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Bringing up baby with nature - DeNai Jones gets inspired

When DeNai Jones, head designer at Petunia Pickle Bottom, was expecting her second son recently, one of her prime goals was to create a unique nursery.

"I longed to make my second son Miller's nursery a place of tranquility," says Jones of her design process. "I love color, but this was going to be my one exception."

DeNai opted for soothing earth tones and natural imagery both she and her husband Braden would enjoy.

Here, DeNai Jones outlines her choices for this truly gorgeous baby nursery.

Inspiration and Color Choice:
I found inspiration in the design of my son's nursery from a few key pieces: our Misty Shanghai Boxy Backpack, this amazing wallpaper from Cole and Sons: Trees, and two pillows from Anthropologie. All of these pieces incorporated a shade of grey that I was hoping to use in the nursery and were the perfect elements to create a focus for my mood board. I love a nice monochromatic palette with a splash of color, much like the Misty Shanghai, and these pieces combined these two elements perfectly.

Furniture and Function:
The crib and changing table were the most daunting decisions for me. I love all the new modern and oh-so functional nursery furniture that can be found, but we own an older home so I wanted to find something that would strike the perfect balance of old and new. The Panel Crib by Newport Cottages served up just what I was looking for. As an added bonus-the wonderful people at Newport Cottages indulged me with a custom paint color to match the room's palette. Both pieces contain clean, modern lines, and the changing table converts to a dresser once you are done with diapers-an ideal attribute so that the piece can grow as Miller does.

Hands down my favorite piece is the Luca Glider Chair by Monte Designs. If I didn't have a busy little toddler running rampant I would sit and cuddle my newborn son in it all day-it's incredibly comfortable not to mention so stunning.
 

I love the Tamar Mogendorff mobile. Thanks to Grace over at Design Sponge for introducing Tamar and her incredible talent. The dolls/objects are made from linens, wool, Mohair wool, cotton, vintage fabrics, tweed, antique embroidery, pashmina and other fabrics. Each piece is handmade and the pictures on her website do not do them justice.

My intention when designing my son's nursery was to create a tranquil, organic, and textural experience.

The stump side table and owl night light rounded out what I wanted to achieve, and the cable rug I found at West Elm offers a nubby, wool weave with lots of texture to help soften and warm the room.

Two of the wall art pieces I used to finish the room were from Anthropologie. I liked the simplicity of the art and the organic nature of the two pieces. In addition, I always try to put in every room of our home some sentimental piece or photograph. The archival bird studies were purchased on a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. On a short day trip to Franklin we happened upon an amazing shop dedicated to archival sketches and studies of anything you could possibly imagine. I knew I would use these sketches at some point in my life and this was the perfect spot. Miller loves to look at these while I change his diaper.

Ultimately, the nursery is the most calming place in our home…so I believe I achieved what I set out to accomplish. Now with a two year old toddler and a newborn reeking havoc in our home, it's the place I like to kick up my heels and find tranquility.

Schweppe's is bursting; Adida's is Pink

I came across Debbie Millman's very intriguing eponymously named blog this morning and was really knocked out by these two promotional video/ads from Schweppes's and Adidas.  Millman, who is the President of the Design division at Sterling Brands, a brand identity firm in New York, is also a gifted painter.  Her work, and the art of others makes the site interesting and a breath of fresh air.   

Naturally I love the creativity of these videos, the way they get you to think about their products in a new light.  They lift the notion of viral video to a new level and put art into pop culture without being too esoteric.   

Peace, Prosperity, and Health in 2008!

Catch a rising star

It's unclear if the work by US abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock was purchased recently for some 140 million dollars because the buyer fell in love with the work or was enthralled with the famous names attached to the painting.

Yahoo News Story

But one thing is certain, the piece, which had belonged to David Geffen is the highest sum ever paid for a painting.

The painting, entitled "No. 5, 1948," is a tangled composition of browns and yellows and is unusually large, measuring some four by eight feet.

Geffen also reportedly sold two paintings by US artists Jasper Johns and Willem de Kooning last month, for 143.5 million dollars.

Now, if 140 million is a little steep for you - don't count yourself out of the art collecting market.

The little town of Chester Connecticut, which is increasingly becoming an artist's haven, has a few artists you should consider.

At the EO Art Lab http://www.eoartlab.com on Main Street abstract art lovers can find, distinctive, well-priced works that are certain to speak to them.

Paintings from New England artists Elizabeth Gourlay, Susan Sharp, and Charlie Goodwin; and etchings from Thomas Stavovy (to name just a few) will have visitors hard pressed to pick their favorite.

These aren't sugary, overly sentimental landscapes you expect to find in some backwoods burg.

Each work is substantial in its own right - presenting color and line that move and undulate with that unmistakable genius that resists definition. Works that might not reach the stature of a Jackson Pollack or William de Kooning, but at the same time, just might. (One only needs to rent a copy of the film Basquiat to send your imagination on a whirl).

My favorite, and what will soon hang above my mantle, is a piece by Charlie Goodwin - possibly followed by a Elizabeth Gourlay - as it's almost impossible to nail down just one favorite!

shown above: Susan Sharp's Trace 2A -gouache and pen on paper - be sure to click on the image to see a larger version of the piece.