Behind Our Exclusive Collab: A Peek Into Tan France's Wild and Whimsical Nursery

The main thing that inspired my collection was, of course, my son Ismail. He’s always been fascinated by David Attenborough’s nature documentaries and he’s obsessed with monkeys in particular—whenever a monkey comes on the screen he goes bananas (no pun intended!). We used his passion for wildlife as the starting point for the collection; the first thing we worked on was the amazing mural and then we built the rest from there. We also wanted to include elements of Rob and I’s personal style—for example, there’s a bit of a classic British influence as well.

I personally believe that if you’re someone who already knows and loves fashion, it’s an easy jump into interior design. You likely really understand what colors go together and what aesthetics work well for certain personalities, so designing this space came naturally for me. I know what colors make someone emote, I know how fabrics feel, I know how layering can really make a difference—so I’ve found that fashion and interiors really go hand in hand.

I love the fact that you focus on sustainability and set out to make products that grow with a child—that’s exactly what I want for my children. I used that idea as a foundation to design items that wouldn’t go out of date any time soon—nothing is super trendy, nothing that’s a fad. We wanted things that really did feel classic and could live in a child’s space for years upon years. The wallpaper, the mobiles, the rugs—these aren’t going out of style anytime soon; as far as I’m concerned they’re classic. That’s what I think you should go for when designing a space for children.

You know, everyone assumes my style has changed since I became a father, but it hasn’t changed that much! Yes, I might wear slightly looser pant, but other than that I still like to get dressed up. For me, dressing a certain way makes me emote. When I get dressed in a way that I like, I feel happier—it makes me a jollier person, a jollier parent. Yes comfort is important, but you still want to feel good in what you’re wearing!

What’s been so interesting in designing this nursery for Ismail is that in some ways, it’s so different from what I typically do. I’m used to taking care of adults who are really communicative about what they want and definitely about what they do not want. With a child you’re really basing it on what you think they’ll really appreciate and what will help make them the best version of themselves. Designing this space was a really special moment; I wanted to create something fun and whimsical that would really help my child explore who they are and I think we did just that.