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This Is How Rachel Zoe Would Decorate a Nursery

Her first Pottery Barn collection sets the tone.

Gabrielle Savoie

Updated Oct 22, 2018 8:29 PM

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Famous for her sleek, monochrome style, fashion designer Rachel Zoe wouldn’t be the obvious choice for a kids’ decor collection. But today, the multihyphenate—she’s also a reality TV star and founder of fashion site The Zoe Report—launched two collections in partnership with Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen.

“I think the notion that a child’s room should be all primary colors is dated,” says Zoe. “I love the idea of using black, white, and metallics for children, because I think it’s unexpected and very chic.” She points out, for instance, that a black accent rug is better at hiding wear and tear that’s common in a child’s room. As a mom of two boys, she knows best. She had a steep learning curve decorating her sons’ rooms, figuring out on the fly which materials were durable and which pieces of furniture would grow with her children.

When they were ready to transition to their toddler rooms, Zoe involved her boys in the decorating process—something she did once again when designing her collections for Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen. “I really tried to put myself in the mind of a child, to figure out what would be exciting to them,” she explains. “I wanted the rooms to be a place they would feel safe.” Her sons had one specific request: “They both love animals, so their rooms now are filled with animal art imagery and plush toys.”

Whether it’s fashion or decor, Zoe doesn’t just design for looks—everything also has to be comfortable. To achieve this in the kids’ rooms, she added fluffy textures to make them feel as if they are laying in clouds—think: sheepskins and sherpa chairs. By focusing on materials instead of color, the designer created a kids’ wonderland that also jibes with her own aesthetic. Now that’s great news for color-averse parents.

Get the Rachel Zoe look: