Another Chair Rail Dilemma

Hello!
I found your website tonight and it was a Godsend! I learned a lot already from two of your posts but here is my dilemma. I hope you can help me!

We are prepping a baby room (due October 5th) and have set aside July 22-25th for painting. I have recently decided I want to add a chair rail to the room. Actually, I decided I was set on wainscoting but have already changed my mind - long story. Anyway, I would like to do a white chair rail around the room with a dark shade of green on bottom and a lighter shade of green from the same palette on top. Two problems:

1. The walls are 8 ft. and I was thinking 4 ft. high rail. After reading your blog, I have determined that is wrong. ;)
2. There is a double window with the bottom sill at 34 inches. This led me to think of the chair rail somewhere in the 40 inch range. Closer to a 1/3 than 1/2. However, the window is recessed and not framed out. In fact, the recessed part of the wall is curved, not hard-cornered.

I do NOT like the image I get of putting the rail as low as to meet up with the 34 inch sill. But with a crib and changing table, 40 inch height will likely be hidden half of the time.

So, what height do we do the rail for the most visually pleasing look? AND if that height lies within the range of the window, how do we corner it at the window where there is no frame and a curved edge? I can send pictures if they help you visualize. Thanks so much for any professional advice you can give me!
Best,
Erin

Hi Erin,

Congratulations on your baby!!! I realized that I have totally missed your weekend that you plan to paint. I get horribly behind in requests- but I'll give you my two cents of opinion in even if it is too late.

If you have already read my blog you probably know my overall opinion on chair rails- so I won't get into how much I dislike them when they are cheesy and small. If you haven't read all I have to say- and want to learn more- click here.

I will also take a moment to try to talk you out of it. Check out the wallpaper and crown moulding above...

Here is a great chair rail picture- Personally- I don't like it. I find it cheesy and cheap- and also think it hits the wall too close to the middle. Please notice that the window is framed- this is necessary if your chair rail hits your window at any level.

Another cute idea that can only be yours without a chair rail....

Here is a charming room- but another bad example as far as chair rail location goes- hitting too close to the half way up the wall area...

And here is one more cute idea that has no chair rail. Chair rails can be limiting in your decorating. I would have all the wall decor figured out before locking yourself into a design that has to work with a chair rail. On second thought- look closely at this photo above- maybe there is a chair rail- do you see that little piece of wood between the chair and the crib? You can't even see it- which is another one of my points with chair rails- they are frequently covered with furniture.

I would read this post and consider having the chair rail a couple of feet from the ceiling- or of course- simply skip the chair rail.

A note on nursery design. Remember that the baby is in a crib for two years max. Plan your toddler's room at the same time- know how you will arrange your furniture etc. before you do some super cute wall decor that won't work well with a big boy bed.

Cool New Source

Art for Kids is a high end children's bedroom source. This is for the home that is far too formal and beautiful to have anything other than fine furniture in the children's rooms. In addition to furniture- I like their Barbie prints.

I love the classic Peter Rabbit.

Their bed crowns are truly fit for a princess.

And don't these cribs make you wish for twins? yeahhh... not me either :). Even if the price point is beyond you, they are a great source for ideas that you could implement in your own home. Perhaps you could purchase a favorite children's book at Barns and Noble and frame the pictures. The handy among you could make your own upholstered headboards. Just because it's a child's room doesn't mean that it shouldn't have crown moulding, and beautiful woodwork. You can get a peak of the beautiful pink ceiling in the top photo. Take a good look at the pictures- what do you see that would be fun to implement in your own home?

The Good the Bad and the Totally Ugly

Christine,

I'm having a baby boy in a couple of months and want to get his roomdecorated. I have an idea of where I want to go with it, but don't want itto look "themed," just pulled together. You are great at that.I like the jungle look. My husband and I have been to Africa several timesand our pictures and souvenirs from there are very special to us. I have both wooden and ivory elephant statues. A friend sent me a custom mobile from Kenya that will be perfect. I also have a light green chair (I recovered it especially for the room) and I found a brown receiving blanket that I love with elephants on it. Here are my questions:Should I buy anything else theme-ish (Target has a lot of stuff)? I have ones heet, but can take it back if you gasp in horror.What should I do for window treatments?I can sew a crib skirt and other bedding, but what print/pattern/stripe?The room is a blank canvas, currently yellow, but I will be painting it. Iwas thinking off white/beige with the focal wall with the crib being dark brown on the bottom and the same off white/beige on top with a higher than normal chair rail. Other info you might need: The room is small (10x10),moldings are white, oak wood floors, oak crib, and changing table (with bamboo baskets for drawers, Pottery Barn style).Thanks for any input you can give me. And you can be honest -- I love your style.--

Alysun

Dear Alysun,

Congratulations!!!!

I thought I would break my response into two sections- what I hate - and what I like. I know that hate is a strong word- and then all of my friends that read my blog and have things like this will think I hate their kids rooms- but no- honestly- I don't care about their kids' rooms.

I hate it when people go a little overboard creative in their window treatments- like the grass skirt below. If you like it- whatever- I personally don't. (although there are exceptions to everything- I once saw a surfboard used as a valance and I thought it was awesome) For your window treatments, I would use a dark brown woven wood roller shade with a cream colored flat fold Roman Shade over it, and add cheetah or zebra print material to the edges, like a fabric tape. If I could find a picture, I'd post one- but when I just think it up- finding a picture is a little hard. oh yes- and I also hate wallpaper boarders and cheesy wallpaper.

I hate it when walls are decorated with a bunch of little things- like the mural below. It's a big wall- decorate it with something big. If you're painting a mural- simplify it and make it larger. All of these little things drive me crazy. And tell me- why are the monkey and the giraffe the same size???

This third picture incorporates a few of the things I hate- it has a cheesy wallpaper boarder- and total scale problem. If they would have hung the letters closer to the crib, so they would have a relationship with the crib- that could work. But still- you have large walls and small pictures. And what's up with combining Tinker Bell with Jungle stuff? Two themes???

Now let's attack these two paint colors- the one above and the one below. Children need to sleep in their bedrooms. Why do some people paint them such obnoxious colors? That is just a bad idea on every level. However- that little boy is totally cute in the picture below huh? The wall should be light gray though...

I like the mural below because it is- a good scale, and simple, and soft colors. A baby could still sleep in this room. (from Murals for Kids)

If murals are simple and wall colors overall are soft- a giraffe like the one below is also cute.

I like the changing pad at the top of the post- I found it on Amazon. It brings in your safari feel without going all cheesy. The bedding below is from Pottery Barn kids- again, I like the simplicity of it. I can tell you that I have always had bedding made when I have decorated nurseries- for myself or others- I prefer solid colors over strong pattern that dictate too much in the room.

So-

1. Keep your scale in line with every wall of your room.
2. Don't go purchasing every jungle item you find.
3. Get a plan and carry it out.

I did a baseball room once where I had painted the words to take me out to the ball game on the wall- you could do a similar thing with The Lion Sleeps Tonight. My friend Marika recently did a fabulous jungle themed nursery- I asked her to send in pictures and I will post them when she does. Post Script- she just e-mailed them so they are added to the top of the post. :)

For more ideas check out this post on Malia's Jungle nursery. Also- read this post- where I went into detail about Feng Shui for the nursery.

So, tell me, what do you hate? What do you like? Do you have any ideas for Alysun?

Wallpaper Wenesday- Wallpaper Silhouettes

These are wallpaper silhouettes. Made by Romp, they are hand cut from vintage and new wallpapers. 95% of the papers are vintage and in limited supply. They come in a kit with paste and instructions. What do you think? I saw the orange dog and thought of Beth- from yesterday's post. The trees are my favorite- what a charming vintage feel they have to them with all of the different leaves.

I liked this gray trunk- what a sophisticated feel to the nursery. Romp sells the little bird feeder light also.

As my favorite radio station asks about new songs-

• Make it? or
• Break it?

Cool New Source

Today I wanted to show you a super cool- and surprisingly affordable source called "Design Public." They have a contemporary/ modern style- that is transitional enough to fit into many interiors. They have everything from large wall art...

to nursery bedding...

cool lateral files (I have a hard time finding cool office furnishings)...

and fabulous lighting... you know how I like my butterflies :) Anyway- check it out! It has a little something for everyone!