Bananas, pears, and flowers dot the quilt that served as inspiration for Corrin Bloomberg’s nursery. Mom JaneMarie wanted a room that was stylish without being costly. Recycled furnishings, high-impact paint, and creative thinking did the trick. I N S P I R AT I O N Designer Jane-Marie Bloomberg stitches newand vintage together to create a nursery that’s stylish, but not costly. Written and produced by Molly Reid Sinnett ❋ Photographer: Susan Gilmore KIDS’ ROOMS 2004 | fall 97 Bold blue walls and contrasting white furniture add style power to this tiny space. Although blue is often reserved for boys, delicate touches such as the embroidered linens and pastel accents make this room a feminine favorite. ven before interior designer Jane-Marie Bloomberg was sure she was pregnant, she began decorating the would-be nursery in her Minneapolis home. Out shopping on a December day, she found the quilt that became the inspiration for everything in the room. “I said, ‘This is going to be perfect for a nursery,’” recalls Jane-Marie, who operates a design consulting business from her home. “I thought, Let’s just get it. I love it. And we will make it work.” Hours later, Jane-Marie and husband Bill learned for certain they were expecting. Though unsure of the gender, Jane-Marie chose blue for the walls and tried to keep the accents neutral. Because she splurged on the quilt, Jane-Marie wanted to keep the remainder of the room’s costs to a minimum. An old armoire and rocker got fresh coats of white paint and joined a new crib. White paint and fresh babyfriendly fabric also transformed a tapestry-covered stool that had been an oddity in Jane-Marie’s grandparents’ home when she was a child. “I remember growing up with it,” she says. “It was this odd thing that nobody knew what it was. Now, it’s become one of the most comfortable things in the room.” With help from her mom, Jane-Marie saved even more money without giving up the high-end style that comes with custom bedding. Together they selected a collection of fabrics—yellow and green gingham, and a subtle blue-on-blue floral—to make bumper pads and a small quilt for the crib. Again inspired by a shopping trip, Jane-Marie conquered her window treatment needs. She found blue-and-yellow striped lanterns on clearance at a national decorating chain. She intended to hang the lanterns at varying heights in a corner of the room, but soon realized they made better sense as a unique valance, hiding sun-blocking roller shades. Once daughter Corrin was born, Jane-Marie gave in to her desire to add feminine accents. Vintage linens that she’d also purchased on that December day were pulled from the closet and made into a headrest and pillow for the rocker. “I basically worked things up a different way,” JaneMarie says of the room’s design. “Everything has a story, which makes it more interesting. I’m glad [we put] a lot of handmade things in there. As she grows up with those she can say, ‘Mommy made me this.’” RESOURCES BEGIN ON PAGE 120. FOR MORE NURSERY DESIGNS AND STYLE TIPS, visit www.bhg.com/sipbabydreams. Everything has a story, which makes it more interesting. I’m glad [we put] a lot of handmade things in there. As she grows up with those she can say, ‘Mommy made me this.’ —designer Jane-Marie Bloomberg KIDS’ ROOMS 2004 | fall 99 cost breakdown: $50 Paint for walls and furniture $99 Rug $395 Quilt $200 Crib $49 Bookcase $20 Shelf $45 Lamp $35 Wicker baskets $60 Knobs for chest (not shown) and armoire $8 Lanterns on windows $50 Rocker cushion (fabric and labor) $25 Fabrics for pillows and headrest $20 Fabric for crib bedding $20 Fabric for stool $68 Chandelier $26 Various frames $1,170 Grand total Armoire, rocker, chest, and stool were hand-me-downs. ABOVE: Jane-Marie reads to Corrin in a rocker that has been re-covered to match the room. TOP RIGHT: A curvy chandelier replaced an old ceiling fixture. MIDDLE RIGHT: After Corrin was born, Jane-Marie added bows to the paper-lantern valance to add feminine flair. BOTTOM RIGHT: The armoire—a holdover from dad Bill Bloomberg’s bachelor days—gets new life with a coat of white paint and checkered knobs from a home center. OPPOSITE: In the crib, store-bought pillows commingle with pillows crafted from antique linens. (The pillows are moved to the floor when Corrin sleeps in the crib.) 100 KIDS’ ROOMS 2004 | fall