dressing a daybed

As I'm making slow progress on unpacking, I'm left with a dilemma. I bought the daybed version of this bench. Originally it was for a guest room, now a nursery. So the question is, how to dress it?

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I'm debating on if it is possible to dress it well without covering the back detailing. It seems so many daybeds are beautiful because of the plethora of cushions but I just love the shape of this bed. Daybeds are not an oft discussed design feature on blogs (I tried researching!) and I will say, more often than not inspiration is not to my liking. Either underdone or overdone. I do know I find the following rooms beautiful, is it the daybed?

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A couple others I've posted before. I know I'm not planning bed hangings but these are lovely rooms.

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So what are your thoughts? Advice? I'm having four Euro covers done soon and two 18 inch pillows. I'm not sure how to arrange them but I wanted them for comfort at the very least.

And can you believe this makes 250 posts?

tanbo art

In an attempt to escape unpacking I've been touring the local area with some new expat friends. One of our recent trips was to view tanbo art in Inakadate. 

 

 

Images by me, please credit if you share, thanks!

favorite shop

One of my favorite stores here in Japan is Muji. I had forgotten about it until I stopped in the other day. I don't even identify with their aesthetic but the utter completeness of it makes me want to buy kraft paper notebooks, red rain boots and blond wood furniture like it going out of style. I like to think of it as an enlightened Ikea.






I know there are a few shops in NYC and London as well as a handful of other cities. Beware, you'll find yourself buying a lot of things you don't need because, well they're pretty.

Images from Muji.com and here and here and here

irrational wants

Can anyone tell me if everyone becomes as truly irrational as me while they're expecting? I spent a week deliberating on buying these youth chairs that are only twenty inches tall. Mind you I have zero necessities and I wouldn't classify these as required. I finally decided to say goodbye to them, only because I can barely order a glass of water here in Japan (I'm working on it...) let alone find a re-finisher should there be lead. Trying to be rational and responsible but it is not fun. I had to let these darling chairs go.

Our things arrived this week just when my husband is working quite a bit. This means I have two options: a. unpack everything myself or b. live in a fort of boxes for two months. Hope you are all well and I hope to be back to enjoying design as soon as I can see the things I own, not just cardboard.

farmers market

These past couple weeks have been brutally hot here in Japan. Someone in Russia please send some cool winds my way! Many residential buildings, including our building, are not air conditioned in this area. AC really isn't required but for about a month every summer - it is unbearable. Everyone on the streets is walking with personal fans. I caved and bought mine at the drugstore. It is just too hot! Still waiting on our things and working with limited technology. Hopefully only another week or two to go. Until then I wanted to share this pretty garden at my local organic farmers market.

 I loved the verbena and lavender. They were in the process of replacing the center tree while we were there so you'll just have to visualize it entirely green...

This is not like any American market! They have a beautiful restaurant where the chef prepares whatever has come into market that day. But my absolute favorites are greenhouses of fresh strawberries, bananas, papayas and mangoes.They had the prettiest sitting area in the banana greenhouse.

And I'm a sucker for their petting zoo. The local children were so interested in feeding the goats, lambs, bunnies and this mini horse. And in case you are wondering, that's what it looks like when you drop an entire head of cabbage into a pen full of rabbits - whoops...

nursery inspiration, part two

I think I am using that blue buffalo check that I've been hoarding. I know, blue - what if it is a girl? To be fair it seems gender neutral because it is a French blue more than a baby blue. Really I'm planning to reuse a lot of the blue fabrics and draperies I've been storing. I'm a fabric hoarder... Here are some beautiful blue rooms that are inspiring me. I have loved this Elizabeth Dinkel nursery as long as I can remember. Sweet but not saccharine.

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This nursery from Lunden Lou is just too precious.

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This room by Brian McCarthy looks so tailored.

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How about this pattern saturated room by Meg Braff?

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Of course, a couple of Phoebe's

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This daybed from "Canadian House and Home" is so peaceful

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I think this crib is so darling that I tried to order it with another finish. They wouldn't ship over here but I do admire this little room by Nancy Boszhardt.

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The real problem (as I described to a blogging friend the other day) is that we're very limited by what furnishings we can acquire here. From what I've seen Japanese cribs have different dimensions from the American cribs. And ordering an American crib can take up to eight months! Plus the Japanese nursery furnishings are very modern. So I'm going to have to go with whatever can be found here. I do already own a Victorian bentwood rocker. We will have to order a changing table. Quelle horreur! Actually it was either that or, as my husband suggested, change the child on a George III chest. Ha, yeah right kid.

I've been giving some thought to what Parnassus has said before about not being too sterile, it is a child's room after all. I agree. I think I'm just going to go with what I like and beyond that, let it evolve. 

nursery inspiration, part one

I am pregnant for the first time. We're really excited to be parents. My first thought was that I hope my child is healthy and happy but my next immediate thought was putting together a nursery. I recognize my nursery will probably never appear on a plethora of blogs or be pinned. I, unlike a majority of the people my age, have very traditional tastes. And moving, I'm not about to knock down any walls, re-floor or put in new wainscoting. I know that I'm going to be one of those bad parents that designs a nursery for themselves. Here are some nurseries and children's rooms that I admire, sorry for just so many photos. Again I totally get that most people don't share my tastes and that's okay!

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So love this one from the adorable mommy at Twenty Three Oh One.

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Of course the queen of youth spaces, Susanna Salk

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Of course, I so admire the talented Amy Meier's beautiful daughter's room

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Love this room by Tom Scheerer, although I'm not sure it is intended especially for children!

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And of course, thank you to the wonderful bloggers who have expressed such kind well wishes!