When I was pregnant, we bought our first house. A fixer-upper, no less.
My husband and I drove ourselves crazy getting as many projects completed as possible before baby girl arrived, but her nursery, luckily, was a piece of cake.
Once we had furniture, I loved to waddle myself into that sweet room and plop down for a nap with our pups. Something about those gray walls were so soothing, along with the simplicity of the space.
Though it's filled with more stuff these days, it's still my favorite room in the house.
Today, I'm excited to share photos of the space, along with the stories behind many of the sweet and sentimental details that so lovingly went into creating it.
THE WALLS
When we bought this house last February, the first thing we did was have the entire interior painted pure white, top to bottom. The only exception was the nursery. I knew I didn't want it to be too pink, which meant a gender neutral color on the walls. (I also wanted it to be functional just in case baby No. 2 comes along while we're still living here.)
What I did not know was how difficult it would be to choose the perfect shade of grey. I ended up selecting "Saxon Grey" from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams. The undertone is slightly blue, which is perhaps why I find it to be so calming.
Behind Everly and I, you can see a collection of six watercolors I ordered on Etsy. (They also come in blue, green, rainbow and more!) I had them hung in basic white frames from Target, and Everly absolutely loves studying them. Sometimes I'll hold her and move from one print to the next so she can look at them closely. Her favorite is the panda!
In the deep background is a print from The Night Sky, showcasing the stars from the exact time and place that Everly was born, which my in-laws gifted to us.
Above her closet is an adorable wooden print, received from one of my oldest friends. It reads:
"A baby girl, one of the most beautiful miracles in life, one of the greatest joys we can ever know, and one of the reasons why there is a little extra sunshine, laughter and happiness in our world today."
Above her dresser + changing table (from Pottery Barn Kids) is one of the most special items in her nursery. It's a unicorn print that used to hang in my childhood bedroom, which my mom found and had re-framed for Everly.
Not pictured: a white diaper pail on one side of the changing station, a white wicker hamper on the other.
I had read at some point that hanging a few hooks within arm's reach of the changing table is incredibly helpful, as you will have many items that aren't dirty enough for the laundry but aren't clean enough to go back in the drawer.
For now, I have a sweet unicorn towel hanging there. It was one of the first items I bought when I found out I was pregnant. I saw it in a store and just melted. The heart hanging next to it was an engagement gift from one of my bridesmaids.
The gold and marble hooks are from Target, and somehow matched the wall color exactly.
THE CRIB
OK, this might as well be an ad for Pottery Barn Kids. The crepe flowers (they also come in pink), the crib, the flying elephant mobile and the fitted sheet (it's soooo soft) are all PBK, and I love them all. I'm kinda jealous that I don't get to sleep here, TBH.
THE DAYBED
I had been advised by both my mother and the incredible Nanny Connie to opt for a daybed rather than a rocking chair. (But if you can fit both in your nursery, I say go for it.)
In her book, The Nanny Connie Way, celebrity baby nurse Connie Simpson suggests that once your baby learns to be rocked to sleep or to be soothed, they're eventually unable to settle down without it. With a daybed, mom and/or dad have a place to rest comfortably in the nursery. When baby becomes a kiddo, and said kiddo is scared or sick and wants to sleep in mom and dad's bed, you can cuddle and comfort them on the daybed in their own room, instead.
Ours is from Wayfair and has a trundle. Perfect for extra out of town guests or, eventually, kiddie sleepovers. (The linens are from Wayfair, too.) For now, I have it loaded with as many white, pink and grey throw pillows as I could find, along with a selection of her (already extensive) stuffed animal collection.
THE SHELVES
Next to the daybed, I squeezed in a little DIY cube system from Target for a nursing station and bookshelf. In the basket, I keep essentials for myself (extra water, lotion, chapstick, etc.) and toys for Everly.
In addition to books -- including journals in which I write to Ev -- I included a lamp, white noise machine, digital clock (for tracking feedings and nap time) and a framed photo from our maternity shoot.
My favorite detail here, though, are the baby booties. Those were a gift from my late grandmother: they're my dad's (her first-born) real-life baby shoes, which she had preserved in copper back in the '50s. I added those little faux flowers for a feminine touch.
THE FLOOR
We were lucky enough to have inherited finished hardwoods throughout the house, making it easy for me to pop in a small area rug to complete the room. This one is from Wayfair, and I usually have a Lovevery play gym on top of it.
...And sometimes you have to put up a baby gate to keep your fur babies from getting too involved in tummy time.
I'd love to hear about your experience building a nursery! What are some of your favorite pieces and special touches?
XO,
Mom Needs Merlot