Sweet and sophisticated nursery decor

OCCUPANTS: Emmy + Lola, two years old

WHERE: Toronto

When Erin Feasby works on nursery decor for clients as an interior designer at her Toronto firm, Feasby and Bleeks, she thinks less about cute, chubby newborns and more about who those babies will become. “I always want kids’ rooms to grow with them, no matter what their age,” she explains.

And so, when she created a space for her twin girls, Lola and Emmy, now two, she designed a sophisticated bedroom with strong patterns and a dramatic striped feature wall, lit by a chandelier–that just happens to have cribs in it. “It ended up bolder than I first imagined, but now that they are busy toddlers full of personality, the bold touches really suit them.”

Erin created a custom look by painting her cribs. A soft rug adds texture to the space and is ideal for playtime.

Furniture should last through a few stages of life, hence the dresser with a removable changing pad on top and the swivel rocker armchair.

The gallery wall is anchored by an oversized piece of art, which is framed with Plexiglas for safety. Erin also keeps the cribs an arm’s length away from the wall.

Be sure to add some display areas for special items and storage.

Erin kept things timeless and pretty by avoiding traditionally “baby” patterns.

If standard-sized Roman blinds won’t fit inside your window frame, Erin suggests selecting a width that will fit mounted to the wall above. “It works well for cutting out light.”

Tip: If ready-made drapery panels aren’t wide enough, buy two panels per side. “Just sew them together,” explains Erin.

A version of this article appeared in the February 2015 issue with the headline “A room of their own” p. 61.