SFGate

Natalie Hi---I like the second link: Three Sisters---best of all.
I do suggest hiring a professional for installation, especially since you've never wallpapered before. I've done it a lot but never a ceiling---even I would leave that to a pro...
Good Luck!

debari Oh, absolutely--we are planning to hire a professional. Thank you!

Natalie Great-and do post pics, love your ideas for the nursery. Have fun!

Aja Mazin I would do reading on color and its effect on brain stimulation for babies.

olldbobbi I agree with Aja. Friends of mine painted their baby daughters ceiling RED. Really, really bad idea.

Natalie A red, orange, or yellow ceiling would, without a doubt, be too stimulating in a bedroom. Zebra prints are often used for children, including babies---so one would think there has been some sort of research regarding the color/pattern and it's relation/affect on children. If you have reservations about putting it on the ceiling you could wallpaper a wall, or use it as accessories throughout and paint the ceiling the pale aqua/turquoise you mentioned. Good Luck to You~!
[houzz=Darien Residence][houzz=Custom printed Wallpaper]
Scroll down-bottom right...
http://www.athomearkansas.com/article/home-kids

feeny As I'm sure debari already knows, high contrast colors (like zebra prints) are what babies find it easiest, and most stimulating (in a good way), to focus on. I think a zebra print ceiling is a great idea. Here's a summary of the research:
http://www.huggamind.com/highcontrast.php#highcontrast

judyg I get a kick out of mobiles. They are so cute, but the little one is always looking up at the bottom of it.

A too long time ago, I remember taking a nap in my grandmother's bedroom. I must have been under two. She had flowered wallpaper and, according to my mother, the roses reminded me of Santa's face. Sweet memory.

dcer I like the Beacon House option the best, because it is less stark, and more gentle on the eyes. Also, I would keep the crown molding simple, so that it doesn't compete with the wallpaper. Great article, Feeny! Fascinating! Good luck on the nursery.

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design I'd get a decorative artist in to paint zebra stripes on your ceiling in the pale aqua or pink you'll be using in the room. It probably wouldn't cost much more than wallpaper...maybe less!

debari I love all of the ideas and suggestions and research. I definitely would not do a bold color like red on the ceiling, but I think (according to what I have heard and read) the black and white stripes are okay. Keep the suggestions coming, Thank you all!

orangecamera I think doing the entire ceiling will be overwhelming, and also difficult to "undo" when the time comes. Have you considered making a zebra panel the size of the crib or a little larger, and mounting it to the ceiling over the crib? It would be super easy to upholster a board using some batting and zebra print fabric.

Playing off this idea: you could use foam-core board to make it really light and easy to hang. When baby becomes a little older, if she loves the zebra print, you could take it off the ceiling, put some ribbons across it and use it as a picture/memo board, like this one I found on etsy (shop is toycatz):

Aja Mazin feeny,

I was referring to more schorarly research.

From your link:
''Researchers have repeatedly shown that newborns prefer to look at black and white geometric shapes, rather than bright colors or pastels''.

Key word- NEWBORNS

Aja Mazin feeny,

Source: Dr. Ludington-Hoe, S., "How to Have a Smarter Baby", Bantam Books, 1985, p. 75.

27 years later and we know so much more.

feeny Agreed, that all the research in the article I cited (and they do give scholarly references for each study) is for newborns. But this is a nursery for a newborn. And zebra prints are really fun for little kids too, no? So unless there are some studies that I haven't heard about that show high contrast patterns somehow become detrimental as babies get older, I don't see the problem.

debari Any more recent research? Or better yet, any wisdom from parents on getting kids to sleep and whether this design will be disastrous (i.e., keep the baby awake)? @olldbob, What happened with your friends who did the red ceiling? Did they have major sleep issues with their kid?

debari also, since i'm a wallpaper newbie? Is it a huge pain in the neck to wallpaper off? I'd imagine having to paint over black stripes will also be difficult....

feeny The most recent article (i.e. scientific study) referenced in the link I posted was 2006, but I do not know of any research since then.

debari thank you!

feeny Personally, I'd rather paint over the black stripes on a stenciled ceiling than take down wallpaper. But they make temporary wallpaper these days, so you might look into that.

Aja Mazin feeny,

I have recently done much research while my doctor has me at bedrest......

feeny That's great, Aja. And feel free to share it. But I really don't have a dog in this fight. It seems a pretty minor issue in this thread.

judyg How about a decal? Easy on, easy off.

orangecamera You asked for advice from parents about getting kids to sleep well. In my experience, there are two things that mess with a baby's sleep pattern: changes in light, and changes in temperature. If (ha!) you want your little one to sleep past sun-up, use room-darkening shades. If possible, avoid putting the crib close to the heat/AC ductwork, or radiators.

Another bit of advice that has nothing to do with decor...don't "baby" your baby too much when it comes to noise. Let her learn to fall asleep when there's a normal amount of noise (normal conversation or tv volume in the next room), or you'll be forever tiptoeing.

Natalie Goodness---what a convo going on here. Makes me kind of wonder what each of us had in our rooms when little. Mine was wallpaper---upper walls: jungle animals in pastel colors-lower: plaid pattern in matching pastels-white ceiling and trim. :) I recall never liking it because the colors were so light-finally mother changed it when I was about 5. Then it was painted pink and purple---still my two favorite colors.
I say go for the zebra ceiling-it will be Fun! Good Luck with your room and keep us posted.

diannagail Zebra celing I love it! I like the second site best. I think the crown molding ornate and painted white would be cool too. Go for it! In thinking about the room and how it will grow with your new bundle of joy, it will be fun to make changes as the years pass. All the way thru teens if you wanted. Changing the crib to a bed, new linens, new colors etc. Fun, fun, fun idea!

diannagail Oh, as for the scale of design I think a large scale would work best. The print will be busy on it's own and you say the room is tiny so a bigger scale would work good. Kind of oppisit of what you'd think.

EB Interiors hi
check out this link
http://thibautdesign.com/collection/high_res.php?patternID=1258&productID=7821
the zebra print in the pale lime green can also be a great option for you with greys and whites and pops of aqua.
our store, The Satin Stripe carries a complete line of wallcovering including all the brands you posted. Feel free to contact us for excellent pricing and customer service. we drop ship in the us.
thesatinstripe@yahoo.com

debari Thank you all so much for the great advice and opinions. I think I agree with @diannagail about the larger scale. The question, then, is which of the prints I posted is the largest scale? (This is assuming we go with wallpaper and not paint or decals.) I somehow think that the wallpaper will look the most tidy, but really want to hear other opinions. @orangecamera, Great great advice. The problem with this room is that it is SO tiny that there is no way to avoid having the crib near the radiator. I do think that you are so right about getting the baby acclimated to sleeping where there is noise. I have such a hard time sleeping with noise, and I wish I had been trained to sleep differently as a baby! @aja--sorry you are on bedrest, and I hope all is well. I would love to hear your opinions/info on colors/stripes/whether it is detrimental to the baby because I'm pretty clueless on babies. This will be my first, and I have not done a lot of research on decor and how it can affect the baby.

debari The latest plan is to go with a silvery white/zebra print for the ceiling. A bit less stark than the black and white. We are still figuring out paint colors. Want something very very pale blue/green/gray. Will keep you all posted. If you have any paint color suggestions, bring 'em on! Thanks!

Natalie SW 7057 Silver Strand and SW 6211 Rainwashed for wall color...

debari We finally chose! We're going to use Benjamin Moore Glass Slipper on the ceiling and Thibaut Pattern Number T1684 (Etosha) in Pearl on the walls. Should be crazy and fun, but kind of calm and neutral. Will post pics when it's all up!

diannagail Can't wait to see your nursery! Your choices are lovely and fun at the same time. A unique combination of calm.

EB Interiors sounds great! I love that pattern! You can email us at thesatinstripe@yahoo.com for great pricing on wallpaper. we drop ship anywhere in us.
esther

debari Hi Esther--Thanks for the offer. What's the per roll price? We have a quote of $44.99, but unless you can significantly beat the price, we're going to go with that vendor because they have spent a lot of time with us guiding the choices.

EB Interiors we can actually do 38.50. please contact us via emial for details
thesatinstripe@yahoo.com

debari We ordered the Etosha Pearl wallpaper. It's the one taped up on the left. @EB Interiors had a great price and gave great advice. We'll post pictures of the room in progress!

debari Btw, we were so torn on which one to order. The Pearl will probably have a more soothing/calming appearance and a little bit less contrast. If you notice two ceiling colors, that's because we got the paint names confused, and painted the ceiling Glass Slipper when we intended to paint it In Your Eyes. The smaller square is In Your Eyes.

debari Thank you all so much for all of the advice! The plan changed so much from the beginning idea of black and white stripes on the ceiling. All of your suggestions found their way into our plan. In the end, I think we can still have the fun/funky idea, but have something that is a bit less crazy.

debari The wallpaper went up today! Here are some images.

debari And here are some more. Would love your ideas on fabrics for a curtain. Think the room can handle another pattern??? We are replacing the sconce with a Jonathan Adler giraffe sconce. Will be fun!

EB Interiors Looks AMAZING, Deborah! Love it!! trim color is great too

debari Thank you, Esther!!!

Aja Mazin Fantastic!

black and white would have been so common, and this is so unique!

EB Interiors what about this for the windows?
http://www.pbteen.com/shop/rugs-windows-coverings/view-all-window-coverings/?cm_type=gnav

debari So do you all think we should go for this rug? Or is that just too crazy? Zebra walls, giraffe sconce, bear rug? I do like that it is eco-friendly....
http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/467-white-polar-bear-pelt-rug.html

debari hi esther--I couldn't tell which one you were recommending on the pb site. it had a whole page of options! (all nice, but I couldn't tell which one you liked...)

orangecamera The nursery is so beautiful! It's truly a room your baby can grow up with. I think adding another pattern on the curtains will take away from the beauty of the walls.

EB Interiors the rug is cute...chk out the clover drape in warm gray. idk why couldnt pin it

Aja Mazin I want a rug that looks like a cloud - soft and fluffy!

I like that the rug you are considering - Polar Bear oeko-Tex 100 certified, hypo allergenic, has no formaldehyde present and is eco-friendly, but....

debari but what?!!! I want to hear the rest of your thoughts, Aja!

michigammemom Debari, great wallpaper choice...sophisticated but fun! In keeping with a safari nursery theme,
you might consider this great little Eames elephant footstool. It is available at Amazon in several colors including white.

Aja Mazin Silvery zebra walls with a giraffe and a polar bear - yes! yes! yes!
And a shining star for the night sky!

debari Thank you all so much for these really fun suggestions. @michigammemom, you didn't know this, but I am really a mid-century girl, so that suggestion was spot on! I like Esther's suggestion for the blinds, and would also love to hear other suggestions. I may post a few fabrics and ideas for feedback. Aja, I love your idea for a cloud-like rug--the room needs softening. I definitely want to be careful about fumes/formadehyde, etc. I bookmarked a bunch of nursery art on Etsy yesterday, and if I can figure out how to pin here, will share those suggestions for feedback. One idea I had was to put up framed photos of all four sets of the baby's great-parents (my grandparents and my husband's grandparents) when they were young. I think it would be so cool to have that piece of history in the room. I also want to get the alphabet and numbers displayed in a cool artistic way, and a little bit of word art. (Either a Beatles song or Stevie Wonder's "Isn't she lovely." Stay tuned!

Aja Mazin debari,

I am looking everywhere!

I want that extra something your wall paper has!

debari HI Aja--Maybe you'll do the same paper?!!! It's Thibaut Etosha in Pearl. I actually ended up buying it from EB Designs (Esther who commented in this thread)!

Aja Mazin debari,

funny you should mention...

I am waiting for my husband to return from his business trip!!
It is classy, yet playful.

I am confused by the pictures you posted probably due to the lighting.

Is the wallpaper a "cream" or a "silver"?

Did you match the crown molding to the stripe?

AND WHERE IS THE UNICORN?

debari Hi @Aja, Yes, your confusion makes sense. The name of the color is "Pearl" and it is the most pearl-like of the different colors that they sell. It reads as a cream color in certain lights and as a silver (with shimmer) in other lights. So yes, it is a cream and it is a silver. I bet once we put in furniture and better lighting, the color will change again. Because it's shimmery, it really depends on the lighting. You can see in the pics above that in some lights is more cream-like, and in others it is more silvery. We did match the molding to the stripe. I have to dig up the name of the color for you. It was a Ben Moore color, and then we put a metallic glaze over it! The ceiling is a blue-green called "In Your Eyes." We bought the paper from Esther (EB Designs--she's part of this conversation thread), and she was really fantastic and helpful. I LOVE the idea for a unicorn! Brilliant!!! I had been looking at animal heads on Anthropologie.com. They have giraffes and zebras, I think.

orangecamera Found on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/109435026/ivory-and-black-mounted-unicorn-head?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=GPS&gclid=CKbc5Mb0wrQCFUid4AodAyIAUw

orangecamera There's a friendlier one at uncommongoods.com. I can't capture the picture, but here is the link.

http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/cardboard-unicorn-head?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gclid=CKv_9fL0wrQCFVCd4Aod734ATw

Ramona I love that wallpaper. I love zebra prints, but not so much the black and white. My redone chairs are getting a pale sage on cream zebra print. I will post the whole room as soon as I get the chairs as I want houzzers to help me finish it.

debari Fun--looking forward to seeing those chairs. Sage on cream sounds gorgeous. I love the unicorn heads and the fact that so many of you are helping to figure out this little room. I decided against the rug because of the synthetics. I think we are going to go with natural wool.

debari I have found some really cute animal prints on Etsy. They all can have the backgrounds color customized. I want to get three, but can't decide which I like best! I think we are leaning towards the ones with the sayings.
How cute are these?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90949123/be-brave-little-bear-grow-wise-little
And these!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/109711229/set-of-3-prints-safari-animals-teal-blue?ref=usr_faveitems
And these!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82613402/jungle-animal-wall-art-prints-elephant
Which do you all like?

debari And the animal sayings...

debari reposting room pics so that we can see the room alongside the animal prints.

orangecamera Those really are cute. I like sayings, but they'll be a bit lost for an infant. And owl, fox and bear aren't "safari" animals. I like the elephant, giraffe and rhino from the 2nd example you posted. The strong silhouettes are fantastic and they're the "right" animals. (You have enough zebra, IMO).

orangecamera OMG, I was looking for something else and came upon this. Not recommending it for the nursery, but....

debari I agree, but I am also torn because I love the sayings. I am not intent on a safari theme, though it seems that is where it is heading. We ordered the Jonathan Adler giraffe sconce...

Natalie Love that too orangecamera... Something like the one above or this could be "jazzed-up" for the space. False eyelashes and crystals/rhinestones (necklace) as embellishments would be sooooo fun! Antlers painted a pearl shimmer hue to coordinate with the wallpaper-yum!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/103382325/faux-taxidermy-wall-mount-animal-head?ref=sr_gallery_19&ga_search_query=taxidermy+heads+white&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_spelling_corrected=taxidery+heads+white&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all

Natalie Not really safari---animals and little girls. Something different. Link to artist: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dilkabear

debari I think they are hilarious, but my husband thinks they will look scary at night when we go in to feed the baby...

Aja Mazin I meant a plush, furry unicorn!

debari these are all really fun. i found this giraffe that i LOVE, but my husband is intent on no animal heads mounted on the wall--thinks they will be too scary, i love this giraffe so much that i now want to get it and put it over the fireplace or somewhere else in the house. this will take some convincing... http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=B24941049&cm_mmc=PLA

Natalie I like the giraffe... I like scary too, LOL!!! Honestly, the things that scared us when we were small are a joke for these kids nowadays. Tell hubby to make you happy-get the giraffe and hang'em high. :)

Aja Mazin LIFESIZE BABY GIRAFFE ~ 5 1/2 '

http://www.interiorgallery.com/pd-baby-giraffe-statue.cfm

Others available starting at $59.99 on Amazon.

I have a friend who has one and it is beautiful.

Natalie Found a "furry" and "scary" unicorn... I like it!
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/63223037

Natalie Sweet Aja!

EB Interiors the giraffe aja posted is lovable and fun. perfect for a nursery!

debari I'm now totally into this giraffe statue idea, and want to put on in front of the house. The neighbors would love that! :)

Aja Mazin Natalie,

A friend did that to my hair once! with a crimping iron.

It was scary!!

Aja Mazin debari,

if you put one in front of the house, where will the stork land?

debari haha! it sure would be a lot easier if we could just order a stork delivery!

Natalie You too Aja? LOL! At one time that was "in". :)

Natalie Puppet-maybe? http://www.axtell.com/allpuppets.html

debari Do you think that the room could handle this fabric for a curtain? Or too much of a mismatch?

Natalie I don't care for it. It's cute, but not sophisticated enough.

debari or what about the elephants? i don't want to overdo things--want to keep the room simple and posh--but i do love the idea of having an ABC element in there somewhere, and i do think that the elephants are cute....both this and the one above are organic. truly bella fabric on etsy.

debari @natalie--that's my same feeling. i love it, but it's cute, and this is a sophisticated room! do you feel the same way about the elephants?

Natalie Like this artist's work: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mukibaba?ref=seller_info_count

Natalie Yeah the elephants are better, but blue... You're having a girl, yes?

Natalie LOVE this for your space!!! Soft blush bow instead of blue maybe. http://www.etsy.com/listing/118481016/caleb-16in-faux-fur-and-mohair-artist

Aja Mazin Natalie,

I fell in love with faux fur for nurseries!

I am making cloud rugs using plush, eco friendly, non allergen polar bear faux fur.

I got the idea from debari who abandoned her polar bear faux fur rug from http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/467-white-polar-bear-pelt-rug.html

The room has Travertine tile and I have this morbid fear....

I ordered the faux fur from ebay and it is washable.

One rug is finished and it is lined and the edges are finished with white moira taffeta piping I made.

I got a dense, non slip pad which I cut using to fit with my home made templates[s]

Aja Mazin I am doing one wall in matted, framed pictures.
I have a vintage book of Mother Goose with delightful color illustrations [book plates] which I am scanning into my pc.

I found a bonaza of $3 frames [11'' x 14''] at Dollar General that I am spray painting.
Each picture will have the same matte and frame color

debari Aja, I love the theme that is emerging for your nursery! When are you due? Please post pics of the project as you go. I especially want to see how those clouds are going to look when they go up!!! I had seen some really cute fabrics that you might want to consider for curtains or accents.
http://www.babybedding.com/yellow-nursery-rhyme-toile-fabric

or

http://www.onlinefabricstore.net/drapery-fabric/toile-drapery-fabric/covington-topsy-turvy-011-fabric-.htm?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=2700&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=343530&gclid=CL_wuM2Hx7QCFdKd4AodiRMAVw

I thought they were really fun, but didn't quite go with the zebra wallpaper.


@Natalie, yes, the baby is a girl! However, i am totally fine with using blues and keeping the room gender neutral. I"m sure that when she's born, people will give us lots of pink presents and clothes and the room will be flooded with pink!

@Aja, how big is the room you are decorating? Our nursery is only 7 x 10--so not a lot of room/space for anything other than the crib and maybe a chair! I am looking at used gliders online and thinking about having one reupholstered--so as I look at fabrics for a curtain, I'm also thinking about glider fabrics. (i have NO sewing skills, so I also need to really investigate whether it will be super expensive to have the reupholstering done...)

Aja Mazin Maybe this will satisfy your exotic animal craving!

I love it!!

http://www.overstock.com/Worldstock-Fair-Trade/Set-of-7-Wood-Animal-Miniatures-with-Box-Kenya/3928591/product.html

$19.95

decoenthusiaste Apparently black and white is the second thing babies "see" after mama's eyes, so perhaps the ceiling idea wasn't so far out there!

Carolina Photo To Go LLC Nothing scary about a carousel
https://www.etsy.com/listing/107181459/carousel-horse-photography-colorful-and

There is also a llama

https://www.etsy.com/listing/106562539/high-definition-photography-of-llama


You don't have to do just African animals. There were 2 animals of every kind on Noah's Ark and many cuddly animals in the world like llamas and sheep.


Glad you are having so much fun with your room. Children are impressionable. I did not show my son's the horror movie with the clown; but somehow they saw it at a friends house and hated their clown after that.

I hope you update us on the baby when it arrives. Nothing sweeter!

orangecamera I have... (ahem, my *cat* has)... a stuffed zebra from Kohl's. I was looking for one online for you, and came across this: http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-c31052/kohls-cares-dr-seusss-abc-collection.jsp

It's also nice because (from the Kohl's site) "100% of the net profit from the sale of this item will support kids' health and education initiatives in communities nationwide."

orangecamera Ah, found it! http://www.amazon.com/Plush-Animal-Planet-Zebra-Kohls/dp/B002780EY0

It's super soft :)

michigammemom Debari, your pearl wallpaper has an air of sophistication and some of the adorable etsy prints you shared are bright and bold. I would suggest safari themed art with a more earthy and subtle coloration like this giclee of a laughing lion. That scary unicorn creeps me out!

Aja Mazin debarI,

Here is the fabric for for the drapes [pleated and lined] and crib bedding.
It is Italian Cream Peach Silk Satin.

My mom is sewing even as I type!

My husband decided $308 for a Bella Noche Satin dust ruffle was a tad pricey.

Aja Mazin orangecamera,

You're cat called.

He would like his cuddly zebra returned to him!!

debari What fun suggestions! @Aja, that is such a sophisticated look--much nicer than the prints I was suggesting. So my parents came over today and saw the room. My mom was in the zebra room for about half a minute, and immediately said that I needed to put up very calming art and things on the wall to calm the baby. My dad walked into the room and looked sick, and suddenly said that he felt dizzy. The room actually made him dizzy. They are both trying not to be critical about it and kept saying that if I liked it that was what was important, but I could tell that they hated it. :(

Natalie Hmmm, maybe you should have done the black and white zebra on the ceiling... LOL---I'm just joking. I Love what you have going on and I'm certain once it comes together so will your folks. Keep the palette soft and serene. Floor to ceiling off-white window panels-perhaps sheers, large matting for art (white), crystals, mirrors---reflective surfaces... Keep us posted and don't worry-it's Beautiful... :)

eztia I am sorry your parents were not in on this discussion over the last several weeks. You have worked through a lot of design decisions in that time. I like the wallpaper you have chosen.

I just did a three day marathon of studying about color for nurseries for newborns. Aja Mazin has also reported studying this topic. I put some eclectic information sites on {OTHER: To OLLD Re: Nursery colors 1-1-2013.} I would be interested to know if any of that information is helpful to you as you complete your baby's nursery.
Best wishes.

debari @Natalie--Haha! And yes, I agree, we will soften everything up and keep it serene. My mom also had the suggestion of making sure that there are areas in the room that are non-zebra print for the baby to look at so that there are choices of what to see. She also had a good suggestion of taking the prints that I choose (she loved the ones with the sayings because she wants the baby to get good and positive messages) and instead of framing them separately to frame them all together in one big frame (with three cutouts) with a white frame. I think she is right. She also suggested orderig those saying prints all with the same color background (maybe the pale blue) rather than three different colors, just to neutralize everything. Going along that thinking (and inspired by Aja's plans), I think maybe having very soothing solid colors for the linens and curtain is good, too. @eztlia, my parents were sort of in the discussion (I emailed them pictures of the samples), but this was the kind of thing where no one could really imagine what it would look like until the paper went up. I'll take a look at your research. Thank you all so much!

Natalie I went into my saved seller list on Etsy because I knew one had the style and elegance I envision for your room. FOUND the artist---Yay! I'm thinking you might be able to contact him/her and see about ordering prints---that is---if you like what you see. Several artists are willing to sell prints/photos of their work. :)
I think these are simply EnchantinG...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/91813390/grimoire-of-lace-fairy-taleshttp://www.etsy.com/listing/118717302/harehttp://www.etsy.com/listing/118713906/cat-castlehttp://www.etsy.com/transaction/97787293

debari Wow. These look like something from deep in the dream-like subconscious!

Natalie THey are made of paper and paper mache...

Aja Mazin debari,

I am still awaiting my hubby's approval for the wall paper.
[every room in our home has the walls painted white, the same window treatment. and Travertine tile on the floors. Yes, all 6,000 sq ft. ]

Apparently, he feels very threaten by wall paper.....

If my mother in law had her way, the nursery would have a baby grand piano in white with her atrocious
paint by number oil paintings in elaborate golden frames "adorning" the walls

Stock up on Benadryl for your father's visits and if your mother wants the baby to get good and positive messages she needs to begin now by supporting you and your decisions!

debari wow--you have a big house!!! that is hilarious about your mother in law. while i am excited about the wallpaper, i can honestly say that it is a LOT on the eyes. it's important to be in agreement. my husband and i had our first real conflict over the nursery. i wanted to paint it pink--he doesn't want to make things overly prinessy for the baby. he said he would support anything BUT pink on the walls, so i said, FINE! ZEBRA WALLS ALL AROUND! Make sure your mother in law doesn't get on Houzz and see your post! :) When are you due?

orangecamera A piano in the nursery? Remind your MIL that babies become 2-year-olds with sticky fingers and a love of banging! Perhaps MIL can keep a piano (and a drum set, why not?) at her house for the grandbaby :)

Aja Mazin Natalie,

I adore the prints!!
I love the fanciful whimsy balanced by a subtle edginess.

When the time comes to put away the Mother Goose, I can envision an Enchanted Forrest theme wall.

Aja Mazin eztia,

Where is the link to your research???

eztia @Aja. If I did not include the info to reach the link in the "To OLLD 1-1-2013" post, I did not keep copies. The info on newborn vision development in the first section is widely available, so I did not reference it. I was not intending to write a research paper. This was just an attempt to find info about nursery colors for people at OLLD.

EB Interiors deborah, i think if you stick to solids and neutrals for all the fabrics and accessories, the overall feel will be soft and serene. i think a zebra print takes a bit of getting used to for many ppl...the colors are soft, let the pattern grow on you guys! matting the prints together is a nice idea to break up the wall a bit...
good luck!

diannagail It is such fun to see this project evolve. Coming from a zebra print celing to the wonderful decisions you have made! Yesterday I received a, new to me, magazine in my mail box that has some wonderful prints that I think you may find something check out serenaandlily.com. There are some adorable alphabet letters by holli at easy. Hope I am not to late for you to consider these. Waiting for more pictures!

diannagail I should have reread my comment before posting.... The prints I refer to in the Serena and Lily magazine are fabrics and the alphabet letters by Holli are her art work to frame.

diannagail The art by Holli at Etsy is so adorable Deb, there is a lot there that would fit so well with your colors. The alphabet is darling but there are many more too. The zebra,and the wood chuck etc. Just so cute! All of them!!!

hollyr244 Here is the link to Holli's etsy shop. And diannagail is right- they'd be perfectly calming but fun. http://www.etsy.com/shop/holli?ref=ss_profile

Ramona Do you have a name picked out? Spell out your babies names with these beautiful Holli prints, but add the Z for zebra print in. Maybe she would do you a custom grouping on one sheet of paper with all her special animals. I love the zebra and unicorn prints. And they look soft, the way you are going in this room.

debari I love all of these suggestions., and I love that artwork. We do have a name in mind for her. There are five letters in the name (and two letters would repeat).Maybe the artist could do a custom grouping or maybe even a name acrostic or something like that--I will write to her. I do like the prints and think that they do have a soft look to them. I don't know if it will be overkill on the animals because
I have decided that I really want to order these prints because I just love the sayings. My mom suggesting putting all three into one big frame (on a mat that matches the lighter zebra stripe with a white/light frame). The background colors for the prints are customizable. Do you all have suggestions? Would you do all three in the same background, to calm the room down? I am thinking either pink or light blue. http://www.etsy.com/listing/90949123/be-brave-little-bear-grow-wise-little

orangecamera If you like the sayings more than you like the pictures they're with, you can always print out the sayings yourself, or have someone else do it for you. Then you can use whatever pictures you like most. I really like the name idea with those cute holli alphabet pictures.

Ramona I like the sayings too; however, I would not use two different print styles of animals and I like the holli's style better.

I would use one color for the background if you put the three together. Would you consider a pale, pale lavender so that it looks almost pink? It might harmonize better with the pink silk you already have.

Did you notice Kylie has a chevron print background too? I don't know if it would be too much, but if you matched the color of your wallpaper, it might be interesting.

[houzz=Owl nursery art for children Chevron zigzag print 11x14 by Wallfry]

I would be torn between these two artists, but do love Holli's animals much better. There is more whimsy to them.

I have adored zebras for decades and have a small zebra print in my bedroom.

[houzz=Z for Zebra Alphabet animal Print 8x11 inches by holli on Etsy]

I just love this zebra from Holli for you. It even has a peachy pink balloon.

And Holli's owl is just begging to be wise.

[houzz=O for Owl Alphabet animal Print 4x6 inches by holli on Etsy]

Maybe I am wrong about mixing the styles. I think I would have to pick the exact pieces and then see them side by side.

hollyr244 How about going with the Holli animals for wall art as an alphabet or you baby girl's name but then hand paint the sayings in unexpected spots. "Grow wise little owl" by a book case, "Grow brave little bear" by the door as she heads out into the world, "Grow clever little fox" near a mirror or dresser. They could be right on the wall or on a little sign. Subtle, almost secret, like you are whispering to her...

diannagail How sweet and lovey would that be!

debari i love these ideas, and I really did like the Holli prints, but my husband prefers the original ones I picked. I emailed the artist to see if we could see proofs of them all on a pink background, all on a light blue background. That way we can decide between keeping them all on one background or doing three colors. If I get images, I will post. The room is TINY--7 by 10--and the wallpaper already provides a LOT of shimmer/action/contrast, so I am thinking same color may be the way to go. Possibly with large ivory/white mats and large frames. Stay tuned!

debari Oh, and the sconce we ordered arrived today. It's a Jonathan Adler giraffe sconce. I'll post pics once it's up!

diannagail Love the whimsy giraffe sconce! Soooo cute!

debari Alright...so we're definitely going with these woodland prints. (And thank you all for chiming in on the other suggestions. They are all wonderful!)
The question of the day is whether you all think we should get 11 x14 prints or 16X20. (This is the size of the print. Then, there will be the mat and the frame.) They are going up on a wall that is about 9 feet long. The crib is 54 inches long. So the 11 x 14 scenario would be prints kind of just along the span of the crib. If we got the 16 by 20's, they'd be much bigger in the frames and would take up more of the wall--maybe would space them out evenly. Thoughts? (Will ask for feedback on colors later...)

debari the prints-- http://www.etsy.com/listing/85095170/baby-nursery-art-prints-inspiration

debari The room is coming along! We installed the giraffe sconce, and we also ordered an overhead light. Pictures to follow...

debari I ended up ordering the woodland prints from Wallfry on Etsy. She created three sets of proofs that are all based on the ceiling color. (http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/inyoureyes). The blues--listed below as 718, 719, and 720--are all darker versions of the ceiling color (715). Please let me know which one you think will go best with the room. I plan to put them on a white mat with a white (ivory white--to match the lighter zebra stripe) frame. Thank you all for chiming in!

debari to clarify--718 is the lightest, 719 is the middle, and 720 is the darkest. The square of light blue is the ceiling color, and then there is also a snapshot of the wallpaper.

Aja Mazin Confused, but the 1st set posted.
718?

I absolutely adore them!!

They will look fantastic in ivory frames.

If you choose the lighter blue, have you considered mats the colour of the darker stripe.

Aja Mazin What are you doing for curtains?

debari Yes--the first set (lightest set) is 718. The middle color is 719, and the darkest is 720).

debari haven't picked anything, yet, but something very simple and either white or ivory.

debari this is lily the giraffe!

diannagail Oh Debari, this is going to be such a wonderful welcome for your new little bundle of joy! I love the sconces, the color palet, the wall paper and Miss Lily the lamp is just perfect! I would pick 719 for the pictures I think! When is the baby due! It is fun to be waiting with you and your family even when it is thru the wonder of houzz! Curtailn next? Did you look at the fabrics at serenaandlily.com?

debari curtain and rug next! I think we are going to just do a plain white or ivory for the curtain and a light beige for the rug, but if you have specific suggestions for the curtain, would love to hear it. definitely want to go organic on the window treatment. baby girl is due in 3/14! i am torn between the 718 and the 719, as are my husband and mom (who has great taste). the graphic designer did suggest 718 (the lightest) because she thinks that it has the least contrast/mellows the room the most, and it definitely needs toning down--you may not be able to tell from the pics, but the pattern on all four walls is a lot!

diannagail Oh! I love that you did all of the walls with the zebra pattern!!! Brave and unique! I really think you could do either of the colors for the pictures. The medium tone might grow with the room as your little one grows out of a nursery and on to the next toddler stage. That might seem premature right now but from experience it happens all to quickly. Enjoy each day! Love the idea of keeping the curtains and rug light and neutral. You are making such great chioces!

debari Thank you all for the input. I went back and forth between the light and the medium and decided on the light because the room already has SO much contrast, and I think/hope that the pictures can help tone it down a bit. Going to get a simple curtain (ivory or cream). More details to follow!

debari Okay, time to get advice on window coverings. We are decided on doing an organic cotton curtain--very simple--in a natural color that is sort of ivory and falls between the two different zebra strip colors. The question is whether to have one curtain or two. One seems like it might be better for just fully covering the window and not having a space where the two curtains meet, but I don't know. Here is a picture of the window. We're going to get these curtain rods. http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/elephant-finial/?pkey=e|curtain%2Brod%2Belephant|1|best|0|viewall|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-
and curtains like these, but with a hidden tab top.
http://www.babybedding.com/natural-organic-drapes

debari although, oooh, maybe we should get owls instead of elephants. there will be owls in the artwork....it's animal, not necessarily jungle animal themed, i guess..;.
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/crystal-owl-finial-and-hardware-set/?pkey=dwindow-hardware&cm_src=window-hardware||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

debari we are having this light installed on the ceiling. it and the giraffe sconce will be set on the same dimmer switch. http://www.lampsplus.com/products/possini-euro-planetarium-ceiling-light__96999.html

Aja Mazin The elephants are awesome!

Great deal on Elephant Finial & Hardware Set!!!

Frankly, I do not like the curtains.
The colour is off and they are way too expensive.

The zebra paper looks stunning against the white trim and the giraffe sconces look great with the paper!!

Aja Mazin 1 window or 2?

What is the length you need?

Aja Mazin Why would you buy anything that needs to be dry cleaned?

The fumes from the cleaning solvent are unhealthy and stay in the fabric forever....

Buy Organic Fabric Sold by the Yard from Carousel -
Our 100% Certified Organic Cotton is offered in an array of solid shades and colored using low-impact dyes for $7.90 per yd. and make them.

5 yds would make 2 panels.
I love the tie tabs. You can make bows or use nifty shower curtain rings.

White would look best!

Aja Mazin I like this kind of ceiling light.
[don't even think it.]

Easy to clean and it will not yellow with age.

Have you seen those organic "rope" rugs?

debari I totally agree with you on the dry cleaning. I wrote to them, and they said that the recommendation for the curtains is dry cleaning, but the fabric is actually machine washable on cold. That's what I'd do--machine wash cold. I prefer the hidden panel over the tie tabs. There's no way I could make them myself--I have no idea how to do it/no time/no talent! I thought the white would look best from the pictures online, but then when I got the swatches, the ivory seemed to go better. I will try to post pics of the swatches next to the wallpaper to see what you think.

debari Aja, I am laughing at your comment about the light fixture you posted. The one we got is fabric, so it may not last a long time, and it could yellow--but I love the texture of it. I think I saw organic rope rugs on Etsy, but please do point me to any suggestions you have. We have been looking at Earth Weave, both for the baby room and for a stair/hallway runner.

debari Oh, and just one little window. Would you put one panel or two?

Aja Mazin debari,

I accidentally posted the "boob" light on some guy's "What's wrong and what color sofa?" discussion.


http://www.houzz.com/discussions/321525/What-s-wrong-and-what-color-sofa-

GOOD NIGHT!

debari Hilarous!!!

orangecamera OMG I was laughing so hard at your "don't even think it" comment, Aja! Poor baby will get confused as to which boob to go for!

debari, might I suggest a mushroom light instead?

Aja Mazin one panel !

debari okay--i think i am leaning towards one panel, too. i ordered the giraffe curtain rod. will take pics of the two swatches against the wallpaper in daylight tomorrow.

debari we had the ceiling light installed today. here are some pictures of it. the ceiling fixture and the giraffe fixture are both set to a dimmer switch. you're not seeing the full brightness because we only put in one light bulb, and it takes three. we need to get more dimmer light bulbs...

orangecamera That's a really nice fixture! The room is coming out so nicely. Lucky baby!

For your window, think about room-darkening. If the curtain you like isn't room-darkening, you have some options...either a room-darkening roller shade or a room-darkening panel that can be sewn onto the back of the curtain. I'm recommending this because sunlight will wake your baby. It will be easier for them to nap (and sleep past sun-up) in a darkened room.

I can't stop looking at the pics of the wallpaper...it's really so nice and what a unique nursery!

debari Okay, we haven't fully decided about the curtain, yet, but we're trying to decide on a rug. We're going to get a bound rug from Nature's Carpet. Very green, low VOC, etc. What do you all think of either
http://www.naturescarpet.com/products.php?pid=19 or
http://www.naturescarpet.com/products.php?pid=26
All of the lighter colors are fair game.
Or--Elymus Natural Canvas.http://www.naturescarpet.com/products.php?pid=7