Its a.... boy!

It's A Boy!!! Before you call me, stalk me on Facebook or start spreading rumors. No, I am not pregnant. I may look it from time to time, but I am NOT having a baby. Good, now that we got that straight. My sweet friend just had a precious baby boy and Im thrilled the news is out!!! 

You see, she and her hubby decided not to find out the sex of the baby. Cute, mysterious and really fun for those who are waiting in the wings to hear whether her precious children have  a new sister or brother. Not so fun for the decorator who convinces the soon-to-be parents to tell me and ONLY me. I'm talking the only people that knew the sex of the baby were me, myself and I and the ultrasound tech. Why you ask? Generic nurseries are over-rated. Just sayin'. So, I'd like to thank all of the nosey people that tried to trick me, bribe me and feed me wine to get me to spill it. Oh and FYI, if you ever have a secret, I'm your girl. My own husband couldn't figure it out and all he had to do was go look at the stash in the garage. Here's how it went down. I showed her two very different looks, but with the same color scheme. That way, the drapes and walls could be done ahead of time. 

This is how the room looked when she left for the hospital. As soon as the baby was born, we loaded up the van and went to work installing all of the baby boy finds that had been stashed secretly in my garage for months. If it had been a girl, the room would be covered in yellow, gray and ivory floral toile. The crib would be accented with eyelet and yellow and the fan would have been replaced with a crystal chandelier. That was about as far as I got, because I have known it was a boy for about, um, 26 weeks. That's a long time -- 3.5 years if you are a dog. 

Quite awhile.  I digress. 

So Ann painted a buffalo check in various shades of gray to stay in keeping with her already gorgeous French-Country style home. I guess I should tell you what my client asked for. She wanted a room that could double as a guest room (slight sophistication) and that could grow with the child from baby to boy (or girl -- I throw in for good measure).

And after all of that secret keeping, wine drinking, and texting (I wouldn't allow her to talk to me in person for fear I might spill the beans), here is the outcome! Take a closer look...

Her simple french bed has a mate for when the crib is no longer needed. The textured neutral fabric was added to the headboard and I had a box pleated bedskirt made to give the bed a more masculine touch. 

 

The Duralee "Ava" fabric was my jumping off point for the space and looked great with the monogrammed coverlet we scored in her linen closet.

I added pops of yellow to the crib, but kept it very simple with Pottery Barn crib bedding (piped in chocolate) so not to take away from Ann's painted wall. 

I stole this antique pine desk from the client's hallway and added a needlepoint zebra bench that was stashed in a corner of her living room. You can see a close-up of the gray and ivory linen drapes. Yes, of course, they are zebra. The tan border on the face makes them less serious and adds another color. 

I "borrowed" the tobacco basket from her den. It adds another texture, plus it is totally unexpected. 

These antique boat prints were taken out of her hallway and work as the perfect boy accessory

The owls are "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil" -- ironic since that is what I have been trying to do for the last 6 months!

More texture...and a pillow that screams "boy"...

The yellow faux bois rug not only cozies up the space with a woodsy vibe, but it is indoor/outdoor (meaning: spit-up proof) and still comfy on little knees. 

The barrel chandelier is reclaimed wood and metal and was a big improvement over sad little fan. 

The French Gray dresser is from Wisteria and doubles as a changing table. I recovered her glider in a rich chocolate velvet and updated her ottoman with the Ava fabric. 

So that's it! The surprise space for a healthy baby boy. Congratulations to my dear client and her beautiful new family of 5! Thank you for letting me be a part of it all and for trusting me with your secret. 

OK dear readers... What do you think? Please, please tell us. 

We get tons of comments on Facebook and via email and are oh so grateful... But, come on, as thankful as we are for your sweet comments, we are, in fact "bloggers". We live for our comments and quite frankly, we look like losers. Yes, with a capital "L". So, please tell us what you think and comment ON OUR BLOG. 

Ok, sounding a little desperate, so off to ward off pregnancy rumors. 

Bye bye birdie,

~H

Credit to: All of those people who tried to get me to cave and to God for letting this NOT be one of those times when the ultrasound was mistaken.

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Write by: AN - Friday, July 1, 2011