's the nursery Sarah created for her own daughter five years ago, back on Design Inc:
And here's the new nursery she created for Trish on 101:
Some of the elements are consistent like:
- bold fabrics in sophisticated patterns
- a limited colour palette. Even the toys and accessories blend into the blue & orange colour theme
- contrasting piping on the furniture
- modern lighting fixtures
- a repetition of pattern (striping on the walls, on the banquette, on the toy boxes)
- non-traditional rocking chair
- a space that is comfortable for adults and children
A bit disappointingly, aside from the dramatic ceiling (which is a feature made popular by Jenna Lyons famous yellow & white striped nursery), there isn't too much in the room that was novel or new. Is it wrong to expect Sarah to come up with an "OMG" design every time? I mean, really, how much can you do with a nursery?
But I guess that's not the point of Sarah 101. Its aim is to give you tips on how to create a stylish Sarah-look in your own home, on a budget. On that, she delivered. Here are some of the tips from today's show:
Think Long Haul: Babies grow up so any room designed with cutesy baby-ish things risks looking dated and juvenile by the time Junior outgrows his crib. Instead aim to create a sophisticated space and decorate with furniture and accessories that you can use today and in the future (like a funky chair for nursing that you can move to the living room after).
Add Vintage Charm: This is a rule I use in my own home - every room needs something a little old! In Chloe's room, it was the crocheted doilies she inherited from her great-grandmother and the vintage desk we found at an antique fair. Not only do vintage pieces make your space unique, they can help teach your little one that not everything is disposable and also gain an appreciation for old school craftsmanship.
Art You Can Afford: Whether its framed $3 flash cards like Sarah used or your little one's latest finger-painted masterpiece in an Ikea frame, this is one area you don't have to splurge. One of my favourite ideas is framing pages of your childhood storybooks. Cheap & cheerful!
Art You Can Afford: Whether its framed $3 flash cards like Sarah used or your little one's latest finger-painted masterpiece in an Ikea frame, this is one area you don't have to splurge. One of my favourite ideas is framing pages of your childhood storybooks. Cheap & cheerful!
Play With Pattern: Do you know that Sarah typically uses 10-12 fabrics per room? Astonishing! You'd think that so many fabrics would create a clash of patterns, yet Sarah's rooms are always soothing, calm, and coordinated. How does she do it? She uses a mix of scale (small, medium, and large patterns), is deft at placement (bolder patterns are typically left for accent furniture and draperies) and is master at mixing colours.
Double Duty: Kid's rooms are typically the smallest rooms in the house, so pieces should do double-duty when they can and save on space. Think side tables that are also storage, benches with built-in bookshelves, even hanging cute baby outfits as art. In our own home, we did away with a change table and placed the change pad on our double-dresser.
So what did you think of the nursery? How are you liking the new Sarah 101 show? Me - I think its good for those who don't have much design knowledge, but I personally like the "hard core" decorating/renovating/DIYing of shows like Sarah's House better and find them more inspirational.
So what did you think of the nursery? How are you liking the new Sarah 101 show? Me - I think its good for those who don't have much design knowledge, but I personally like the "hard core" decorating/renovating/DIYing of shows like Sarah's House better and find them more inspirational.
29 comments