"This economy is tough, and even though Jennifer won a reality show, our business hasn't been immune," Chris says. "People are doing smaller projects like painting rooms."

The first detail you notice in the nursery is the giant Union Jack front and center. The British flag is an ode to England, where Chris was born and raised before moving to the Midwest.

But in this room, grass green substitutes for the flag's traditional blue. Bertrand, a former art teacher in the Blue Valley School District, painted the flag and stripes. Using the same green paint, she painted wooden frames (from Marshalls) containing childhood photos of her and Chris.

"See, Winston has the same chubby cheeks as his mom," Bertrand says, smiling. "Like chipmunks."

The family uses Skype, the online camera chatting system, so relatives in England can see Winston and the nursery and feel like they're around.

LOCAL ART

As an artist, Bertrand felt passionate about using original art in the room. Besides her own paintwork, pieces by friends who are local, Kansas City-area artists decorate the room.

A plush deer wall hanging, an owl pillow and a bullfrog are by Alisa Ross. Ross' husband, Scribe, painted a graffiti-style rhino that hangs in the closet.

Jodie Stallard hand-painted a red child's chair.

Peterjun Custodio, who is deaf and mute, sewed the custom slipcover for the glider and a crib blanket.

"I always have my ideas and conversations typed out before I see him," Bertrand says. "He truly is inspiring."

Bertrand also has art hanging in the nursery from artist Jenean Morrison of Tennessee, whom she'd never met, who sent her a congratulatory e-mail after Bertrand won the show. They chatted about art, Bertrand checked out Morrison's Web site and liked what she saw.

Morrison sent her a painting with colorful dots as a gift, which served as the inspiration for the nursery.

"The painting is very special because it represents such a huge moment in our lives of winning the show," Bertrand says. "We wanted to share that with Winston."

A green nursery

—Bamboo flooring: $2 a square foot from Lumber Liquidators. Chris installed it.

—Reused items: A glider from a friend and cubbies from their home office for the closet.

—No-VOC paint: Benjamin Moore's Natura line: White Chocolate on the walls, Mustard Olive for the stripes and Caliente and Huntington Green for the Union Jack. They also used Natura primer to ensure no volatile organic compounds from previous paint leaked through.

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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