Bonavita Blog

Penelope Cruz Expecting!

2010-09-15T02:50:00.004-04:00

According to Celebrity-Babies, another great website about celebrities and their children, representatives for Spanish supercouple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have confirmed that Penelope is 4 1/2 months pregnant!

Recently photographed on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, filming in Puerto Rico, Penelope wore a loose, flowy top to hide her budding baby bump.

When it comes to personal style, Penelope Cruz is known for her sophisticated selections. This well-know couture afficonado has almost every single leading fashion designer clamoring to dress her for major events, and she has been photographed wearing one-of-a-kind designer gowns by everyone from Balmain to Chanel couture collection. Yet, it's also well known that Penelope has a penchant for vintage, which we can only guess translates to the decor style in her home.

For the sophisticated Mommy, with a love of couture, vintage and sophisticated clothing, we think the Liberty Lifestyle Crib in Charleston Cherry would be a great pick for the nursery!

What do you think about Penelope's personal style and how it will translate to the baby's nursery? Comment below!

Babble Top 50 Best Dressed Moms

2010-09-14T03:39:00.008-04:00

We are really big fans of Babble, a great resource for new parents. This site has wonderful content for parents at every stage of - well - parenting! We particularly like their Top 50 lists, which they periodically publish. And, while we think it's still a wee bit early in the year to publish any best of 2010 list, we love their recently posted Top 50 Best Dressed Moms of 2010!

These days, we're not surprised to see a list begin with Angelina Jolie, who we admit is one of the most glamorous Mothers in Hollywood. Coming in at #2 is Victoria Beckham, who always looks like she's going to a runway show, even if she's just taking her three sons to the Zoo!

Halle Berry, Heidi Klum, Padma Lakshmi, Nicole Richie, First Lady Michelle Obama, and one of our favorite new Mommy's Sandra Bullock, all made the list!

We were even surprised to see a number of reality show celebrities grace the list, which includes Real Housewives of New York star Countess LuAnn DeLesseps, Keeping Up With the Kardashian's Kourtney Kardashian and Bethenny Getting Married? star and new Mommy Bethenny Frankel.

But why, oh why, wasn't Jennifer Garner on this list? To us, she represents one of the most down-to-earth and yet glamorous Moms in all of Hollywood.

How she can get dressed in casual chic, wearing jeans and a comfortable yet stylish sweater, to pick her daughter up from day care or just run errands with the two girls....

...to looking absolutely stunning on the Red Carpet at the 2010 Golden Globes, embodies what is truly a best dressed Mommy. Because, as everyone knows, there's a time and a place for heels and a ball gown and the sand pit at your local park just isn't one of them! Hopefully the Babble editors will add Jennifer to the list next year!

In the meantime, we're still waiting to see the Top 50 Best Celebrity Nursery list! We're pretty sure you'll find a lot of Bonavita nursery furniture in that roundup.

So, who do you think is missing from this list? Which celebrity - based on their sense of style - do you think has the most stylish nursery? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Emmy Mommies

2010-08-31T13:27:00.006-04:00

(Photos courtesy of People's Celebrity Baby Blog)

Sunday's Emmy night featured the usual glitz and glam with star powered couples and some of Hollywood's hottest Mommies making their way down that red carpet! But, the one Mommy making the biggest splash - who unfortunately did not walk away with the award for lead actress in a comedy series - was Parks & Recreation star Amy Poehler. The new Mommy to son Abel James, her second son who was born on August 6th, looked absolutely incredible in a pale blue Maz Azria gown and Stephen Russell jewelry. Dressed so elegantly, we can just imagine what the boys nursery must look like back at the home she shares with husband and veteran actor Will Arnett. Being the sons of two comedians, we're pretty sure there's plenty of humor in that nursery!

Perhaps the biggest announcement, which did not come in a sealed envelope but was announced live on E!, was news from their correspondent and Watch with Kristin TV columnist, Kristin Dos Santos. The veteran TV journalist is expecting her second child in February! Some people send out formal baby announcements, while others break the news on live, national television. Congratulations Kristin! This baby will join big brother Luca Alexander, who is 16 months old. Kristin will probably just be turning Luca's crib into a toddler bed by the time the new baby is born!

With children so close in age, it's really easy to keep both a newborn and toddler in the same bedroom especially with the Bonavita cribs!

Do you have a toddler and newborn in one bedroom at home? What did you do to either ready the nursery for another newborn, or make it more toddler friendly? Share your design and decorating tips below!

Family Tree Nursery Art

2010-08-11T12:55:00.003-04:00

When we saw this amazing story from iVillage, we absolutely fell in love! When it comes to nursery wall art, why not decorated with the people you love the most - your family members!

With more than 15 suggested family tree designs to choose from, you can either keep it really tight knit and just include your nuclear family, or you can branch out (pun intended) and make sure all the generations are represented in your baby's nursery!

We think the Petals Aplenty template from My Tree and Me would look fabulous hanging over the Bonavita Peyton Classic Lifestyle crib!

Do you have a really unique idea for decorating your baby's nursery? Share with us below in our comment section!

Ali Larter's Nursery Style

2010-08-03T14:09:00.006-04:00

Ali Larter, one of our favorite Heroes, recently starting baring her baby bump all over Los Angeles! Having announced her pregnancy two weeks ago, this soon to be new Mommy has shared with the World her excitement over the baby.

And, while Larter might have spilled to People magazine about her 3:00 a.m. strawberry shortcake cravings, she sat down with Lucky magazine to talk about her personal style. The cover girl for this month's edition proclaimed that, after 34 years, she's finally comfortable with her sense of style. According to the interview, Larter has given up on the "trendy and funky" and gravitates towards more effortless dressing.

"I always feel sexiest in a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt", she said.

A person's dressing style can also translates to their home, and certainly to the baby's nursery! We think Ali is going to be a very laid back, relaxed kind of Mommy who will mirror her personal style in the baby's room.

Our recommendation for nursery furniture? Bonavita's Hudson Classic collection!

Do you share Ali's sense of personal style? If so, tell us how you plan on decorating your baby's nursery!

Project Nursery: Summertime Q&A

2010-07-19T14:47:00.000-04:00

Oh, the lazy days of summer, when the days are longer, the sun shines brighter, colors seem more vibrant, ice cream tastes sweeter and almost everyone is relaxed! There’s no better time like the present to focus on décor and design, and summer is a great time to tackle your baby’s nursery. Whether you’re a couple months away from delivery and looking at transforming an empty room into the perfect nursery, or if you want to redesign your baby’s current room, we’re bringing you great tips from the experts!

We’re constantly scouring the Internet for great blogs about nursery design and we recently spent enjoyable browsing time on Project Nursery. Launched in Spring of 2008 by moms and design enthusiasts Melisa Fluhr and Pamela Ginocchio, Project Nursery is all about showing real parents how to take charge of their own design and decorating project.

What we love about the Project Nursery blog, besides their innovative take on design, and their fabulous do-it-yourself projects, is their photo galleries of real nurseries designed, decorated and submitted by parents and other designers!

One nursery design, in particular, stood out from the rest. It’s not every day that we see a soon-to-be Dad taking the helm to design a new baby’s nursery. So, when Nick Wills saw how overwhelmed his 24-year-old wife Amber was when faced with designing both their new fixer upper and the baby’s nursery, he took charge and we took notice! He overcame an aversion to pink and pulled together a gorgeous design board to create the perfect room for Ramona!

We spoke with Pamela Ginocchio, Editor of Project Nursery and Partner of Little Apple Design, a specialized Company that provides original, tailored specific “e-design” nursery plans, who let us know why she often recommends Bonavita cribs. In the Q&A below, Pamela also offered up tips for contemporary nursery design, and a number of great go-to places and websites with the perfect nursery finds!

BONAVITA: In A Room For Ramona, Nick recommended the Bonavita Peyton crib. Why does the crib work for this space?

PAMELA: When designing a nursery we tend to gravitate towards clean and classic furniture pieces and then use other elements in the room such as the fabrics and accessories to add the pop and color. Bonavita has some great cribs, like the Peyton Classic Crib, that fit in well with all room styles.

BONAVITA: For new parents, the process of creating the baby's nursery can be exciting, and confusing, at the same time. What tips can you provide to help them with the decorating process?

PAMELA: Designing for baby can be overwhelming. Start by choosing a color palette and style: traditional, modern, vintage, etc. Choose key pieces to anchor the space like the crib, bedding and dresser and then accessorize from there. Don't be afraid to look at non-baby stores for accent items like a side table to go next to the glider or fun storage baskets. Also, incorporating a few homemade, heirloom or personal items give the room a sense of comfort and history.

BONAVITA: For parents whose homes have a modern decor, and want the baby's nursery to retain a similar look and feel as the rest of the home, how can they go about doing that and still have the room age appropriate for a new baby?

PAMELA: A modern style is nice because it always looks cohesive and pulled together. You can make the nursery modern but still have touches of "baby" by keeping the walls and furniture white and finding fun wall art. There are lots of great and unique prints for children out there. I like the letter fun series on Form-Baby.

Use modern white frames and try hanging two or three side by side.

BONAVITA: Once they’ve chosen a crib and furniture, are there any specific vendors or websites where parents can purchase all that they need to accessorize for a contemporary nursery without breaking the bank? Who are your favorites?

PAMELA: Besides the obvious resources like Land of Nod, we are big fans of places like West Elm, CB2, IKEA, and even Target.

It's all about mixing a few higher end items with inexpensive pieces. Other sites we love are NameyourDesign, Walnut Wallpaper, The Shade Store, and Avalisa.

Wall decals or painted stripes are also a great way to create a dramatic look without a big expense or commitment. Lastly, relax and have fun!

To find out where to purchase Bonavita furnishings, check out our store locator for a retailer near you!

Are you taking advantage of the Summer to create your baby’s nursery? If so, let us know how it’s going! Comment below and share where you’ve discovered amazing nursery finds!

And, as always, Bonavita Wishes YOU Inspired Nesting!

Father's Day Twitter Contest

2010-06-15T14:40:00.005-04:00

Father's Day Diaper Dude Giveaway from Bonavita®

We're delivering a special gift to one lucky Dad this Father's Day! Enter for your chance to win a Diaper Dude Bag!

It’s easy to participate - so even the busiest dads, dads-to-be, moms and moms-to-be can enter to win. Simply follow @bonavita on Twitter (if you aren’t already following). Then, retweet (RT) the following – "Dad's the BEST for building all the furniture in our baby's nursery" & follow @bonavita to win a @theDiaperDude Bag! http://bit.ly/gr8dad - and you will be entered for a chance to win.

One grand prize (ARV: $50.00)

Ø Diaper Dude bag

HOW TO ENTER

You must do both of the following to be entered.

Ø Follow @bonavita on Twitter. You must be a current follower by 6/17/2010 to be eligible.

Ø Retweet (RT): "Dad's the BEST for building all the furniture in our baby's nursery" & follow @bonavita to win a @theDiaperDude Bag! http://bit.ly/gr8dad. Limit one entry per day. Your first entry per day will be considered your eligible entry.

This contest ends Thursday, June 17th at 11:59 pm EST. This contest is open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!

CONTEST RULES

No purchase necessary. Must be at least 18 years of age to enter. One comment or entry per person per day. Must be a follower of @Bonavita on Twitter to be eligible. Please make sure the Twitter account you use to comment with is valid at the end of the contest period. Not open to employees or family members of employees of LaJobi, Inc. or Diaper Dude. U.S. residents only. A winner will be selected by random drawing at the end of the contest and we will DM the winner on Twitter. The winner must respond back to LaJobi, Inc. via email within 24 hours or an alternate winner will be selected by random drawing. No substitutions for cash are permitted with these giveaways. All participants also agree, as a condition of entry, to release and hold harmless LaJobi, Inc., its affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, employees and representatives, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability of any kind in connection with the contest, the drawing or any prize. The winner is solely responsible for the payment of all applicable federal, state and local taxes. Participants agree that the decisions of LaJobi, Inc. related to this contest and all drawings are final and binding. By participating in the contest and accepting the prize, the winner consents to the use of his or her name and/or likeness for promotional purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

The Bonavita & Serta® Mother’s Day Giveaway Winner!

2010-05-20T14:25:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Kendra Jackson Mason, the winner of our very first Bonavita and Serta Mother’s Day Twitter giveaway! The #MammaSaid week-long Twitter contest ended on Thursday, May 6^th and our winner was announced just in time for Mother’s Day! To enter the contest, Kendra became a follower of both @Bonavita and @sertamattresses on Twitter, and then shared her favorite Mom advice. Kendra tweets as @akritical on Twitter.

Kendra won a Mother’s Day Nursery Package that includes a Bonavita Liberty Lifestyle® Crib and Double Dresser, a Serta crib mattress and a limited edition Serta Counting Sheep plush toy.

The 31-year-old is married and a Mom to an eight year old daughter. They live in Charlottesville, VA where Kendra is a registered nurse and her husband a licensed professional counselor.

When we contact Kendra to tell her the news, she was beyond thrilled!

“My husband and I are trying to have another baby,” said Kendra. “Since our first child was born eight years ago, we have nothing to reuse! Winning is like a reward, I feel like I’m being blessed for living right and doing the right things.”

So what was the best advice Kendra received from her Mother?

“Always stay focused on education and finishing college.”

We received some amazing entries from our Twitter followers and we wish we could have gifted them all!

Here are just a couple of inspirational quotes we received:

@mrcapncaveman kill em with kindness..thats what #mammasaid

@stephysite More Mom's Advice: "People will say 'you are what you eat', but I know that you are what you think you are!" #MammaSaid

@MelissaCK77 #mammasaid you can never give a baby too much love or kisses

@HipsterMom #mammasaid never eat standing up or you’ll get fat ankles. A big butt you can hide, but not fat legs.

@MzNessa17 #mammasaid to be the person you want your child to be.set an example. (Its da best advice my mama has ever given me)

@queenkai My kids will remember the time I've spent with them, not how messy the house was. #MammaSaid

@Domistyle #mammasaid prep meals before baby comes - stock up yr freezer so that 1st week U're well-fed (if zzz-deprived!) @bonavita @sertamattresses

@firefly813: #MammaSaid Always watch the words you say, because one day you will hear them back. They maybe young but they are learning!

@matzsmith The best thing #MammaSaid was, If you settle for less, less is what you get. @sertamattresses and @bonavita

@stayingyoung2 Take the time to really listen to your children...just because you were a kid once, doesn't mean you understand. #MammaSaid

You might have missed this contest, but here’s another chance to share some of your favorite inspirational Mom quotes in our comment section!

And, make sure you continue to follow our Tweets @bonavita! You never know when we’re going to give away another fabulous nursery furniture package!

As Always, Bonavita Wishes You Inspired Nesting!

Nursery Décor

2010-05-05T13:16:00.013-04:00

When it comes time to decorate your baby’s nursery, there are many questions expectant parents ask themselves:

Ø Paint or Wallpaper?

Ø Gender specific or gender neutral?

Ø Classic, Modern, Country or Whimsical theme?

Ø Cartoon, Animal prints or Real Life wall art?

At Bonavita, we feel strongly that when it comes to designing your nursery, it comes down to your personal taste. As long as you keep safety top of mind, there is no wrong way to decorate!

With that said, we know that it always helps to have some creative inspiration and we wanted to share some great tips and visual ideas offered over at YoungHouseLove.

The dynamic duo of design and décor, Sherry and John Petersik are not only super savvy with DIY design but they are expecting their own bundle of joy in the coming weeks! Here are some of their top tips for nursery design.

Paint:

Tip- Think Natural Light and Frog Tape

When Sherry and John found out they were having a girl, they didn’t go straight for the pink paint. Instead, they had visions of green and blue. Before making a paint purchase, they used paper samples (you can buy sample size paint and Oak Tag) and taped the samples to the wall – in natural light – to see how the colors will really play in the room in question. They chose beautiful colors of Celery Sticks for the wall by Glidden and Regency Pale by True Value for the ceiling.

Painting can also be very challenging, especially if you’re wielding a brush and carting around a basketball sized belly! But, with the use of some strategically placed Frog Tape, the final result was a bright, cheerful, and extremely colorful room!

Window Treatments:

Tip: Hit the Fabric Store

John and Sherry found a fabric they loved while visiting a discount fabric store in Richmond called The Interior Outlet. Not only was the fabric a perfect backdrop to the paint they selected for the walls, but being an indoor/outdoor textile meant it’s resistant to even the dirtiest child! Keep your eyes open in your travels and you may find you too are inspired by something unexpected. Once they found this fabric, John and Sherry were able to create custom curtains like this.

You can also add some fabric to the room by doing some simpler DIY work like sticking it in a frame (more on that later) if curtains feel too advanced.

Mobiles:

Tip: Use non-toxic and water-based glue

All it took was some floral wire, fake hydrangeas in pink and yellow, and Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue, and Sherry and John created the perfect, whimsical mobile to hang over their baby’s changing table. While the end result was definitely worthwhile, it was pretty time consuming, and they chronicled the entire process here.

Wall Art:

Tip: Combine personalized photos with vintage prints for a one-of-a-kind collage!

Before they converted a bedroom into a nursery for their new addition, John and Sherry had an asymmetrical wall of frames that they wanted to keep but swap out to create a more kid-friendly collection. With a limited budget and some imagination, they created this fantastic wall collage that features vintage prints from Wall Bank and artwork from Etsy. They also found paper from Michaels and even used an advertisement for Skinny Cow ice cream in one! For a really sweet touch, they included photos of both parents as babies and some art of their beloved puppy Burger.

Note – this wall bench was a $7 find at a local thrift store, which they painted and recovered. It’s the perfect piece to house the basket of toys for their baby!

Storage Space

Tip: Strategically placed hooks provides extra hanging space

When they aren’t concentrating on getting their baby’s nursery ready, Sherry and John have been known to lend a hand and some creative know-how to friends and family. Armed with two packs of $9.99 hooks from Ikea, they solved a storage problem aesthetically by placing hooks underneath the wall mirrors. These hooks will always be functional – you can hook anything from bibs to knapsacks - and will be an integral part of the room even when the baby grows up.

Sherry and John Petersik, 27, live in a 53-year-old house in Richmond, Virginia and have lovingly and painstakingly refurbished the entire 1,350 sq. feet while chronicling every curtain and sconce decision on their popular blog YoungHouseLove. To see the entire nursery, from start to finish, visit here.

For our readers who are expecting, we hope this blog post helped inspire you as you think about your baby’s nursery!

Do you have some nursery photos you want to share with us? What about suggestions or tips on how to get started? Comment below, we’d love to hear from you!

As Always, Bonavita Wishes You Inspired Nesting!

Nesting: Nurture or Nature?

2010-04-07T14:46:00.002-04:00

It seems a worthy cliché. Many mothers will tell you that at some point during their pregnancy, often between the 5^th and 9^th months, they felt a strong urge to clean, decorate, organize and otherwise prepare the home for the arrival of their new baby. Many call this “nesting.”

Look out your window on a spring day and you may see human moms are far from alone. Mother birds demonstrate the art of nesting with great skill, selecting a location, identifying elements and bringing them together in time for baby’s arrival. Throughout wildlife, we can see the inclination among expectant parents to prepare in advance for the arrival of their newborns.

But if your nesting feels a little more frantic than birds, butterflies and blue skies, we understand! The desire to create the perfect nursery can be intense. So we reached out to the expert, Dr. Jessica Zucker, a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist who specializes in women’s health with a focus on fertility, prenatal and postpartum adjustments and transitions in motherhood.

In the Q&A below, Dr. Zucker helps us understand why pregnant women “nest” and how we can best use this instinct to our advantage during pregnancy. She sheds light on the psychological as well as the practical components of nesting, inside and out.

Bonavita: Why do pregnant women nest?

Dr. Zucker: Not every pregnant woman goes through this, but many do find themselves intensely focused on preparing the home for baby.

There is something beautiful about it- the way we want to create a sacred base for the next generation. Often developing families want to engender something peaceful and inspiring within the home and within themselves in the midst of this transformative time as we want the next generation to come into a space that is nurturing and mindful.

Becoming a parent is such a significant milestone, often stimulating feelings of being incredibly out of control, not knowing how life will feel post-pregnancy. There is this sense that if women can have all of the diapers in place, the clothes folded, and the perfect stroller, the transition will be potentially gentler for them than it was for a friend who felt overwhelmed and out of control.

The desire to prepare is natural and healthy, so long as you are enjoying the process and not letting it overshadow the significance of what it means to be creating a family.

Bonavita: What advice do you have for expectant parents looking to create the perfect space?

Dr. Zucker: There are so many choices available in the marketplace for budding families. It can be overwhelming to make decisions, particularly with feedback from friends, family, and strangers chiming in about what to buy and what to avoid, not to mention the hormonal shifts that are taking place within the body. Try to hone in on your families values and sensibilities rather than wasting energy on keeping up with your neighbor’s nursery. Creating your baby’s nursery is not a competitive sport so I encourage people to focus on what feels authentic for your family and what feels deeply representative of your aesthetic.

But more importantly, my advice is to spend some time doing internal nesting as well and creating time to bolster internal resources. That means understanding your personal history, considering the way you were parented and the way your partner was parented, and deciding how you wish to parent your own child. Keep a balanced mind when it comes to preparing for baby’s arrival. The tendency to want to organize and create the perfect external space arises, in part, out of a need to organize what is internal. Pregnancy provides a poignant opportunity for internal nesting, family reflection, and exploring personal historical issues of significance. Research shows that mother-baby bonding and attachment are even more positive when the mother has a solid sense of who she is and how she was raised.

Bonavita: What type of atmosphere do you recommend for a nursery?

Dr. Zucker: The ideal atmosphere for your baby is one that is mindfully arranged and reflects a sense of your family. In your home, growing families want to create an atmosphere of beauty, safety, and trust. Trust develops when a feeling of safety and attunement exists. If you struggle with issues from your childhood around trust, pregnancy and new motherhood may be a great time to address these challenges. Research reports show that if you have a clear and honest sense of your personal history, it can do wonders for early attachment and bonding with baby.

Bonavita: How much nesting or decorating is too much?

Dr. Zucker: If you are enjoying the process, then perhaps you are doing just what feels right for you. If you feel stressed and overwhelmed, this is completely expectable! Be sure to set aside time to think about who you are, what you want in terms of values for your burgeoning family, and what type of role model you want to be. Though color schemes and layout of the nursery are important parts of this incredible transition in women’s lives, feeling settled internally and in your partnership is just as significant. Thoughtfully creating a psychological space, as well as a physical space where baby will be raised, will positively impact the family as a whole.

Research reveals that perinatal and postpartum mood disorders are often linked to strivings for perfection, unprocessed traumas, among other things. Emotional wellbeing is something you can strive for throughout pregnancy. The perfect nursery? That’s the nursery where you and your family get to enjoy one another. If the core matters are in order, everything else will fall into place.

Dr. Jessica Zucker is a psychotherapist specializing in women's health and award-winning writer residing in Los Angeles. She is a key contributor in the PBS project, This Emotional Life as well as a contributing author to Knowing and Not-Knowing and Sort-of-Knowing: Psychoanalysis and Uncertainty (2010). She also contributes to The Huffington Post.

For more information about Dr. Zucker, visit her website and PBS.

Here are some other great blogs about nesting! Daniela Barbosa is techie nesting, and writes on her blog about reserving domain names for her baby! Lindsey Ivory spent the weekend nesting, and that included raking the garden. While Danielle is mentally redecorating her bathroom in advance of her baby’s arrival!

You can also read up on the nesting adventures of some expectant Mom’s at theBump.com And, while you’re there, make sure to enter theBump.com Bonavita crib contest for a chance to win a Hudson Crib, CoCaLo bedding and Serta mattress!

How are YOU dealing with Nesting? Have you been cleaning the house from top to bottom, obsessing over color schemes, rearranging furniture in the baby’s room or deciding between wallpaper and decorative trim? We’d love to hear from you! Share your personal story in the comment section below!

And, as always, Bonavita wishes you Inspired Nesting!

Bonavita Belly Brunch - smashing success!

2010-03-15T13:39:00.005-04:00

Our first ever Bonavita Belly Brunch was a smashing success! Twenty six expecting parents attended the brunch and feasted on decadent cupcakes while viewing Bonavita's line of nursery furnishings. Check out the great photos below!

We'd like to thank Simply Baby and Kids in Monroe, CT for helping us host our first ever Bonavita Belly Brunch!

Get in touch with us if you'd like us to host a Bonavita Belly Brunch at a retailer near you!!

Bonavita Belly Brunch

2010-03-04T18:17:00.002-05:00

We can't wait until this Saturday's first ever Bonavita Belly Brunch at Simply Baby and Kinds in Monroe, CT! Stay tuned to pictures and an update on how the event turned out!

How to Design a Stylish Nursery

2010-03-03T16:11:00.003-05:00

Pastel paint or cartoon wallpaper? Blinds or curtains? Diaper genie or wastebasket? Dora the Explorer or Sesame Street? Dark wood or white paint finish furniture?

When it comes to designing the nursery, many new parents are filled with excitement while others are overwhelmed. From selecting the perfect crib to choosing patterns and colors to compliment it, designing a baby nursery can either be a great joy or a source of frustration for new parents.

Artist and designer Ron Briere shares some tips for turning that cluttered office or spare guest room into your new baby’s perfect corner.

Inspire Yourself: Look around your house for inspiration. Love country? Modern? Do you love dark wood and pale walls? Whatever you have enjoyed in the rest of your home, will serve to inspire great décor in the baby nursery. Design a nursery that fits your personal style.

1-2-3: Select colors that are soothing or cheerful, calm or bold, but a good rule of thumb is to stick to three complimentary colors and then look for accents and paint and bedding to coordinate.

Cut the Clutter: Wipes and creams and diapers, Oh My! Babies seem to have more toiletries than movie stars but if you have selected your furniture carefully, there is a place for everything and everything should be in its place. Keep everything you need for changing baby in arms reach, but inside a drawer or stacked in a decorative basket near the changing pad.

On the Wall: Artwork and wall hangings are great ways to personalize the room. You do not need to match frames with the furniture but do try to match frames with frames. Pull the room together by selecting art that reflects the colors in the room or choose black and white for a classic look. If you have digital photos, play with the programs on your computer and create the look of charcoal paintings or add borders and other subtle effects. Photos of relatives, cherished pets or even favorite vacation spots can all add character and class to the nursery. Hang wall accessories at eye level for an average adult.

Try, try again: Designers don’t walk into a room and immediately decide where to place each object so neither should you. The best way to decide how the crib and furniture will look, is to move the pieces around and live with them, walking in and out of the room, for several days. Just don’t bolt anything to the floor! As baby develops, you may find the nursery needs to change and grow to keep up as well.

Invest in Rest: Baby furniture is an investment. Many families invest in a crib and furniture set that will grow with the baby. Look for a crib that converts to a toddler bed and even to a full-size bed as baby grows. Select styles that look beautiful in a baby’s and in a child’s room. For great photos to inspire decorating ideas, a selection of Lifestyle® cribs and quality furniture, visit our website.

We hope these tips help, and as always, comment below or contact us with any questions!

Welcome

2010-02-11T16:48:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Bonavita blog. Congratulations to all the expectant parents out there! This is such an exciting time for you, and during the course of your pregnancy, you'll spend each and every waking moment preparing for the arrival of your baby. If you've found our blog, chances are you're thinking about what will soon become the most important room in your home - the nursery. It can be overwhelming, trying to figure out how to pull together the baby's room! Besides selecting the perfect furniture, you have to figure out what color you want to paint the room, what kind of theme - if any - you want for the decor, how lighting fits in, and where you'll put all the stuffed animals you're bound to receive at the baby shower.

You’ve come to the right place!

Just take a deep breath; we're here to help you every step of the way!

Bonavita Nursery Furniture has always been synonymous with innovation, design, style and quality. Boutique style furniture that is as durable and comfortable as it is affordable. Certified by JPMA, all Bonavita furniture meets the safety testing standards of the CPSC and ASTM.

Over the years, expectant parents have chosen Bonavita furniture because of our commitment to creating products that are elegant, safe, long-lasting, and environment and user friendly:

 Each collection is unique in its selection of solid hardwoods and wood veneers. Prior to a five step finishing process, each piece is hand-sanded and includes details like a 5 piece drawer box construction with dovetailed joints and a clear coat sealer. Bonavita cribs feature a mattress platform that easily adjusts to 3 heights to meet the growing needs of babies.

 Our furniture is also long lasting; the Lifestyle® Crib easily converts into a toddler bed and day bed by removing just four bolts. It also converts into a full size bed with the addition of bedrails and full mattress purchased separately that can take your infant well into toddlerhood and beyond.

 Our furniture is family friendly; the bottom of the case pieces have dust covers to prevent dust from entering into your drawers and onto your personal belongings! So, you can store all of your babies clothing and bedding without worrying about their integrity.
In addition to parental acclaim, we’ve garnered the highest approval by members of both the industry and press.

 We’ve won numerous design awards; recently our Lifestyle® Crib earned the prestigious “Best Buy” award from Consumer Digest, and People Magazine’s Celebrity Baby Blog voted our METRO crib “Best Convertible Crib”

 Our products are often featured in major media outlets such as HGTV, USA Today, People Magazine and Pregnancy, and A-list celebrities such as Chyler Leigh of “Grey’s Anatomy” Marcy Rylan of Guiding Light”, Angela Kinsey, Giada De Laurentis and Christie Clark have all chose LaJobi sets for their personal nurseries.
So what can you expect from reading our blog?

A panel of Bonavita’s nursery experts will be contributing the following to our blog:
 Product updates and information
 Commentary on industry trends and happenings
 Design advice
 Decorating suggestions and examples
 Event information
 Giveaways and contests
 Q&A’s with industry experts
 And much, much more!!

We look forward to interacting with you! Whether you want to comment on our blog posts, ask us questions about setting up your nursery, or share your own tips for creating the perfect nursery for your little one, please let us know! We can't wait to hear from you!