Five years ago Pam Ginocchio and Melisa Fluhr, barely knew what a blog was. Now, their vibrant Project Nursery site leads the pack for family-centric interior design resources online.
The online décor destination is filled with everything you need to know about creating a nursery, from tips and ideas to product and brand recommendations.
Alongside a professional team of 12 interior designers, real parents offer real advice on designing a nursery that is special for parents and baby. Popular sections of the site include the Project Gallery, where parents can proudly showcase their finished rooms, and the design blog, where readers can scope out new trends.
For the complete lowdown, we caught up with Ginocchio and Fluhr (who is currently designing her own children’s rooms in her new home). Luckily for us, the dynamic momtrepreneurs are eager to share their tips, tricks, and takes on the top trends they’ve been seeing.
How did it all begin and why were you inspired to start your site?
Ginocchio: Melisa was planning her first nursery in L.A. in a house that needed total renovation. They couldn’t quite afford to renovate the whole thing, so Melisa auditioned for a makeover from HGTV and in two days she had cameras on her front door from the show Rate My Space. Afterward, she put photos of her nursery on HGTV’s website, and overnight it became the number one nursery. She was inundated with e-mails about how to do the wall treatment [she did for] her son’s wall—a lattice paint treatment.
And this idea came to her: “Why don’t I put this information in a blog?” Because people are really interested and they want to know about every aspect of this room. That’s when she called me up and said, “I think we should start a blog”—and I said, “Okay, what’s a blog?”
Fluhr: There was nothing else at the time and I think now there is probably too much out there. Especially when you’re expecting your first, you’re so overwhelmed with information and there are so many products and design ideas. We try to give people options and help them get to the part where the nursery is finished.
What makes Project Nursery stand out from other design sources?
Ginocchio: We’re all about the real, the real parent. It’s not about being a professional interior designer, and that’s certainly not what Melisa and I have ever been. Back then it was really about ripping out pages from magazines. We’re really about how you can achieve the nursery you want on your own—a little DIY, a little bit of shopping, some high-low blending prices.
Most people don’t have the means or desire to hire a professional interior designer to do their baby’s nursery. We are the champions of the real, everyday parent, especially for urban families. You have space constraints or maybe you’re renting and we offer solutions for every budget, every style, and every scenario.
Fluhr: We are so heavily community driven and, unlike bigger sites, we are so niche. It’s all about kids design and a well-designed life with kids, because we really believe it’s all about mixing and matching and about the nursery being an extension of your own home. There’s a real conversation happening, specifically in the Project Gallery where parents are able to upload their rooms and have conversations with other parents: ”Where did you get the rug? Where did you get the crib?”
What are some key features of the site?
Fluhr: We started our site in 2008 as a blog, and we offer design trends and advice three times a day. That content is produced not only by myself and Pam, but also by our team of true design experts. I would mention our Vendor Guide—we have companies that we’ve gone out and hand-selected that we’re saying is the best, and we love what they do.
When should parents have purchased everything?
Fluhr: We tell everyone to start buying in the second trimester. I think that’s when you really do the heavy lifting—[but] don’t do any heavy lifting! That’s when the real work takes place. We like to say that the first trimester is the time to dream and create and just get used to the idea that you’re pregnant and you’re having a family. By the time the second trimester rolls around is when our parents are most active.
Do you design with the baby or the parents in mind?
Ginocchio: You don’t have to make it super baby…the days of that matchy-matchy, sort of Winnie-the-Pooh nursery are gone. And you really can do anything you want. You can make it sophisticated, and obviously with the key pieces like the crib and the changer, it’s going to be functionally perfect for the baby. We’ve always taken the stance that mom and dad are going to spend a lot of time in that nursery, and you want it to be a place that you feel really good in. Your baby’s going to love it, no matter what! We’re saying it’s an opportunity to actually design. And you don’t have to clutter it up with overly baby things.
What’s the best first step in designing the nursery?
Ginocchio: Find your inspiration. It can be a color palette that you love, a fabric, bedding, or a piece of art.
Fluhr: Now with tools like Pinterest—rather than buying a couple things, then sitting back and thinking, “Okay now what do I do?”—you can actually plan everything out and sit and stare at it in one place. It’s collecting those thoughts and ideas and inspiration and coming up with a design board, essentially, just like any designer would, to put everything together. So maybe that crib you had in mind may look funny with the bedding you wanted, and this way you can easily adjust it.
What are some absolute essentials, besides the crib?
Fluhr: The glider, I think, is a must.
Ginocchio: Yes, or a comfy chair. It can be a rocker, glider, or a little loveseat, but definitely a place to bond with baby. Gliders are awesome because they’re comfortable for mom and baby and they often help getting the baby down. And then a place to change the baby, whether it’s a dresser with a changing top or a whole changing station.
Fluhr: Then the dimmer switch for overhead lighting…so that in the middle of the night, for those late night feedings, you’re not turning on the light at full blast. You can have a nice soft glow and go in and check on baby. Kids grow so fast, I think it’s also important to have enough storage. I don’t think parents realize how much stuff they’re going to get. They’re waiting for baby, then all of a sudden there’s just stuff everywhere.
What are some common mistakes parents make?
Fluhr: Safety. You have to be really careful; you can get excited about the design aspect of it that you may forget. It’s not smart to put your crib in front of a window or hang heavy things on a wall right above the crib. There are a lot of things like that that parents have to keep in mind.
Ginocchio: If you’re buying reputable products, there are strict guidelines, but you can take the extra step. With paint, for example, we really advocate for low [Volatile Organic Compound] paint choices like Lullaby Paints, and most brands offer those options. You can go as far as organic bedding, and companies like Sprout offer a fully organic glider.
What do you think about wall art?
Fluhr: I think wall art really finishes a room. It’s so important to incorporate art in the room, because it does bring a lot of personality, whether it is in the form of a canvas, poster, picture, or even just a simple wall decal.
Ginocchio: There are just so many amazing, affordable, fun options for art. It’s an area where you can really get fun and funky.
What’s your favorite part of the whole design process?
Fluhr: The reveal at the end. When the room is clean and perfect, it’s the best. When somebody actually starts with an idea and goes through and executes it.
Ginocchio: The starting off point and the possibilities. I actually really enjoy the different options and the imagination process. It’s really fun and it’s a way to be creative.
To see a slideshow of Melisa & Pam’s top nursery items, click HERE!
