A Dream Come True

Yesterday, we awoke to another foot of snow and a never-ending blizzard, but nothing, I mean nothing, could kill my mood because out there, on almost every doorstep was a copy of the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe and inside the Magazine was a Style Watch feature on the room I designed for our boys.  Talk about a dream come true!!!  After digging out our neighbors copy, the LM woke me up with a huge smile on his face and just seeing my work in actual print, I mean, what can I say... there is nothing like it.

We braved the blizzard in search of a dozen more copies and after going from one closed door to another, I finally made the decision to "borrow" a stack that was buried deep in the snow at a darkened Starbucks (don't worry I left a message with my number letting them know I was the newspaper thief.)

After cleaning out the city (literally) we celebrated the big day at home and despite the sub zero temps, I spent the rest of the afternoon smiling ear to ear.  My favorite part of the piece and something that I truly believe when it comes to designing a space for kids is the following:

I used to think a nursery should be babyish, full of lambs and clouds. I realize now that good design is design that will grow with them, not be design that they will outgrow.

That really is what I think makes this room so special.  I can see three-year-old Gray in it, just as easily as I can see thirteen- year-old Gray in it.  This room is so personal to them, whether it's the surf mementos from my Dad, or the varying nods to their Swiss heritage, and even the pennant is from the school they will both be attending.  I really tried to think about who they are now, but also the teenagers that they are growing in to (gulp).  Investing in the basics, recognizing that down the road we can easily switch out some of the more childish accessories, just makes sense and really is my philosophy for our entire house (and even my wardrobe when I actually think about it.)  Below you can see the entire room, which was photographed by the incredibly talented and lovely Sarah Winchester  (make sure you check out her blog too... it's awesome!)  Seeing our space through her eyes gave me so much confidence in putting our home out there for the world to see.  I used to be so worried that I wasn't a "designer" by trade, and now I see that as more of a positive than a negative.

This house was my project for so long, my baby, and I can't even begin to explain what it is like to see it so well received by others.  The Globe was a dream come true, and I can't even believe it, but another major publication will be featuring our entire home later in the week! (You know I'll be posting all about that, but for now you just get that teaser ;))  This room really was the beginning of my foray into home design and I learned so much from my failures and successes in this space. In the end I see it as proof that good design doesn't have to be expensive, and that if you take the time and insert your personality you will end up with a space that is not only beautiful but will also stand the test of time.