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Neutral Boho Coastal Nursery

We chose a coastal inspired nursery for my son because of my upbringing in Coastal New England and because we are fortunate enough to live only 1800 steps from the beach. I have always found solace in the sound of the waves crashing and truly appreciated growing up in an area that brought me such peace.
My first job was at Woodman’s of Essex which is famous for their seafood, and is a New England staple. My entire family worked at this establishment as well and we would each say it was of our favorite place to work. We really looked forward to the clam bakes, the local travel and everything that goes along with the lifestyle of living by the beach. We adore this community and hope our son grows up with as much love for it as we have!
My advice to any current or expecting parents is to create something that truly resonates with you and will be meaningful for years to come. I chose neutral tones for the nursery with the consideration that we could one day have a girl who may share the space. I also wanted this room to embody the quaint and charming characteristics of New England that can be appreciated by a boy or a girl, and can be a fun place for them to create memories as they grow up.

Classy Coastal Nursery

Although we live in Upstate New York, my husband is from San Diego and I wanted to pay homage to his hometown and a beloved activity of his: surfing. I didn’t want to go overboard with the theme and be too beachy or nautical, since I want this room to grow with my baby boy. The result was “classy coastal”. There are some beachy elements and some nautical elements. I love to play around with patterns and textures so you can see that throughout this room. The first two things I chose that inspired the whole nursery were the Serena and Lily wallpaper, and the surf car print from Minted. I hope you love looking at these photos even half as much as I loved creating it!
 
*All photos taken by Michelle Lange Photography
**I’ve tried to link all items below but some were not available online

Navy Nautical Nursery

This is our version of our little captains quarters.  We wanted to create a calming nautical nursery for our little man.  We used greys, whites, navy, and a hint of aqua to transform this former extension of our master bedroom.  Batten board, dark doors, and vaulted ceilings all made this room fit for a little captain. I love that this room can grow with logan and we can add personal touches as he gets older.  A mixed of old, refurbished, and new items all blend together for a perfect navy nautical nursery.

Gray & Navy Nautical Nursery

Our intention with the design of our first child’s nursery was to create a room that could grow with him.  We didn’t want it to be too ‘baby’.
Both my husband and I have grown up on the water and enjoy all the activities that go along with that lifestyle.  We wanted to reflect our love of offshore fishing and the nautical lifestyle.  Unfortunately, the majority of nautical themed nursery items are sailboat related.  Although we appreciate the beauty of sailboats, our families have never been into sailing as a hobby.  Creating a space that reflected our boating and beach lifestyle, required a little more creativity on my part.

Preppy Pink & Navy Nautical First Birthday

I chose this nautical theme after deciding that we wanted to have my daughter, Eliza’s, 1st birthday party on the lake in our neighborhood. With a lakeside setting, a preppy pink and navy nautical celebration seemed to be the perfect fit!  After dinner, our little party guests built their own sailboats. My dad cut all the wood and my mom made the sails with leftover fabric from the backdrop. It was so cute to see a table of girls and one little boy using their hammer and nails to build sailboats. We then set sail in the lake! It was such a beautiful night and the perfect evening to celebrate our sweet girl!

Set Sail with Mason

The sailing/nautical theme came together after buying the first item (the poop deck plaque). There was no overall vision for this room, we just started and kept rolling with it. I googled “nautical nursery” and really liked the thick bold stripes I saw in other rooms. It took us forever to decide on how many stripes, how thick, how far apart etc..but once we started the first wall looked great. The second wall was another story. We realized the entire ceiling was not level and one side was about and inch and a half taller than the other, making the stripes look crooked. Another hour of thinking, measuring and re-taping and we figured it out. We used frog tape but when we pulled it off our worst nightmare was realized…it bled through every where. Nothing 6 hours worth of touching up with a tiny brush couldn’t fix :(
In the end my husband and I are very happy with the way the room turned out…but we will NEVER paint stripes again!