http://sheknows.com/about/look/228.htmIt's like night and day
Not only did they want the nursery done, Perla had a very specific theme in mind. "I wanted the main colors to be blue and yellow, and I wanted the ceiling to be painted like the sky," she says. Perla's mother found a muralist who works for Los Angeles County, Angelo Calamera, who "painted the sky and clouds and planets."
"Half of the room is designed to be like the daytime sky, while the other half is the nighttime sky," says Sherwin Ulit (known to his clients as James). Calamera painted the planets around each of the recessed lights in the tall ceilings, the "hot planets" on one side, the "cool planets" on the other. The artist also made a happy sun on the warm side of the room, and depicted a sleepy moon across the room. Perla explains, "We have a round crib with an open top, so when he goes to bed, he sees the moon."
Fanciful artwork
The beautiful trompe l'oeil wasn't limited to baby London's nursery. "The bathroom is painted like under the ocean," says Perla. "There are seahorses and crabs and a cartoon fish with big lips." They also created a garden scene in the hallway, which serves as a backdrop to the live wisteria tree that twines up from the level below. In the hall you will also find their son's "coat of arms." Created before he was born, it serves as a reminder of London's birth and heritage. "His star sign, Virgo, is on the upper left; and on the upper right is a sapphire, which was supposed to be his birth stone," Perla says. "On the bottom right is the British flag and the Cuban flag -- Slash was born in England, and I'm Cuban." On the bottom right are musical notes, for his musician father.
It's all material
Perla personally chose the six different fabrics incorporated into London's room. "I knew I wanted the main colors to be blue and yellow," she says. "And I wanted to make a patchwork out of them."
"She was specifically designing for a boy, but still wanted soft colors with an elegant, royal look," says Ulit. "I showed her a lot of fabrics from various designers, but she really liked the Nava [of Nava Designs, custom handmade bedding] colors and pattern combinations." Perla ultimately selected natural tones of cream, gold, yellow and blue to match the Mozart diamond-patterned fabric. They also incorporated yellow chenille for a softening effect.
Perla says, "After I chose the fabrics, James decided what fabrics to put where." In addition to the specially-designed comforter, the glider and ottoman, changing table/dresser combination and the toy chair cushions were all custom-made.
A haven
"I really like the way it all came together," says Ulit. The design was a very precise blend of style and charm, warmth and wit. "Without any one element, the rest doesn't work."
Slash says, "It's got a great vibe -- it's really nice. Whenever I'm home, I pretty much spend most of my time in there."
And mama Perla couldn't be happier with her son's nursery. "It's beautiful," she says. "I spend all my time in there. It's totally dreamy -- the calmest room in the house."
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