We have a little room upstairs that is being used as the playroom. Actually, Harry is currently living in there as his room is being painted this week.  But, once he is back in his own room….I want to get this room fixed up asap.

Because the room has to grow with both Maddie and Harry, I am thinking of doing a Navy and Green combination.

This rug might just have to be my jumping off point….

I haven’t started to think about textiles yet, but I do know I am going to try to keep this room on a budget, and want to use kid friendly fabrics and elements.  Think indoor/outdoor fabric, comfy places to read and play with the trains/dolls, multi-purpose furnishings and loads of storage.  Here are a few inspirational photos I’ve found in this color scheme.

Michael Graydon Photography

Love the colors above, and really love the window treatments!  Below, check out a similar navy zebra rug.  I think this is Jonathan Adler, but am not positive.

Ngoc Minh Ngo Photography

I am pretty sure this next nursery uses the rug I am contemplating.  And by they way, check out the source of the nursery….I just discovered her blog and am hooked!

á la mode

Love this next room, is that grasscloth on the walls?  Totally out of the budget for our playroom….but if funds were unlimited….and I didn’t care about wear and tear from the kiddos….

Michael Grimm Photography

Michael Grimm Photography

I love the textiles and the general feel of this next one.

image via here.

Thanks so much for taking the time last week to provide comments on my blog.  I *think* I have the photos showing up in google reader now and may even have the issue fixed for the few Mac viewers who were having problems.  If you would, do you mind letting me know if your “issues” appear to be fixed when you have a moment?

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.  We sure are here.  Lots of trips to the park, the pool, met with our architect and a prospective builder, grill has been working overtime, etc.  Cannot believe summer is here!

I have a few readers who have alerted me to issues they have when viewing my blog posts.  I recently bought a MAC and while I have no trouble viewing my posts, I notice my fonts don’t show up properly (my blog headings are supposed to be a pleasing looking font….but for me, they show up as big thick blog letters when viewing on the iPhone/iPad and Mac laptop).

I’ve had others say that they cannot view my first photo in a given post….but when they come back….say a day later….they will see the post.

My website designer and I are really having a terrible time trying to pinpoint where the issues are.  So, I am asking a favor….if you regularly read my blog and notice some sortof consistency to the issue(s) you encounter would you comment here and let me know?  If you would, please let me know what operating system/device/browser you use and any other relevant information so we can try to isolate the issue and hopefully resolve it.

Sorry for the inconvenience.  This is driving me crazy!  Trust me.

If you read my blog, you know that I am using this pattern in a grey/charcoal colorway for Harry’s nursery.  Here it is in an another colorway. 

photo by Laurie Glenn for Southern Living

I just love how versatile this pattern is.

There is another online magazine on the block.  Have you heard about it?  Entra, which debuted last week, is the brainchild of a handful of former Architectural Digest editors, photographers, etc. who left when the guard changed. 

I have only had a chance to do a quick scan of the first issue.  Here are a couple of images that more than caught my eye.  Did your last vacation suite look like the one below? 

From Vidago Palace in Portugal via Entra

I am dying over that wallpaper in the bedroom.  And the blue, I’d probably never do it….but wish I had the nerve!  Or what about the image below…..a newlywed couple’s place in Manhattan.  Must be nice!

photography by Durston Saylor

It looks like after this first issue you will need to subscribed to view their bi-monthly offerings.  What do you think?  Will you subscribe?

Poor little Harry is 7 months old now and this is how his room has looked since we moved to Dallas in late December.  As you can see the below images are completely un-styled…..I am keeping it real here.  You can even see Harry’s head popping up in one of the photos!

You may recall from my numerous posts on inspiration (or lack thereof) that my jumping off point has been the Logo patterned carpet by Stark.  Originally on back-order until mid-July, it ended up coming in super early and is sitting at my receiver.  I had it custom cut to the room….leaving a 6 inch perimeter of wood on the edges of the room.

Last week I had a contractor out to work on installing wainscoting on the lower 1/3 of the room and adding crown molding.  I am loving the progress so far!

We will also be adding a piece of molding with a groove to the top of the wainscoting so that we can prop up photos and other accessories.

I have also selected a fan for the room.  I had really struggled with this.  I hate fans but it gets hot here and I figured I had to give on this one…and do what is practical.  Because our ceilings are so low my options were limited.  Ultimately, I decided on the one below….which sortof reminds me of an airplane propeller.  And, while we are not doing a theme in Harry’s room….we do have some special aeronautical artwork for the room.  (My husband went to the Air Force Academy in Australia and is very into history.  He was able to track down a piece depicting the plane my grandfather was in while shot down at the end of WWII.)

All of the woodwork and trim will be painted Benjamin Moore’s Navajo White and the walls (and probably the back of the built in shelving) will be Benjamin Moore’s Crystalline.

And below are the fabric selections.  I am going to do the windows with “Pollen” from Christopher Farr Cloth.  I’ve also selected coordinating striped and solid linens from Duralee to recover the chair and ottoman (stripe with solid contrasting welting).  I also want to have a square “poof” made for under the built in desk.  Eventually, I’d like to have a tinted ghost chair at the desk….but right now I think it may be a hazard as Harry starts to crawl and eventually climb.  No need helping him with his efforts by adding a chair over there!

I still have plenty to do.  I need to find new hardware for the built-ins and the adjoining bathroom (he and Maddie share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and each have their own sink areas and walk-in closets).  Today, I’ve got an electrician coming out to replace all of the outlet plates and innards (the house was built in the 1920s and I want everthing to look re-freshed.  Plus, we have to move some of the outlets and switches to accomodate the placement of the wainscoting). 

I am now thinking of removing the soffets over the sink in the bathroom, installing an overhead light, adding sconces and framing out a large mirror.  This will require losing a medicine cabinet but I think that is ok.  We are also going to add crown molding in this area and I am going to put a large basket of towels under the cabinet.  I don’t really see Harry sitting here primping too often!

So, today I am starting the search for lighting.  This is the first room in the home to get any attention and it feels good to finally make a tad of progress!