2,787 euro wallpaper, butter yellow and pretty pinstripes, and scalloped woven toy boxes that I need in every size
Velvet's nursery is a work in progress
I’m currently searching for a crib skirt. I hadn’t heard of one until just a few days ago, but the moment I noticed them I knew I wanted to add one to our baby girl’s nursery. It also needed to be juuuust right. Not too frilly, not too plain…just the right amount of fine-french-linen-embroidery that you almost don’t notice it’s there. It’s always the small details that I’m drawn to, that I love. That will send me down a rabbit hole of scrolling to find something special, that feels personal, adds character and warmth. That shows mama bear cares.
When I was pregnant with my first son, Atlas, we were based in Byron Bay, Australia and living a very (very) minimalist lifestyle. We didn’t buy any baby toys for Atlas (grandparents gradually snuck them in). When he was a little older, we started to buy him some fun Philip Bunting books (Mopoke!). Sammy used to read Atlas our coffee table books — we honestly didn’t have a clue as first time parents. His pram arrived a few weeks after he was born, we didn’t find a baby carrier we loved until Atlas was three months old. The IKEA cot we assembled was quickly unassembled to make way for a home office during Covid. Where do you find baby items that are less commercial, that could fit seamlessly into our home and personal style and aesthetic? I felt so overwhelmed at Baby Bunting and didn’t last more than a few minutes when I first went in in 2019. I treasured pieces that were more considered and unique, such as the second-hand bassinet hand-woven in Bali that I lovingly sourced and used for both Atlas and Ocean, and then passed down and gifted to my sister.
I always thought I would be a boy mama forever. Both of our boys were surprises, and I loved finding out their gender when they were born. We were definitely more curious with our third, and made the decision to get the gender written in an envelope just in case we did want to find out. Oh were we surprised when we found out we were having a baby girl! It was the sweetest moment, cutting into a cake at home in Paris with the boys and finding out together as a family. Watch the little video here.
It really took a while to realise that having a girl meant I could buy some pretty things. And living in Paris, some really really pretty things. I’ve never been a ‘girly girl’. You won’t find me with a lipgloss on my iPhone case, but I absolutely adore being a girl mama, more than I ever thought possible.
At first, I bought some cute summer outfits from Jacadi and pyjamas from Tartine et Chocolat. Then, when Velvet was born, all the gender neutral outfits I had also bought (or were the boys when they were little) just didn’t seem ‘Velzy’ enough. I needed all the Peter Pan collars, all the tiny french florals, all the toile de jouy — even in Queensland, over summer.
I have a folder on Instagram that I save all my inspiration for all things Velzy, and it’s getting prettier and prettier by the day. If I have a daughter and live in Paris… ooooh this is going to be very fun. Velzy already has more petite princess bébé shoes (she has such tiny feet, and barely fits a size 17…but is already wearing 12m clothing!) than the boys had by two years of age. I loved living in small coastal towns with Atlas, he would always be barefoot and in oversized tees, lots of fun prints and colour. We would holiday as a family in LA, Palm Springs and Bali…
Not only does my personal style change and evolve after each baby, but I feel how I dress my children does too. Suddenly I am searching for suede loafers for the boys. Have you seen how gorgeous the whole summer collection is from Bonpoint?! I am definitely in my Paris/baby girl era and searching for pieces that suit the changing seasons, and are designed and made locally in Europe. In 2025 it’s also incredible how many small businesses there are, creating quality, thoughtfully designed furniture, clothing and essentials for babies and children. It’s definitely the right time to style a sweet nursery, and I am soaking up this special moment, with our last baby.
Back to Velvet’s nursery and all the details I am sourcing. Of course I love soft butter yellow hues, and pastel pink. And baby blue. I have been dying to use wallpaper, and found the perfect hand painted print from de Gournay. I saw their samples in person and they are beyond stunning. For our three meter high ceilings, they are 2,787 euros per panel, and we need at least six panels to cover two of the walls in Velvet’s nursery. And we are renting. Mmm maybe let’s pivot the dream…
*A little design tip I have learnt, invest in quality pieces that you can always bring with you to the next house ie a piece of artwork or furniture. They will also add value when staging/selling a house and help to sell ‘the vision’ to the next buyer, but you can hold onto them and pass them down for generations.
I’ve created a mood board with all the gorgeous Velzy things that I am sourcing (slowly, slowly mama life) and will pull together in the very near future. We have the Nordic Knots Grand Rug in Butter that has just arrived for playtime, reading stories and endless cuddles (we have this style in our bedroom and the boys room as well, I love the luxurious hotel carpet feel). I have also ordered a solid oak cot and dresser from Nobodinoz. We have put our favourite sheepskin Audo Copenhagen Tired Man Lounge Chair and Ottoman in her room, for sleepy dreamy milk feeds at 3am. The Paloma Lamp from SERAX with a hand-sculpted dove on the base feels just right for a nursery, and not too ‘childish’. I love finding pieces that I could style in any room of the house, as we often rotate different objects, art and furniture. Oh, and we found a very special piece from Bode (they have recently opened a flagship in Paris next to Palais Royal), a knitted throw handmade in Peru. It has beautiful angel fish on it (for our angel girl), inspired by a vintage tee from the 1970s. We are thinking of framing it with a thin aluminium frame, more as a piece of art…or should we let it simply hang on the wall and drape organically? I’m worried it might damage or stretch the beautiful cotton over time? Would love to hear your thoughts!
I love a neutral, calm space layered with lots of texture and sentimental pieces that tell a story and hold meaning from different times in our lives, mixing modern and vintage finds. If I could fill our house with art, I would! We have found the most beautiful artwork that I would love to hang above the Tired Man, a very rare painted scene of the Tuileries that we are reframing in a thin, modern oak frame.
We would love to frame more of Atlas’ artwork — he drew a special piece Tulips for Velvet that is very cute. We are also getting a few black and white polaroids framed of the cub cubs. Oh, and I have to work out how to hang the two Hermès porcelain plates that I bought on my dream day with Atlas (when I bought my very first Hermès bag, completely unexpected!). This post has over 1.1k saves, and 1.1k forwards, see below in case you missed our special day together.
I look forward to sharing the progress and finished nursery with you all (hopefully) very soon.
Ps. if you come across any more gorgeous butter/baby girl pieces, please send them my way!
Bisous x
In case you missed it, here are some previous posts that you might enjoy:
Baby names we loved and haven’t used
What I packed (and used) in my hospital bag and tips for recovery after a c-section
Holiday is a lifestyle newsletter by Paris based Australian creative consultant and mother of three Saasha Burns. A place where she openly shares her motherhood journey, life in Paris, travels, personal style, and design inspiration.
Together with her husband Sammy, Saasha has two sons, Atlas (five) and Ocean (three), and a five month old baby girl, Velvet.
Absurd price for wallpaper for a nursery… are you serious?