The Nursery Project

Desperately Seeking a Jacadi Rocking Mermaid

When I was pregnant with Peanut, we received a deluge of baby product catalogs. One that stood out was from Jacadi. Their nursery collection was so disarmingly pretty I actually book my 6 month pregnant self on a train trip to the closest Jacadi shop: in Dusseldorf, Germany. Travelling from Amsterdam in the dead of winter during the Christmas shopping rush (and the Germans take their Christmas shopping SERIOUSLY), I found the shop, nestled between a Gucci and another expensive store I couldn't remember by now since I didn't even bother glancing in their direction.

The store melted my heart. I made a beeline to their Crabes et Coquillage collection; a beach themed nursery collection that we've coveted because we thought it'd look perfect in our living room (the nursery was going to be set in the living room, after all). But after wandering among the €80 mobiles and €90 sleeping sacks, I started to have doubt. I decided to get her something from the collection for her first birthday instead, when she could enjoy it better.

Next month is Peanut's first birthday. I notice at the daycare her favourite toy was the rocking horse (well, it looks more like an elephant, actually). She was beginning to get the idea of playing with it and enjoys rocking in it by herself. I thought a rocking animal would be the perfect birthday gift for her. I remember well that Jacadi had this beautiful rocking mermaid and I was going to get it for Peanut. Going to the Jacadi site revealed that the collection had been scrapped. Searching through Ebay UK, France and Germany also didn't yield any results. No other shops seems to stock it, neither does anybody selling it second hand. What's going on?

I finally managed to find one shop which still stock them, it's Jacadi Australia. Of all places it has to be the exact opposite of the globe?

Dado Cubes: Definitely not Ugly Toy

Dado Cubes is basically a more challenging, decorative version of the ordinary building blocks. They come in a set of 10 cubes, ranging from 3-13 cm in width. I love the colour scheme; primary colours in softer hues (yet still bright enough to be pastel). It's creative and good looking, it's brainy without sporting the ambitious baby-who-plays-with-this-will-be-a-genious look (you know the style, every inch of the surfaces are covered in so called stimulating patterns, lights ands buttons). It's reasonably priced at $24.95. I checked that Sparkability also ship internationally.

The Treehouse Bed by Marjan Godrie

Even though this bed is definitely not for toddlers, I hope by the time Peanut old enough for it they're still in production. I love it so much I wish I'd be buying it for myself. It brings back all the memories of how much I craved for privacy, growing up always sharing a room with my sister.

Apart from being imaginatively beautiful, it also has the added advantage of freeing up some space underneath so the kid could have some extra play/study space. The bed comes in two different simple finishes: natural darkwood and whitewashed. The rest of the modification is up to your own (or the child's) tastes, age and creativity. At € 749.00 (without mattress) it is a bit steep, but I've seen other designer's beds going more than € 1000. I can see how I'm starting to justify the price just because I want it so much for Peanut (maybe when she's off to school I'd sneak to snuggle up in it with a book).

Available at Kids Factory. I'm not sure if it's available anywhere else or if they ship. 

WOW Wallpapers by Graham & Brown

WOW Wallpaper by Graham&Brown is definitely a wow. It consists of black and white empty frame patterns where you could put your own photos, drawings (draw directly onto the wall, how fun!), collages, dried flowers (or insects), and whatever else you can think of. Or leave them blank if you wish.

It might look dizzying when put on all full four surfaces of the room, but would make one section of the wall a definite focal point of the room. I'm not sure yet if it's such a good idea for a toddler's room though. If she sees mum's drawing and painting on her room wall, she might get the same idea... someplace else but the wallpaper.

Nonetheless, I'm keeping this on my list. 

'Apple Lovers' Palette

When you decide to decorate a room from scratch, the place is such a blank canvas the option can seem dauntingly endless. That's why having a colour palette in mind could tremendously streamline the selection process. Whenever I'm confronted by a large selection pool, my favourite way to come to a conclusion is always by weeding out the undesired by elimination. By sticking up to a certain colour palette, hopefully it's easier for me (who had no experience whatsoever in complete room makeover) to see if a certain style of furniture will go with it or not, even if on its own it looks absolutely stunning (but not stunning enough it's worth picking up a completely different colour palette).

That's why I love ColourLovers where you could either browse for existing colour palettes, or play around and create your own. I found this one, and the 'Apple Lovers' colour palette is so gorgeous I have it high on my list to apply to the nursery. It's definitely girly, it's cheerful, but with no trace of pink it's anything but saccharine and princessy, which is extraordinary. It's also a palette which will grow together with a Peanut. It's playful for a toddler, yet not too baby-ish for a grade-schooler. Even better, it comes with it's own theme; apples. Simply gorgeous.

How 'The Nursery Project' begins

I've always wanted a nursery for Peanut; a room I could decorate in a way I'd have mine if I were a child (with power to have anything I want in my room), yet follows the sensibilities of a parent (who needs to tidy and clean it). I know it's never going to happen with our current living situation, having to share a 67m2 apartment with one bedroom between ourselves, the baby and two house rabbits.

But it's going to change soon. We've bought a second property not far from where we live now. The building's going to be finished at around the beginning of 2008. It's got two bedrooms, which means finally Peanut can have her own bedroom instead of having to sleep in a crib in the living room and she won't have to have everything she owns, rattles and teething ring included, to be scrutinised before allowed entry into the house, on the basis of how it goes along with the rest of the living room decor anymore. I often stare at some toys that look like a lot of fun, but look absolutely hideous, and whisper in her ears; "when you have your own room, you're allowed to have ugly toys..."

Anyway, ugly toys aside, I'm very excited about this nursery. I spent hours going around the internet trying to find the coolest (yet affordable) children furniture out there.  After a while the list went longer than what the new nursery could contain even if I redecorate every month, and even worse, I began to forget where I found certain items that I still wanted badly for the nursery. I need a system to organise it. That's how 'The Nursery Project' came into existence...