Commercial Design Project, Kids’ Waiting Room for Princeton University

Description

Children’s waiting room interior design project at  Princeton University. I was beyond thrilled when contacted by a team of scientists ( psychologists and neurologists ) at Princeton University. This group of professors and graduate students from the Turk-Brown Laboratory are conducting research on the infant’s brain by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI), to see how they learn, remember and think. My job was to turn a tiny 7’x10′ windowless study room into an inviting but not too “clinical” waiting room for the mothers or fathers and siblings of the babies being studied.

Design Inspiration

Since there are no windows, I wanted to bring the outdoors inside. Princeton University's colors are orange, gray and black and the history behind those colors is very interesting. It seems there are a lot of squirrels on campus and these colors were selected for the three colors of squirrels often seem scampering around the university grounds. The orange squirrels are now extinct, but the gray and black squirrels are abundant, as I found when touring the campus with my son on installation day. Therefore we wanted to reflect this history in the room and decided to paint silhouettes of squirrels in these three colors throughout the room.

Decorating Style

Eclectic

Project Details

To distract from the ugly ceiling, I contacted My Custom Creation through their Etsy shop and commissioned them to create a custom butterfly mobile to suspend from the ceiling to create a swath of butterflies moving across the room. Their customer service was impeccable and the end product was exactly what we wanted!

The flooring in the space was simply coated concrete so I decided to use Flor carpet tiles to give it warmth and a grass-like appeal. These tiles are super easy to install and can easily be removed without any residual on the floor. I’ll be using them more often for sure!

Paint: Benjamin Moore, 2948-60, Jamaican Aqua

Tree Mural and Squirrels: Sherri Blum of Jack and Jill Interiors, Inc.

Favorite Items

The fun nursery glider. The colors are unique but perfect for this space!

Advice

Don't be afraid of color, especially in a room with no windows. You want the space to be inviting and interesting.