It’s only right that a little girl named Ruby should have a nursery bathed in vivid color – its walls mint green, its floors patterned in emerald and rose and sunflower yellow. Black and white spotted sheets and a duo of cornflower blue doors; a lavender changer and a gold chandelier shaped like a sea urchin.

“The first thing I decided on was the wall color,” says Ruby’s mother, Rachelle. “I wanted the room to feel fresh, bright, and not too babyish, so I mixed a variety of patterns and textures in keeping with the theme of the unexpected.”

Above the crib, which is accented by a smattering of gilded polka dots, is another colorful addition: our very own Flamingo, who fits in famously, we think, among the pops of pink. “As soon as I saw it, I knew it was right,” says Rachelle. “Parts of the nursery were feeling a bit busy to me, and the simplicity of the print really helped balance it out.”

“‘I’ve found that some of the most beautiful things aren’t meant for babies at all,” she tells us. Handmade treasures help, too. Ruby’s nursery features a table made by Rachelle’s husband and a cozy blanket crafted by a friend of the family. A handmade sign hung between two brightly-lit windows spells Ruby in grassy green script. “All of these things are very special,” says Rachelle. “I know they’ll be cherished.”

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful space with us, Ruby and Rachelle!

Photos by Joe Schmelzer for The Animal Print Shop

In our opinion, no nursery’s complete without dolls designed for cuddling, so as a follow-up to last month’s accent pillow round-up, we’ve put together a collection of top-quality toys made from materials like organic fleece, eco-friendly yarn, sheepswool, and alpaca. We call them softies, and we’re smitten. (We guess that makes us softies, too.)

There’s no time like spring, and for the past couple months, we’ve been relishing its sunshine; its pure, crisp colors; and its new arrivals (birds, bees, budding trees!) as we’ve prepared to announce two of our very own: Baby Deer Little Darling, and a brand-new nursery designed to celebrate what we love most about the season.

The latest addition to our Nursery Project series features bird-patterned wallpaper in shades of pink and gray; painted trim in robins egg blue echoes a sunny afternoon sky. A trio of familiar faces (with new Baby Deer Little Darling taking center stage) watch over a DwellStudio crib, while a ceramic pendant light by Jonathan Adler allows it all to shine. 

(Photos by Joe Schmelzer for The Animal Print Shop)

It’s a problem we’ve encountered on repeat: every time we set out to design a nursery, we look high and low to find accent pillows that are sophisticated, yet mixed with a bit of sweetness and whimsy. We figured we weren’t the only ones, so today we’re sharing a few standouts from our search, which include pinwheels and polka dots, mushrooms and mountains, spunky stripes and forest friends. Here’s to sweet dreaming.

Earlier this month, we featured a nursery designed by Amanda Moore, one half of the creative team behind the Australian-based boys’ line, Hunter Baby. Today, we’re thrilled to share a peek into a second Hunter Baby space, this one belonging to six-month-old Eliza Rose.

Eliza’s mother, Holly Kent, is Amanda Moore’s business partner and co-founder of Hunter Baby. The two shared common goals in designing their children’s nurseries. “The vibe I wanted to create was one of tranquility,” Holly says. “Eliza has a very active and cheeky personality, so her bedroom works magically in calming her down before it’s time for sleep. Eliza is the energetic Yin; her nursery is the calming Yang.”

A muted color scheme and lots of natural light contribute to the quietude; eight Little Darlings above the crib add charm. “My favorite details are those prints, of course, and the crystal chandelier, which casts beautiful light throughout the room at all times of day. What I particularly like is the morning light it reflects on the animal prints when I first enter Eliza’s room every day.”

“When my husband and I walk into her room after she’s woken from a nap,” she continues, “we often find Eliza ‘talking’ to her Little Darlings prints! I swear she’s telling them a story.”

Perhaps it’s a sign she takes after her mother: “I’m a chatterbox,” says Holly. “After becoming mothers, Hunter Baby has provided a great platform for Amanda and me to be creative, meet other moms, and also to discuss the challenges of parenthood.”

We’re big fans. Thanks so much for sharing your spaces, Holly, Eliza, Amanda, and Freddie. 

When it came to choosing which Little Darling prints would be featured in their daughter Charlotte’s nursery, Crystal and Chris Cho followed, shall we say, their animal instincts. “I chose the prints for Charlotte’s room based on which ones my husband and I thought were the cutest – we’re kind of led by cute.”

Over a year later, 16-month-old Charlotte is now old enough to recognize the Little Darlings’ appeal herself. “She’s obsessed with animals, especially all varieties of cats,” Crystal says. “She points to the prints and we will often go through and name each one for her. She pays attention with great interest. On occasion, she’ll kiss the lion cub with a big ‘mwah!'”

Lamb, Lion Cub, Duckling, Baby Giraffe, and Baby Monkey watch over little Charlotte as she plays, sharing the room with handmade paper flowers, furniture by Oeuf, Room & Board, and Ikea; and a book wall featuring an assortment of classics and newer favorites. “It was important to me that the room would grow with Charlotte and never feel too babyish, or too grown-up,” Crystal explains. “When I look back at the process, it was all a balancing act. I didn’t want it to be too anything – not too feminine, not too masculine, not too loud, not too soft.” 

In the end, the room – dressed in soft shades of gray, pink, yellow, and white – befits a little girl whose name denotes exuberance and love. “Her middle name is Korean,” says Crystal. “Her grandfather chose it, as is tradition in our culture. It means ‘beautiful blessing.’ It suits her to a tee.”

Indeed.

Photography by Jenny Sherouse.

There’s a lot to love about this sweet Los Angeles nursery, which belongs to the even-sweeter Sienna, daughter of Green Wedding Shoes’s Jen and Jason. We adore her polka dot sheets, her graphic wall in shades of pink and gold, her handpainted clothing rod (made with love by mom). However, our favorite detail – and we admit we may be biased – has to be the adorable assemblage of Animal Print Shop Babies, hung in a neat square above Sienna’s crib. “I dreamt of hanging them in my baby’s room even before I was pregnant,” Jen writes. “This was one thing I knew I wanted for her room before I started designing it. The hard choice was deciding which four to feature!”

In the end, Baby Deer, Baby Monkey, Bear Cub, and Baby Giraffe made the cut (7″x9″ size). And, we were thrilled to discover, they’re in fine company. To fit the room’s baby animal theme, our friends join a fluffy pink-bowed bunny and a wooden fawn. Much like their adorable human counterparts, we think they make a lovely family. Thanks, Jen and Jason.

Photographs by Kristin and Brandon Kidd of Brandon Kidd Photography.