A Cooking Channel Star Showcases Her Secret Mom Talent

In her day job, Kelsey Nixon is best known as the upbeat, perky host of Kelsey's Essentials on the Cooking Channel. But at home in her family-friendly NYC apartment, she also has the opportunity to showcase her interior design talents — and they're impressive! "My husband and I love home design. When we're not doing our regular jobs, we spend way too much time looking at home design blogs," the new mom told us. We were lucky enough to have Kelsey talk us through the creation of her 2-year-old son Oliver's nursery and left with a few great ideas and words of "mom wisdom" that we simply had to share. Source: Kylie Whiting

01
The Local Inspiration

The Local Inspiration

"My husband and I really fell in love with a print of Central Park (above crib) by an artist named Matte Stephens. He's on Etsy. We really liked his style — it reminded us of Charlie Harper, sort of midcentury. It was playful enough that it could be used in a nursery, but also mature enough that it could stay in his room for many, many years to come," Kelsey told us.

"Wherever our family ends up, whether it's New York City or somewhere else, NYC was such a big part of our family when he was born, we always want that constant reminder of it." Source: Kylie Whiting

02
Know Your Strengths

Know Your Strengths

"My husband and I love home design. When we're not doing our regular jobs, we spend way too much time looking at home design blogs," Kelsey said. "For a long time, I was convinced that I was the perfect 'DIYer,' and we had one too many instances [gone wrong], and finally my husband said, 'We are no longer a DIY family, we are a BUY family!'" Source: Kylie Whiting

03
Space, Space, Space!

Space, Space, Space!

"Every New Yorker wishes they had more space!" Kelsey said. "Specifically that Oliver's a toddler now, the biggest challenge is making sure that his nursery is not only an inviting place for him to sleep, but also an inviting place for him to play. I'm trying to figure out how to make the most of the space that we do have." Source: Kylie Whiting

04
Personal Touch

Personal Touch

Kelsey's talented sister, Kylie Whiting (who was also responsible for taking these nursery photographs), does freelance design work and created this very special "modern birth certificate" (on wall in navy and white) for her nephew.

"It looks grown-up enough that it could be in Oliver's room when he's an 8- or 10-year-old. It'll be fun for him to look back on and be reminded of some of the details of the day he was born," Kelsey said. Source: Kylie Whiting

05
Words of Wisdom For New Moms

Words of Wisdom For New Moms

"Because your baby-toddler goes through phases so quickly, borrow those toys and gear with big footprints from friends," Kelsey suggests. "Borrow it from a friend, use it for three months, and either give it back or cycle it through other friends." Source: Kylie Whiting

06
Splurge vs. Save

Splurge vs. Save

"Figure out where you want to spend and where you want to splurge," Kelsey says. "It's so easy to get carried away and want to have everything matching — the crib, the dresser, the changing table — and you end up spending thousands of dollars. Pick one or two items that you really want to invest in. If you can, spend there, and every time you walk in the room, you will love it. Oliver's crib is one of those pieces. When it comes to the bookcases — they were under $100 from IKEA." Source: Kylie Whiting