Behind The Nursery: Featuring Erika James
I’ve known this beautiful soul for quite some time now, ever since my undergrad years to be exact. Her and I lived together at our sorority house and she has always been one of those women I looked up to. While realistically life happens and people grow apart, I’m thankful for outlets such as social media for allowing me to follow her life journey throughout the years. She has grown to be even more beautiful, a modern mama to 3 incredible little ladies, a wife, an entrepreneur with an incredible blog: mama-ish.
I decided to interview Erika after seeing her prep her nursery for her 3rd child: Poet [what a name 🤩]. She has always been in-tune with style, fashion and everything in-between and I felt the need to share her story; hopefully to inspire, enrich, relate to other moms or just to ‘goo-goo, ga-ga’ over like I typically do. So without further ado, here’s our interview.
Q: What was your inspiration for the room design?
A: My inspiration for Poet’s nursery started with the energy I wanted to feel when I was in it. I’m really influenced by my environments, and I knew that postpartum can get overwhelming, so I was inspired by a space that felt grounded and warm. Then came my vision of a rust-colored sun. It was playful, earthy and a color tone that embodied everything I wanted to feel.
Q: How important is it to you to have a cohesive or well-designed nursery?
A: I don’t think it’s important at all to have a cohesive or well-designed nursery. You may not even need a nursery. It’s personal for each parent. for me, it was a “nesting” thing that I knew would bring me peace when my baby girl was here.
Q: Did you know the baby’s gender before putting the room together? Did it matter to you to know the gender?
A: I knew she was a girl before I started designing her room. Whether it’s gender, name, or something else, I think it’s beautiful to have who your baby is and their story inspire the room.
Q: Is there a rhyme or reason behind the placement of the crib? I.e. sun-exposure, hiding the baby from a hallway view, etc…
A: After painting the sun, I immediately had this dream of a brass crib centered right in front of it. The wall mural was so playful that I wanted something more “antique” to contrast it. In my own experience, I try to avoid creating a quiet, dark space for baby to sleep because then it becomes something they need. My family is always on the go, we’re loud, so I didn’t really consider the window, hallways, etc. when placing the crib. It was more of an aesthetic decision.
Q: What are some musts for your nursery?
A: The only must-have for me when designing a nursery is the personal touch. Find ways to personalize the room, whether it’s including heirlooms, meaningful wall art, or having your family join in the process. My two older daughters helped me paint the sun mural, and that’s a core memory I get to reminisce every time I see that sun. The changing table, the crib, the dresser, it’s all great, but that’s personal to each mama and what she wants or needs. A baby is a new member of your family, of your life, and he/she has a story to tell. Tell their story, tell your story, and create a space that reflects what you need postpartum.
Q: Any recommendations for future mamas when it comes to design or putting nurseries together?
A: My recommendation is to consider and be practical about storage. There’s so many tiny and big things to store for baby, and the more organized and prepared you are, the more efficient and happy you’ll be when baby is here. Set up a changing station and diaper cart, consider a laundry basket because you’ll go through so much baby laundry, make the closet space usable with shelves, boxes, etc.
While I am not a mama for humans, I align with this interview very deeply because I have helped multiple new and tenured moms design and put together their nurseries. Creating meaningful past or future moments in the space is always one of my goals when approaching nursery designs and I love that Erika highlighted that in her DIY approach.
Make sure to check out her website for weekly blog content on motherhood, family, fashion and overall the sweetest words, plus she shares where she buys all her cute stuff! You can also find Erika on Instagram @the_mamaish, on Pinterest @Mama-ish or even check out her cute Amazon store.
Thank you Erika, so excited to see Poet’s journey in your beautiful nursery!