By At Home Magazine
It was a great nursery for baby Hudson. Created by his mom, with the help of designer Ann Parker and Trazo Design, the room was sweet yet boyish and perfectly organized. Then local blogger and influencer Cara Greenstein and husband Alex Shindler discovered baby number two was on the way. Hudson was going to have a sister. Always up for a challenge, Greenstein set out to change the nursery without redoing everything.
"We wanted to give the room personality for a little girl. But what we recognized when we found out we were having another baby was that we had a great foundation and neutral furniture. And so we could instead focus on the accents and some of the details that could really create a new space at the end," she explains.
Fortunately, the woodsy, sage green and neutral theme she and Parker originally created could easily be adapted to suit a little girl. No need to reinvent the wheel. Greenstein says, "I was excited to lean into some more feminine details, and l've embraced color a little more since I planned Hudson's room."
The expanded color palette incorporates rose and blush tones, inspired by new floral wallpaper on the accent wall. Greenstein discovered and bookmarked the pattern as a favorite even before she knew she'd have a baby girl to prepare for one day. Soft striped paper on the other three walls is a holdover from the former design.
While the major elements-crib, dresser/changing table, rug, light fixture, chair and ottoman—remain, all the accents are new. "Woven rattan is having a moment right now and I'm obsessed," admits Greenstein. The natural material appears in an etagere, a wall shelf, a child's chair, a charming mini bookshelf next to the upholstered rocker, and a sweet scalloped shade on the chairside floor lamp. Unlacquered brass also came on the scene, reprised in several spots including new drawer pulls on the dresser. "A small detail, I know, but I notice things like that," she adds.
The mushroom motif that was prevalent in Hudson's room design, a nod to one of Greenstein's favorite foods and her popular blog "Caramelized," makes a more subtle comeback in the whimsical crib mobile. Created by Grenada, MS, artist Maggie Harrison, the custom piece features woodland blossoms in pink, rose and white felt, as well as the most adorable fungi that look like they jumped off the pages of a storybook. Also crafted by Harrison, a pair of giant-scale paper flowers keeps a wicker mushroom basket company in one corner.
Another new addition, a pair of abstract paintings by Germantown artist Sarah Robertson mirror one another on opposite walls. Greenstein sourced the works from Bella Vita, knowing they will grow with baby and stay part of her decor even after nursery days are through. Also from Bella Vita, a Bella Notte quilt and lumbar pillow add a touch of luxury and comfort.
The nuts and bolts of the nursery are the closet and dresser storage systems devised in 2023 by Trazo Design. "They got me set up for success so I didn't have to change a thing this time around. It's amazing how they gave us a game plan and it works so well. I just filled it with her things. I'm ready!" Greenstein says with a smile. "You don't have to overhaul something to make it special."
BABY GIRL
BABY BOY
Photography by Annabella Charles for At Home Magazine Mid-South
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