In this post by owner and designer DeNai Jones, readers get an inside look at the design philosophy and style behind the nursery décor of DeNai and Braden’s recent addition – Miller Jones.
As a business owner and mother of two, I longed to make my second son Miller’s nursery a place of tranquility. I love color (hence my designs here at PPB and my ruby red dining room at home), but this was going to be my one exception. I don’t believe that a nursery has to sacrifice personal style, and I knew I wanted a space that my husband and I wanted to enjoy as much as the new little man.
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 palatte. 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 really struggled with my bumper set choice preferring to use our signature Fawn Bedding; but as much as I tried to make it work, it didn’t fit within my color palette. I wanted the focal point of the room to be the subtle punches of color and the decorative pieces – not the bedding, but the majority of our Fawn Bedding is big on color, an element I wanted to downplay in my son’s nursery. After agonizing over the choice I went with the Organic Embroidered Circles design by Dwell Baby which is ultra soft and blends well with the décor. I have always been an admirer of the Dwell bedding collection so it was nice to highlight another designer in the room. Of course, I was given a lot of flack by collogues at PPB. In fact, I’ll probably never hear the end of it!
Details and Decorative Pieces: I love getting caught up in the details and the decorative pieces are an example of my vices. I spent a great deal of time lobbying my husband for the Cole and Sons wallpaper. He had a valid argument that it was costly and would be time consuming to install (especially since he would do the majority of the work as I was 8.5 months pregnant), but I just knew it would make the room. Love, love to my husband Braden for ultimately indulging me.
With the exception of the wallpaper my favorite piece is 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 ambroidery, 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 relax and find tranquility.
