When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited to start designing the nursery (on top of the obvious) and could imagine it within days (note: TheBump suggests you start thinking about it at 17 weeks). Honestly, I could see this room more clearly than I can see my everyday life with a baby. There are so many unknowns, like will it be a boy or a girl? How will I change? How will my husband change? What will our dog think? What will need to change in our house? What is the kid's personality going to be? How much will everything cost? So for me, the nursery was a very safe place to set my sights on changing. It's supposed to be soothing, and planning has been for me. My husband thinks I am crazy.
My first step, as for most, was to take to Pinterest. I knew we weren't finding out the sex of the baby, so that eliminated a lot, and eventually I found a boy's nursery that I loved (design inspiration). I loved all of the patterns, and how it isn't all chevron, which is way too overdone, if you ask me. Then I went to West Elm's boards, and found the color inspiration. I loved the idea of white and wood, with pops of color, especially with a pale wall color. After some conversations with friends, I learned about Babyletto, and their modern, yet affordable take on cribs (they are preferred by Baby Bargains). I decided on the Hudson crib, in the two tone. I did go check it out in person, just to make sure the quality and size were good.
So it was starting to come together, white and a darker wood, patterns, turquoise, coral, and chartreuse, with a modern/retro look. Around this point, I decided to build my design board (above) so I can easily see everything together, and share it with friends and family. I used Publisher to do so, but it can be done on many applications. You could even just create a Pinterest board with your selected items. This board has been great, as I can refer to it when registering (see future blog post) and it helps create a full visual for my husband to approve.
Lastly, while I want a unique nursery, I don't want to pay a unique price. There are many ways around overpaying. We love mixing in older pieces of furniture that have sentimental value or that have a cool style. In this space, I am bringing in my old bookcase from my childhood and updating it with a fresh coat of paint. My husband has a child-size rocking chair that his grandfather made that we will also use. I also found an amazing midcentury modern dresser on Craigslist for $40, which my husband refinished, and will paint it a bright color. That will serve as both a dresser and as a changing station.
So it was starting to come together, white and a darker wood, patterns, turquoise, coral, and chartreuse, with a modern/retro look. Around this point, I decided to build my design board (above) so I can easily see everything together, and share it with friends and family. I used Publisher to do so, but it can be done on many applications. You could even just create a Pinterest board with your selected items. This board has been great, as I can refer to it when registering (see future blog post) and it helps create a full visual for my husband to approve.
Lastly, while I want a unique nursery, I don't want to pay a unique price. There are many ways around overpaying. We love mixing in older pieces of furniture that have sentimental value or that have a cool style. In this space, I am bringing in my old bookcase from my childhood and updating it with a fresh coat of paint. My husband has a child-size rocking chair that his grandfather made that we will also use. I also found an amazing midcentury modern dresser on Craigslist for $40, which my husband refinished, and will paint it a bright color. That will serve as both a dresser and as a changing station.
I will continue to post pictures as we finish the nursery! So if you like my design, keep checking back for progress!
Thanks!
*knowgirl Jessica
My Random Nursery Crib Rant
Cribs have gotten crazy. I saw some that the back piece was my height (5'4") and could take up an entire nursery. Great- it converts into a full size bed, but really? By the time you have your next child, you are going to be using the crib as a crib again, and the 1st child will move into a twin. And who really uses full size bed? I don't get why you need anything between a twin and a queen. Rant's over. Sorry.
Thanks!
*knowgirl Jessica
My Random Nursery Crib Rant
Cribs have gotten crazy. I saw some that the back piece was my height (5'4") and could take up an entire nursery. Great- it converts into a full size bed, but really? By the time you have your next child, you are going to be using the crib as a crib again, and the 1st child will move into a twin. And who really uses full size bed? I don't get why you need anything between a twin and a queen. Rant's over. Sorry.