In creating this nursery, I sought out to design a space not only for my anticipated daughter but also for myself. During my pregnancy, this room has become a place for me to visit at the end of the day. It is a location that provides for quiet moments after attending to the bustle that comes with caring for a young family and managing a busy job. Very soon, it will become a space for transition. It will provide a place where I can get to know my baby girl and she can learn about me. In the early months of my daughter’s life, she will sleep in a bassinet beside my bed. Eventually the nursery crib will be separated from the decorative tulle and the bumpers will be removed for her safety. But, in the meantime all of the glitter and frills, garland and pinks offer something for me. They provide a backdrop for my daughter and I to plunge head first into this next phase together.

This child will be my first since the unexpected death of my four-year-old son, Leon. He was the eldest of my 3 boys, and his loss remains palpable and everlasting. Similar to other families who have experienced fetal, infant, or child loss, this pregnancy has been filled with heavy feelings and unknowns mixed with anticipation and joy. Aria’s arrival offers hope for a new chapter for my family. I aspired to create a nursery fitting for that occasion, and this room is the culmination of that energy.

In creating my daughter’s nursery, I wanted to unite elements of my family’s past with our hopes for the future. Leon adored stars, and this was the primary catalyst for Aria’s nursery design. I combined details of both heaven and earth, represented through delicate birds and flowers intermixed with Leon’s stars. The nursery highlights subtle feminine elements to include blush pinks, a glittered cornice, and elegant mixed metals. These details fall upon a backdrop of neutral whites and greys that fit with my boys’ bedrooms. The crib and changing table have been used for each of my children, and I spruced these up using new baskets and bedding. I incorporated vintage books passed down from relatives with baby board books both old and new.

This project progressed over the course of several months. I started with identifying the best room locations for large furniture items and picking the color palatte. To meet my desire for a high-end design while staying within a budget, I collected most of the new furniture pieces from outlet stores (Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn) in my local area. I utilized Pinterest to catalogue items and await sales as well as to color match new items found in stores with ones that I already had selected for the room. Also, I looked to other areas of my home to borrow and repurpose décor. Initially, I planned to create a wallpaper accent wall behind the crib. However, my husband was not a fan of that idea so we instead settled on placing wallpaper within custom frames to hang on either side of the crib.