Meet Shannon Croy, Nestig Design Challenge Winner

We'll be the first to preach that nurseries can be unexpected in design — colorful, fun, bold, and all the things you'd want any other well-designed space to be. In our latest design challenge with Nestig, we prompted our members to create exactly that for a chance to up to $1,000. The first-place winner, Shannon Croy, nailed the assignment. So, what was her approach to winning this challenge? Capturing the essence of what would happen if you let a young kid loose in a design store. (TBH, this is how we'll be approaching all of our colorful design projects now.)

Learn more about Shannon below, from what inspired her design to what she's crushing on lately, and more.

Hi, Shannon! Tell us about yourself and what three emojis you would use to describe you best.

Hi! I’m Shannon, but my friends call me Shab. I’m a marketer and design hobbyist based in New York who loves to make things. In my free time, I love to bake, watercolor, build furniture, thrift clothes, and, most recently, have been learning to crochet and sew. My three chosen emojis are: 🙃🥐🌈.

‍

What was the vision for your winning design in this challenge?

I loved that Nestig wanted to see bold and unexpected designs for a nursery and really wanted to capture all of the quirky details that would be in a room if you let a young kid loose in a design store. I thought of what mine and my sister's room was like when we were kids in the early 90s (think: pink Furbys and bright teal plastic Caboodle kits). It was so much fun getting to translate that into a space that we usually think of in only muted colors.  

‍

What does your relationship with design look like?

I consider my design approach as that of a "sustainable maker." I enjoy imagining something and making it come to life by using existing materials. For me, that manifests in fixing old furniture, painting old book pages, or making new clothes out of thrifted ones. There is so much life in everything around us, sometimes it just needs the right design eye to bring it out. 

I am fortunate to have exceptionally talented design friends that I collaborate with on decorating my space and brainstorming ideas. The combination of design styles and influence from the community makes each piece more memorable and special to me.

‍

What’s your most prized possession at home?

I would have to say a little marble jewelry box that was my grandmother's. It is so small and has a little pink flower inlay on it. I keep a few of her small pieces of jewelry in it and it reminds me of watching her get ready in front of her vanity mirror, putting on all her costume jewelry.  

‍

What do you do on your time off to recharge creatively?

When I'm looking to recharge my creativity, I’ll go for a walk in a neighborhood in New York that I don't frequently go to and look at all the signage, architecture, tile work, and see how people in that area are dressing. Sometimes I'll just take pictures to look at later or to add to a mood board.

During moments when I prefer the comfort of my home, I will seek out activities for the kid in me like inventing a new sugary recipe or just watercoloring flowers while I watch cartoons. Of course, sitting down with a cup of coffee and scrolling through the Spoak always inspires me and gets me excited to start a new project.

‍

What’s something you’re looking forward to right now?

I am impatiently waiting for the arrival of fall! I thrive when everything is cozy — being wrapped in sweaters and blankets, going for walks to get shameless pumpkin-spiced lattes, and watching classic movies with the best decor inspiration. It is the ideal time to curate my home and design little pockets of joy to make it through the cold season. This year, I want to work on a gallery wall and finish crocheting my first blanket.