Located in the historic Lafayette Square neighborhood, this whimsical yet cozy nursery came about through the homeowner’s desire to create the perfect nursery for her daughter. “My goal was to create a space for her where historic charm meets childhood magic,” says Katherine Mette, homeowner and designer of the nursery. Containing rich golden accents and a soft pink theme throughout, this nursery is the perfect balance of charm and childhood wonder.
With most renovations done by Mette herself, this magnificent vintage inspired nursery initially started out as a simple Pinterest browse. From the soft pink drapes to the golden crib, Mette soon grew inspired to incorporate other vintage elements, such as furniture and art found around St. Louis and family heirlooms and oil paintings. A noticeable swan motif is visible throughout the nursery, carrying the theme across the wallpaper, to the furnishings and artworks. Reminiscent of the scenery found in Lafayette Park, the wallpaper carries special meaning to Mette, who saw the resemblance of the swans and arched bridges to that of her very own neighborhood. “I wanted a classic, timeless feel to reflect our home and neighborhood,” says Mette. “I used a theme of swans because of the iconic pair that live in Lafayette Park.”
Mette’s attention to detail is also shown through the oil paintings hung around the nursery, some of which are made by herself. “After finding out I was pregnant with a little girl I started working on a series of three oil paintings for her,” says Mette. “The first was a dancing teddy bear dressed as a ballerina, which was placed over her rocking chair. Adorably, this ended up being her favorite thing to focus on while being rocked to sleep or having a bottle. “The second painting was of a swan with an all pink background, which is placed over two pink sitting chairs,” Mette continues on. “The third is of a bunny enjoying a bubble bath which naturally needed to be placed in the bathroom. All three paintings were framed in matching golden baroque frames which I found to be a fun juxtaposition to the childlike playfulness of the paintings.”
Once the renovations were complete, Mette was able to add a touch of her own family history to the space. “Upon completion of the nursery, my father gifted me a pair of antique pink lamps,” Mette states. “They were purchased about a hundred years ago in the 1920s by my great-grandmother for my grandmother’s nursery. My grandmother grew up with them and kept them all these years. Now, five generations removed from my great-grandmother, my daughter will grow up with them.”
Surrounded by the beauty of the Lafayette Square neighborhood and the rich history of her family heirlooms, Mette’s nursery allows her daughter to grow up in a unique and beautiful home without stripping away its character. Simple yet classy, Mette’s dream of a nursery was finished just in time, a week before welcoming her daughter into the world.
