A Velveteen Rabbit Storybook Christmas Tree, Designed by Tamara Matthews-Stephenson

First published in 1922, Margery Williams‘ The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the best known children’s stories. The tale is of a Boy who  receives a stuffed Velveteen Rabbit one Christmas.  Initially he snubs the rabbit in favor of more modern wind-up toys.  But one evening, in the absence of the Boy’s usual toys, he is given the Velveteen Rabbit. The stuffed rabbit soon becomes the Boy’s constant companion. They become inseparable playmates and love the woods, where the Boy “always made the Rabbit a little nest…[as] he liked the Bunny to be comfortable.”

 

In lieu of giving away the very charming ending of this tale, I encourage you now to bookmark this childhood classic here and re-read it when you have a few minutes.  If you remember, in my “Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum’s 2012 Storybook Christmas” post on November 30th, I described how every December the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum’s holiday celebrations center around “A Storybook Christmas” theme, a concept to promote New York City youth literacy and festive flare. In that post I then introduced the eight New York City Artists and Interior Designers who have translated beloved children’s storybooks into magical story-telling trees for the Season.

Today my spotlight is on the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum‘s North Parlor Velveteen Rabbit storybook tree design by Interior Designer Tamara Matthews-Stephenson. For her design, Ms. Matthews-Stephenson transformed her tree into the very wood (referenced in the passage pictured above)  where the Boy and the Velveteen Rabbit spend their playtime.

Let’s take a look.

Here we have the gorgeous tree, stunningly lit and decorated. Presents overflow from underneath, and there, on the child’s rocking chair, sits the velveteen rabbit.

 

He looks like he’s ready to play. Amongst the tree branches note the antique gold ornaments, green velvet ribbon blows, deer ornamens, and frosty white sticks of berries.

 

Here, a darling nest ornament, complete with speckled eggs, that the Boy might have modeled his nest for the rabbit after.

 

The rabbit and his divine velvet fur. He is absolutely adorable!

 

Woo wooo – a little owl ornament peers out of the tree’s forest.

 

The tree truly looks as if it was always meant to be in this room, as the Mansion’s decor flows seamlessly with the tree’s decorated palette.

 

Another species of owl holds court over the holiday gifts, nestled between pine cones.

 

And the storybook itself sits under the tree.

 

The Museum’s Storybook Christmas guide provides a glimpse into the Holiday tale.

 

To learn more about interior designer and freelance writer Tamara Matthews-Stephenson, I invite you to visit her lifestyle blog,
Nest by Tamara.

 

 

The logo is actually a little nest, that reminds me of her beautiful Storybook Tree.

Happy Holidays everyone!

And PS: two more features on the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum’s 2012 Storybook Christmas are yet to come!

 

 

Images / Photography by Sarah Sarna /