One of the things I enjoyed most while I was pregnant was preparing the nursery. I stuck to a gender neutral design, as I didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl. I loved planning what it would look like, and finding all the pieces I needed to make my vision come to life. I loved imagining the little baby who would live there.
Before it was a nursery, the room was husband’s office. It wasn’t pretty. The walls were painted two shades of yellow. The windows had ugly, old, only partially functional window shades. There was an original 1980s ceiling fan and light fixture, all brass and ugliness (I spared you a photo). The room needed work.
So we painted it blue, installed a new ceiling fan and light fixture, hung new blinds and curtains, and decorated. I designed the whole room around a picture I saw on Pinterest of a mobile with clouds and kites against a blue wall.
A bit improved, yes? On it’s own, the blue is a bit dark. I lightened it up with the white furniture, curtains, and blinds in the room. Where I could, I stuck with modern, clean lines. The recliner deviates a bit from my style, but as I mentioned before, comfort won over style in that department. (And after more than 5 months of daily use, I still feel good about that decision.)
I know themes in nurseries are popular, and although I did not have a theme in mind when I created this room, it is a cohesive design. For me, the whole room calls to mind a perfect day, with bright blue skies filled with white clouds and bright green grass.
The cloud shelf and yellow elephant were also inspired by things I found on Pinterest, which were not in my budget. My very talented parents worked together to make them for Alexis. The crocheted blanket was made by Alexis’ great great grandmother. All of the blankets stacked under the side table are also handmade, with one made by me and one made by her great grandmother. The other two are gifts from her grandmother and her aunt. And, of course, her grandmother made that wonderful cloud mobile.
There are a few special things from my childhood in the room, including my teddy bear, and a tiny pink bunny that’s in my first baby photo. The cat doll is something my mother made for me when I was a child. Husband is a huge fan of Star Wars, and somehow, references to his favorite movie seemed entirely appropriate in the nursery as well. Alexis has a stuffed Yoda, a beeping R2D2, and some custom Star Wars wall art.
The wall decals were a gift from Alexis’ great aunt. They weren’t part of the original plan, but they fit in so very well. I love how the owls coordinate with the yellow clock, and how they perfectly match the owl bin on her shelf. All wonderful coincidences.
I love this room. Every time I’m in it, it makes me smile. A perfect nursery for a perfect little baby.
{ Alexis’ nursery is on Project Nursery, too. }
Sources
Crib: Babyletto Hudson
Crib skirt: Handmade
Mobile: Handmade
Dresser: IKEA Hemnes
Side table: Target
Recliner: La-Z-Boy
Cloud shelf: Handmade
Elephant shelf: Handmade
Elephant hamper: Home Decorators Collection
Wall art: Pages from vintage childrens books, A Bubbly Life
Doll: Handmade using Black Apple pattern
Mirror: Target
Lamp: Target
Changing pad cover: Zutano
Rug: IKEA
Rainbow stacker: Imagination Kids
Tree stacker: Plan Toys
Clock: Target