This Is What Happens When You Post Your Dream Nursery Online

Nearly eight years ago, I posted two rooms on the web. The first room landed me a spot on national TV and scored my husband and me a free (as in $20,000 free) makeover of my master bedroom. Amazing right? The next shocker was the mad love I received from sharing my son’s nursery photos online. That experience quickly prompted me to develop a platform where parents like myself could share their nursery stories, inspire others and receive a much deserved virtual pat on the back. And here I am today, over the moon that our platform boasts 100,000 images of talented reader nurseries and so grateful for the partnership I have with Pam, who contributed equally in making our dreamy little site a reality. Now, it’s my turn to share my very own nursery for my daughter Emerson Grace with you—um, no pressure, right?

After years of nursery design bliss, it’s ironic that I had no grand plan, no formal design board nor sponsorship from a single brand for this room. At the end of the day, it was wildly important for me to curate what I’ve come to love over the years and select products from the brands I have grown to adore both personally and professionally as a design blogger and mother.

The moment I learned I was about to welcome a baby girl after two, let’s kindly call them “rough and tumble” boys, it took some serious willpower not to douse my home in pink. Inspired by this rose wallpaper, I settled on a neutral color palette of yellow, greens and gold that would complement the soft creams and blues of my master bedroom located just across the hall.

From there, I worked my way around the room, starting with what we here at PN like to refer to as the “nursing nook.” I first asked myself, where would I like to sit and what would I like to look at?

Gazing out the window from the glider is a bonus, which is why I chose the swivel action of the crescent glider in oatmeal linen. I decided to play up the subtle gold dots found in the wallpaper with a Moroccan gold pouf, gold dot pillow and silk shantung window panels. As for the rug, flokati isn’t for the faint of heart, but my idea of a dreamy nursery scene always starts with a fabulous fluffy white rug!

They say third time’s the charm, and this time I felt the need to incorporate a dedicated changing station right by the door (something I didn’t get to do with baby one or two), and the liberty changing table was a most welcomed addition. And yes, of course my diaper pail matches the room, doesn’t yours?

Images of iron cribs had been populating the Project Gallery like wild fire, so I figured it was a sign from above and took a cue from our own Project Nursery community. That, and the fact that my heart skipped a beat every time I laid eyes on the elegant Joy crib. Next, I opted for a simple white linen crib set and a gold dot crib sheet to cover the best crib mattress I have ever owned, really.

I had to get over the fact that I could not hang a traditional chandelier in my nursery quickly. The sparkle of the dauphine crystal flushmount light came to the rescue (times two) and added a sense of grandeur to a regular room with a standard 8-foot tall ceiling.

Now if I were to recommend a single piece of furniture to invest in, it would be this Beverly 7-drawer dresser. I can honestly say that I catch myself taking pause each time I grab a hold of its bold brass hardware and glide one of its drawers open.

Once the key pieces of Emmy’s nursery were in place, I handpicked dreamy decorative accents and added a few personal touches to breathe life into the room. From the handmade Parisian map dress to gold baby ballet slippers to the oversize wooden initial “E,” I suddenly had the little girl’s room of my dreams.

Look, I’m even prepared for her first tea party and tutu fashion show! I’ve gotta admit that I’m still wondering where all this girlyness came from. As a fan of clean, modern design, I really must have suppressed this side of myself for years. Of course, if she prefers lacrosse, that’s really okay with me too. We call it a dream nursery for a reason.

So what’s next? After baby number three, I can officially say that I’m done with designing my own nurseries for good. But naturally, I’m off to upload additional details of Emmy’s room and shopping sources in our project gallery.

Thank you, readers, for the years of incredible nursery design inspiration! xo, M

Images by Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography

Some samples were received but all opinions are my own.