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Sustainable Nursery on a Budget

Knowing we were having a boy, I wanted a room that is cosy, practical and could easily be transformed into something less ‘baby-ish’ as our son grows. Other words on my design ‘wish list’ were: neutral, simple and timeless – the latter particularly playing on my mind, as I realised the initial baby phase lasts only a heartbeat.
As we had just moved back to our home after a sabbatical (we lived abroad for a year), we didn’t have a huge budget to play with, which meant I had to get creative.  All my choices were carefully considered, based on items longevity, sustainability and keeping to the budget – without compromising on the all important fun and design aspect. There is a number of items I made myself (garlands and painted scalloped wall with black chalkboard paint). 
I have written a full blog post about it, which can be found here: https://www.roomcocktail.com/post/how-i-created-a-sustainable-nursery-without-breaking-the-bank
 

Eclectic Boho Toddler Bedroom

I dreamed of having a daughter. I dreamed of all the tiny little girly things and special mommy daughter moments we would share. I dreamed of designing her nursery and then getting to know her and designing her first big girl room.
This is Charleigh’s room. It is perfectly her, a mix of girly, wild, natural, and whimsical. Charleigh is not a dainty little toddler, she’s a wild flower. She’s all over the place-climbing, running, jumping-but she just may be doing all of these things in a tutu. As you can see from her room, she is an eclectic mix of many things as is her happy boho space with lots of storage, hangout spots, and the ability to climb on and off of her custom modified daybed.
 
 

Twin Girls Modern Boho Neutral Sanctuary

We chose a modern, boho, femininely whimsical theme for our twin girls, Capri & Celine’s nursery. We wanted to incorporate modern elements such as the neon name signs and acrylic cribs with the feminine touches of the Anthropologie primrose mirror and the beaded chandelier while keeping true to a natural, bohemian aesthetic with the bouclé glider, area rug & beige/ivory/cream neutral color palette.

Eclectic Boys Nursery

Robert’s nursery was the first room we completed in our new house. My sister-in-law hand painted the accent wall and I painted the dresser in the same color blue. The shelves are filled with sentimental pieces, like my childhood teddy bear, a framed Hermès coloring book that was a wedding gift from a friend, and Robert’s favorite book “Mommy in my Pocket,” written by his grandma. The gallery wall is a collection of pictures and frames from different places that I’ve collected over the year, including Pop Art prints of our two dogs Moose and Bear. There’s a lot going on in this room but somehow I think it all works!
*Please note the room was styled for these photos – the plant is not normally within reach of the crib.

Colorful & Cozy Sweet Dreams Nursery

Imagine laying in the pool, looking up at the stars. No worries, just allowing your imagination to run wild. That is what I think of when I look at our nursery. I wanted a space that was fun and colorful, but also relaxing for our baby boy. I incorporated stars as an ode to our son’s name, Luca, which means bringer of light. The teal Clarence wallpaper also helps tie in the bathroom which has a bit of an ocean theme. I hope this room with age gracefully as he grows.

Fox Nursery

Custom-sized wallpapers for a children’s room and not only by @coloraypolska, @coloraydecor are a very interesting solution for those who like to surround themselves with beautiful things. The unique offer of high-quality silicone wallpapers that can be freely transferred to another wall will satisfy the most demanding customers. Vivid colors and beautiful patterns will awaken the imagination of children and also parents. Just enter the size and design and enjoy the beautiful view☀️

Rhett’s surf retreat

I wanted to keep this fairly neutral so it would be easy to transition into a big boy room as Rhett grows and starts developing his own likes/interests. I learned with my first child that using a dresser as a changing table is an easy way to stretch your use and money, as the dresser will work long after he outgrows diapers. Our favorite place as a family is on the coast so this easy breezy theme has some art work from our favorite vacation spot, so not only is it peaceful and relaxing but it has some sentiment as well. Just mix and match pieces from everywhere including IKEA, Etsy, Target, and TJ Maxx.

Dusty Blush Big Girl Room

My daughter’s room was a labor of love. It all started with the rug, which was in her nursery. I loved the soft tones and the subtle pop of green, which I wouldn’t normally opt-for, but it works really well with all the muted tones and keeps it from looking too babyish. The rug’s color palette is what ultimately inspired the floral wallpaper; the colors are bold, but they play off the colors in the rug beautifully. Other than the crib, the gold bookcase was pretty much the only other item I had for her nursery. I then added the wood beaded chandelier when we moved into this house and that’s how her room stayed for a while.
When I started to look at “big girl beds,” I fell in love with this dusty blush bed. I had debated between a “safer” choice with a white bed, but I’m so happy I ultimately went with this one. It’s a mature shade of pink that can carry her well into her teenage years.
After I decided on the bed, I came across this gorgeous canopy  in champagne and knew I wanted it for her corner to create a dreamy reading nook. It is such a beautiful, high-quality piece, and my daughter’s mouth dropped when she saw it go up; definitely a little girl’s dream.
I then purchased this simple white nightstand and swapped out the knobs with a set from Hobby Lobby and the room was complete. I’m so happy with how this labor of love turned out, and seeing her reaction to it all was truly priceless. Just remember that oftentimes, these projects do take some time, and you should embrace that because in the end you’ll have a room that you truly love.

Project Revive!

I chose this project because this was the most adorable little boy who recently transferred into a big boy bed and didn’t have the proper space!  He also didn’t have a reading nook, despite loving books. I chose green as the main color because it is a soothing bedroom color and promotes calmness and serenity. The rest of the decor is light colored to complement the soothing aspect.
tips: don’t mix too many colors in a bedroom. Less is more. Also, make sure not to over clutter a room with too many items.

Boho Meets Chic Nursery

I wanted to create a nursery where you felt a calming sense of peace when you entered. A room to raise our daughter in that was simple, yet had special details throughout. I wanted to focus on whites and neutrals with pops of color throughout the room! The best part of this nursery is that I put together the details and vision that I had, while my husband built everything to make my dream come to life! This was the perfect project to do together before the arrival of our first baby! Memories that will last a lifetime. Lastly, every book on her shelves were from a family member or a friend. Instead of bringing cards to our baby shower, they brought their favorite books from growing up with a sweet message addressed to our daughter as she grows and learns to read! 

Blue Paint Stroke Room Update

With a little girl on the way, we needed to take the furniture from our son’s room to put in her nursery. We decided to go big with his furniture and buy a queen bedroom set. His nursery theme was Peter Pan, and while I wanted to keep some elements I wanted to tie in the decals and navy blue so added some ocean friends to his space. I also updated his faux fur white area rug to something more contemporary that matched his new color scheme. Since I was in the process of designing our little girl’s nursery, I didn’t want to spend too much time or money redoing his room. I’m obsessed with the decals and they were so easy to install.

Sweet Peach

I am due with my first girl at the beginning of April. When looking for inspiration for her space I fell in love with a project that used clementine oranges, but I wanted something a little more feminine. That is when I found the Peach decals on the Project Nursery website and I knew that was going to be my focus for her room. My husband built the window seat and the board and batten wall. I am in love with how the space turned out and cannot wait for her to get here.

Cookies & Milk Gender Neutral Nursery

Through the years, my mom and I have always been close. She always made me feel like I could share anything with her. We would usually have heart-to-heart conversations late at night, with a glass of milk and a few warm chocolate chip cookies. I hope to have that kind of relationship with my son. I just knew cookies & milk would be a fun theme for his nursery! We really gravitated towards black and white nurseries, so I knew I wanted to use a lot of black, white, and ivory details. We also thought it would be fun to throw in some cognac leather details to add a touch of masculinity to the room. We DIY’d the leather handles on the dresser and nightstand to match the storage bench to do just that! We also saved a bit of money by spray painting the chandelier from gold to matte black. Every time I walk into the nursery, it reminds me of the kind of mom I want to be. 🖤 🍪

French Farmhouse Gender Neutral Nursery

In December we welcomed our rainbow baby boy, Jack, after many losses and a successful round of IVF. Being that this was our second and final child, and a boy (we have a girl who is 3) I wanted to create a special space just for him. I really wanted this space to be a relaxing, inviting one where the kids will eventually play together. This is why there’s lots of room in the center of the room for their toys to spread out! I think that many nurseries just have so much stuff, especially nurseries for firstborn children. The second time around, I realized we don’t really need that much!
I’ve always been a change-on-the-go kind of mom, so I change in the pack-and-play or on the floor. I never used a changing table with my daughter, so this time I omitted it from the nursery altogether.
It’s my deepest desire that this will be a room filled with love, kisses, and hugs, so a spacious room was what our children deserved!
A lot of my inspiration came from the French Farmhouse style of decorating. I love all of the textures, and different shades of ‘white’. My favorite! You can read more about the room on my blog here.

Lennon’s Little Legends, Exceptional Men in Black History

It’s no secret that it’s been a tough year for children. I wanted to do something at home for Lennons birthday to honor his heritage. Ever since he was a baby, we’ve been reading a page of Vashti Harrison’s “Little Legends, Exceptional Men in Black History” to him every night. Every night we focus on one individual and their accomplishments. As he’s getting older, he’s starting to look forward to this. When I had the idea to make this book a birthday theme for him. Images are powerful and shape our identity. I wanted him to feel represented in a beautiful light.
The cover of the book was my inspiration. I worked with moon rising, an incredible designer that helped me recreate Lennon in the same style as the characters in the book. He was now front and center as he is an exceptional black boy, soon to be man. Each child had a bookmark with a different character from the book and their names on the back. We had library cards made so that they can continue with the rest of the book series reading about exceptional people in history. I kept the color scheme the same as the cover of the book, focusing on black white mint and yellow stars. Working with Pavan Floral is always a pleasure. The florals she creates are stunning. They always fit perfectly with my aesthetic. Janice Wong with the desert never disappoints. We had a beautiful cake where she hand painted the characters. The cookies featured the faces of the characters in the book and the cake pops had a printed image of the cover.
The star of the show was the incredible backdrop provided by Modest Peach. They recreated the cover and had each character life size standing on podiums. I want Lennon to always remember this day. How special he is. How exceptional he is and to shoot for the stars.
A bbq lunch catered by the incredible Sarah of Active Palate was the perfect meal. The children had Mac and cheese cups and fried chicken sliders, while the adults had bbq and a beautiful grazing table put together by cheese pretty please. A yummy green juice for the kids  and sangria for adults by Nate Parker really complimented the meal. The incredible Kara Coleen shot this day for us. She helped us capture the magic of a day we’ll always remember.

Neutral Wildflower Playspace

Adding a wall full of wildflowers to inspire play and creativity was the reasoning behind adding this feature wall in our playspace. The taupe colour of the wildflowers is both neutral and airy, allowing for visual interest that doesn’t overwhelm the area. Livette’s Removable Wallpaper was simple to install and the quality is second to none. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to add wallpaper to all the rooms in our home.