What could possibly be better than one beautiful nursery design reveal? How about two? Today we’re so grateful to the multi-talented Renee Herlocker for sharing the room designs that she recently completed for her adorable kids, one-year-old Bowynn and almost-three-year-old Camden. These rooms were truly a labor of love and the story of how they came to be is quite the adventure—let’s just say that Renee and her husband Kelley didn’t choose the easiest path. But sometimes the road less traveled brings you to a place that’s even better than you imagined. And for this sweet family of four, that’s exactly where their unconventional path led them.
It seems as though my husband and I like to take on a new home renovation project every time we find out I’m pregnant. In 2014, we were expecting our first baby and decided to buy our first home. We found our dream home exactly where we wanted it. I say dream home with the pretense that we knew we would remodel and expand when the time was right. So in the meantime, we moved into our home when I was five months pregnant and only thought we would redo the floors and paint. Fast forward to my water breaking two weeks early and to us knocking out a brick fireplace in our living room 24 hours after going into labor. This led us to taking our baby boy to a hotel for five days after 42 hours of labor. Needless to say, his nursery was very sweet, but bare. We only had the necessities. Oh, and did I mention my husband is a musician and travels all the time?
When we found out we were pregnant with my daughter (12 months after my son was born), we blinked and decided to break ground on a full remodel that included an addition on top of our garage where the kids’ rooms would be. We also did the kitchen, backyard and family room. We moved out and brought our daughter home to a temporary location thinking it would only be for four months. Crazy, right? So her “nursery” consisted of her sleeping at the foot of our bed and a changing table. Nine months later, construction was complete, which meant I could decorate the kids’ rooms exactly how I knew they would love! I love to share all of our life adventures on Instagram and on my blog, Humble Hiccups, because being a parent is humbling and comes with its own hiccups. That is something everyone can relate to.
What inspired your nursery designs?
My daughter’s room wasn’t quite a nursery because I knew she would be outgrowing a changing table, so I wanted it to be a space she could change with. I didn’t have a clear theme when I first started, but once a few key items were chosen, it began to unfold. I started with the ceiling pendant, crib and wall paint color, and a calm, cute and dreamy room developed.
Crystal Pendant | Area Rug with Tassels | Wall Color
Elephant Wall Art | Wire Basket | Let Her Sleep Wall Decal | First Birthday Framed Collage | Bookshelf
Crib | Mattress | Crib Sheet | Crib Skirt
My son started showing signs of interest in astronomy about two months before we moved back in to the house. I picked out his ceiling pendant light and told him it was his very own satellite. He loved that! I knew incorporating a planet and space theme would be something he could grow into and learn from but wasn’t extremely permanent.
Crib | Mattress | Moon Decal
How did your personal style influence your design choices?
My personal style is pretty simple. I like neutrals and lean toward the masculine side of design, so I was pretty shocked at how girly I ended up decorating Bowynn’s room. My son Camden’s room is very neutral, and I love the grey palette. I actually really enjoy space and astronomy too, so spending time in both rooms is a highlight of my day! I like mixing metals, but when it comes to rooms, it needs to be calming but also have play elements.
Vintage Acrylic Side Table (similar) | Glider | Floor Lamp | Dresser | Mirror
Did you have any unexpected obstacles when creating these rooms?
The obstacles I found when creating the rooms really just came down to timing the delivery and assembly of things. All the items were budget-friendly and just fell into place once I began to stick with a similar look and feel.
Now that the rooms are complete, what was your favorite part of the process? And what do you love the most about the finished designs?
I honestly loved the whole process of designing the rooms. I would scour Pinterest and other blogs for inspiration and take trips to Target where Pillowfort proved to have amazing items. I would get something and then figure out where it might fit after!
My favorite part of the finished design in my daughter’s room is definitely the reading nook where I can picture her having a friend over—even in a few years when she’s five—and having a tea party. My favorite part of my son’s room is either his gallery wall where there is a rocket ship that lights up or the moon decal above his crib. It’s like he learns something new when we talk about all the things located around his room.
Circle Shelf | Cloud Shelves | Gold Acrylic Name
What is the one thing that you would tell other parents to consider when they’re starting their own nursery design projects?
My advice when starting a nursery or toddler room design project is to have fun! It is very special to be able to provide a space like this for your child, so take away the stress. The kids will love it because of the time you spend with them in the space, and that is all that matters.
Celestial Wall Art | Chandelier
Design by Andrika King Designs
Photography by Katee Grace Photography
Erica
Monday 25th of September 2017
Hi, Where did you get the rocket and stars marquee signs?