Reader Spaces: Visit the Chan Nursery
I have a few pretty spaces to show you today, the first is of a modern nursery in Vancouver, Canada. I rarely feature kid's design but since these parents use many things that can be placed in an adult space, such as independent art and a fantastic tile rug, all can find inspiration from this colorful nursery. The space belongs to Tracy Harvey-Chan and her husband Francis Chan, Tracy proudly expressed that Francis was just as responsible for the design as she was. It's great to see both parents having equal input on the design and I love that they teamed up to pull it together.
And if you wonder why there's a sofa vs. a chair, well this first pregnancy is quite exciting for them as they're expecting twin girls, hence the sofa for both parents to spend time with their little cuties. Let's visit the Chan nursery, shall we? I asked Tracy a few questions...
decor8: Tell us about your inspiration...
Tracy: The walls were white and we weren't allowed to paint, so we wanted to create a sense of nature and warmth. We started to do this through color - woodsy browns, mossy greens and sky blues, the reclaimed lumber shelf and the animal theme which runs throughout. We also liked the mix of modern, clean lines with the antique, ornate frames and shelf.
decor8: What was the first thing you picked up for this room?
Tracy: The first would be the squirrel painting which was given to us by a good friend, in fact all the art came before any of the necessities!
decor8: How did you decide on the colors?
Tracy: We started to decorate before we knew genders, so we wanted gender neutral colors that weren't typical baby colors. We wanted muted colors that were drawn from nature rather than pink, blue or yellow.
decor8: Where did you find most items?
Tracy: The art came from several different artists on Etsy, the Numbers poster from Binth, antique stores, our friend Lara painted the squirrel, an old Richard Scarry book and our first Ultrasound. The baby furniture is from the Oeuf line and the carpet tiles are from Flor.
decor8: What are your 5 favorite pieces?
Tracy: The wooden plank shelf (from reclaimed lumber), ALL the art, especially the first ultrasound photo, 3. the throw (stag print) which covers the sofa is made by David Fussenegger, an Austrian designer, 4. The Jonathan Adler giraffe lamp, and 5. the stuffies above the crib (I believe this is a local artist, but unfortunately cannot remember the name).
decor8: Where do you like to shop online?
Tracy: Etsy!
decor8: Where do you click when you're looking for design ideas and inspiration?
Tracy: Swiss Miss, Cookie magazine, Design Mom, and Fine Little Day. Most of these blogs have links to other baby type sites - an endless list to get lost in!
decor8: Any Vancouver stores you suggest for baby gear in your local hood?
Tracy: Crocodile Baby, Modern Kid, TJ's Kids, Dandelion Kids and the Inhabit Shop.
Thank you Tracy and Francis for allowing us into this great nursery, lovely job pulling it together! Congratulations on your pregnancy, yay!
(images by tracy harvey-chan)