Anya Sarre, designer to the stars, has just completed her most important project yet. She created a designer nursery to drool over for her new arrival, baby boy Sawyer. We were lucky enough to get the inside scoop on her favorite products and Sarre’s tips on how to pull off a fabulous nursery on a budget.
SheKnows: Congratulations on your new arrival! How is baby Sawyer doing?
Anya Sarre: He is growing every day. He is a good sleeper and a great eater. We are just so lucky.
SheKnows: How are you adjusting to motherhood?
Anya Sarre: Motherhood is a change of pace for me. Before Sawyer, life was all about my career but now that he is here motherhood just feels natural. Every day is new and exciting, and it all goes by so fast. I look back at the end of each day and wonder where the time went.
SheKnows: You created a gorgeous space for Sawyer. Since you didn’t know what you were having how did you manage to pull off such a perfectly styled room so quickly?
Anya Sarre: I have always been a huge planner so it was crazy for me to not find out what we were having. I had rooms designed for a boy or a girl.
Both rooms would have a nautical theme but the girl’s room would have been navy, hot pink and silver, and the boy’s room was planned with a color scheme of navy, kelly green and gray. We were going to decorate the girl’s room with mermaids and seahorses and the boy’s with turtles, crabs and life preservers.
SheKnows: Did you incorporate anything personal into the decor?
Anya Sarre: Sawyer is sleeping in a cradle my grandfather hand-carved for me. I had it repainted and monogrammed to make it his own. I also had a customized wall monogram made by 2 Preppy Girls and personalized blankets monogrammed by Butterscotch Blankees in hunter green.
SheKnows: What advice do you have for someone who is decorating their first nursery?
Anya Sarre: First, let me say that decorating a nursery can be completely overwhelming. You have piles of things, and you don’t know where to put them or how to get organized. You definitely need a plan.
Here is how I got through the process:
- Come up with a theme and color scheme. Pick two basic colors and one accent color. A nursery doesn’t have to be in traditional pastels, but if you do choose pastels choose something like yellow and lilac for a girl or yellow and green for a boy and throw in turquoise accents.
- Get organized. I am all about containers, everything must have a place. I found bins and cubbies at Pottery Barn Kids and The Container Store. You don’t want your nursery to feel cluttered. Before the baby comes home, store what you can and remove what you don’t need right away.
- Put together the room. Choose one wall as your statement wall; use a wall-motif or bold color or even wallpaper and then add in details. Don’t be afraid to choose a bold statement piece like a rocker or mix colors and patterns. My biggest challenge was finding a rocker, it was important for function and show. I fell in love with the one made by Newco International.
- Add accenting details. Choose details that go with your theme. We found all kinds of accent pieces from stuffed animals to burp clothes that fit our nautical theme. You won’t find a single jungle animal in the room, only things that coordinate with the theme and color scheme. Sticking with your theme is very important to pulling the room together and completing your look.
SheKnows: Where did you find some of the other amazing pieces for Sawyer’s room?
Anya Sarre: Carousel Designs created the curtains to really set the tone for the room. They also made the pillows and lampshade. The crib and changing table are Stokke from Bel-Bambini, and the rug is from Shades of Light. I also wanted a lot of natural products for Sawyer so I found diapers, a carrier and many other natural products at Granola Babies. I even found custom burp clothes from Jannuzzi and little diapers with anchors on them at The Honest Co..
SheKnows: Any tips or favorite places to shop for those designing on a budget?
Anya Sarre: You can definitely create a perfect nursery on a budget. You can still follow my design tips but find great pieces at online flash sales like One Kings Lane or Zulily. I also love Target and found great frames for Sawyer’s room at Kmart. If you have something specific in mind use the internet to search until you find it in your price range. You can find great things on sites like Etsy and create a super sheek room on a budget.
SheKnows: Any last tips for the overwhelmed decorator/expecting mom?
Anya Sarre: Have fun with it. Designing a nursery shouldn’t be stressful. It should be one of the most enjoyable things about having a baby. It is all about creating a warm, cozy home for your new baby.
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