Tag: zebra

  • What’s Black and White and Red All Over?

    What’s Black and White and Red All Over?

    Yesterday I shared the early plans for Calvin’s nursery, but today I thought I’d share what could have been.

    What's Black and White and Red All Over?

    Months back, I was looking through my wallpaper samples while thinking about what I was going to do in the nursery. The Scalamandré zebras have been a favorite for a long time, and Eleanor had even requested ages ago that we use them somewhere in this house. So I thought, hey! Maybe for the nursery! But then, perhaps you remember what happened with a certain little boy and his wallpapered room? I was not eager for a repeat.

    Soon after scrapping that idea, I’d spotted a really cute zebra rug. Maybe the room could be inspired by the wallpaper instead! I already had those pillows elsewhere in the house, so I gathered them together and brought them up to the nursery. I found a red that was similar to the background of the wallpaper, and I went out to pick up the rug.

    It wasn’t coming together though. The room would have needed a lot of art on the walls to break up all of the red, since I wasn’t going to have the pattern of wallpaper anymore. I could have switched to a different wall color of course, but the bigger problem with the plan was that I wasn’t a big fan of the rug in the room. The wood floor isn’t in the greatest condition (some discoloration from water damage, wear and tear from when the room functioned as a kitchen), and the rug only called attention to it. Back to the store it went, and back to the beginning for the room. I had Calvin not long after, and now that we’re past the newborn phase, I’m finally feeling ready and able to take on the design of his room again.

    I still think the zebras could have led to a great nursery, but it wasn’t right for our house.

  • Eleanor Tenenbaum

    Eleanor Tenenbaum

    E was with me a few days ago at the Chicago Kate Spade store, where they have Scalamandré zebra wallpaper in the bathroom. She loved it, and said that we should have it in our new house, so I asked if I could take her picture in front of it.

    EleanorTenenbaum

    Nice pose, kid. Where have I seen… wait a minute.

    Scalamandre Zebra Wallpaper in Royal Tenenbaums

    Huh.

    But she may be onto something. I mean, this is some seriously fantastic wallpaper, right? I put together a collection of my favorite bathrooms and powder rooms using the pattern (in red, and in other colorways too). Something to think about for the new house.