We designed Eloise’s Traditional nursery to be neutral yet still warm and feminine. We used primarily a palette of grays and soft whites and then added warmth through rustic woods and cozy textures. Ornate brass hardware and metallic details add a ladylike touch. The floral painting was done by Eloise’s great grandmother.
About a year ago we moved my hubby’s home office to the basement and dedicated his old office to house Lily’s growing collection of toys. I wanted to design it right away but life, work, and all the things got in the way. One year later it is finally done! Check out Lily’s brand new arts and crafts themed playroom!
Check out the makeover video on the Craft Box Girls blog post.
Designing nurseries and spaces for kids is one of my greatest passions! I love creating happy places for littles to thrive, grow and learn! My 3-year old Lily absolutely loves her secret garden themed room and I just finished up her colorful playroom makeover a few months ago. Her eyes light up whenever she is in her spaces that were designed just for her. I was determined to bring that same magic to Baby Isabella’s nursery. To create that special space and bring the magic…. I decided to make the theme “magic” and fill the room with all the magical things that sparkle… unicorns, rainbows, mermaids, clouds and dreamy colors!
Watch the nursery reveal video: https://craftboxgirls.com/blogs/articles/baby-isabellas-nursery-reveal
DIY Be Kind Rainbow Sign Tutorial: https://craftboxgirls.com/blogs/articles/diy-3d-rainbow-wall-art
Stand Up Unicorn Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D-wfCDjBVg&feature=youtu.be
This nursery came together so seamlessly… it all started with a whimsical mural that inspired a blush pink, mauve and yellow colour palette — a combination that i’ve completely fallen in love with. When we started layering in some of the accessories, like the cute bow mobile, Magnolia Home low-pile rug, bold & unique cushions, and whimsical art, the vision really started to take shape. My Clients wanted a bright space that still felt soft and calming, and we accomplished just that. The glider, acylic crib and jenny lind bookcase bring in some really interesting shapes, textures and materials, which are musts in any space that I design. I adore how this nursery feels like a little ray of sunshine… so bright & warm!
I can’t believe my baby girl turned one. Even though we are still social distancing and living in our new normal, there was no way I was going to let this milestone go by and not make it as special as possible for my Sloaney.
It was unicorn and rainbow themed, with all the magical vibes. There was a lot of pastel, iridescent accents and girlyness all around! I DIY-ed a majority of the decorations and really tried to put my love and efforts into making the party as special as can be for my sweet girl. We had it in our backyard with immediate family and a couple close friends. It really turned out to be the most special day.
I linked and described everything below. All of the adorable photos were taken by Kim from Apple of Our Eye.
I DIY-ed a lot of these elements and purchased a ton on Amazon. I made a Party Supply Amazon List with a lot of the supplies too.
– Pastel Balloon Garland Backdrop– I made the balloon garland myself using a garland kit I found on Amazon. Warning, this DIY is not for the faint of heart.
– Tassle Highchair Banner – This is from an awesome balloon and tassle etsy shop, Gen Woo.
– DIY Balloon Rainbow Arch – This was a DIY idea from a photo I found on Pinterest. I ordered long pastel balloons and used a fringe iridescent garland for the tassels.
– Sweet Table – The gorgeous cakes are from Love and Butter Cream, an adorable shop in Birmingham, Michigan. I ordered a cheap iridescent tablecloth on Amazon, got the garland on sale at Hobby Lobby and the cake plates are from Target from a few years ago.
– Party Hat – Her rainbow party hat is from Etsy.
– Favors – The unicorn favor bags are by Meri Meri from Papersource and inside were Sugarfina “Your are Magical Candies.”
– Mantel Decor – I DIY-ed this fringe garland using tissue paper. I added on the ONE script ballon over the fringe and put balloons on either side.
– Sloane Turns 1 Sign – I wanted to do something a little different than the usual photo banner, so I created a photo board. I used a template from Harper and Wren Etsy Shop and then uploaded my favorite photos from each month. I taped onto a large board using watercolored washi tape. I used the cricut machine to cut out the rose gold letters on top.
– Flowers – I got these pastel bouquets for $8 each at Whole Foods! I got 6 and used some as centerpieces and some on the food tables.
– Tablescape – I used ombre rainbow plates and cups from Meri Meri and pastel napkins with polka dots from Meri Meri as well. I used gold plastic ware from amazon. I also put iridescent unicorn horns on the center of each table and a piñata unicorn in the center of each table.
– Photo Straws – This was a last minute idea and one of my favorite little details. Just printed off a photo of Sloane with a party hat and taped to all the straws.
– Balloons – Expert tip – have someone else blow up the balloons! I always try to do this myself and I always regret it. Here is a link to the iridescent star balloon, rainbow balloon, jumbo pastel balloons and the unicorn balloon. If you are blowing up yourself, make sure to get balloon clips and an air pump if doing a garland.
– Tabletop Signs – I had these acrylic signs from a baby shower I threw in the past, so I but reused and changed desisn using my Cricut machine and iridescent vinyl.
– Water Bottle Labels – This is just one of my favorite little ways to personalize a party and bring a theme in. Just print, wrap and tape.
– Sloanes Outfit – Lots of questions on her coat. I got it from Little Rascals in Birmingham, made by Sara Sara. Her tutu is by ILovePlum and her shoes are Freshly Picked.
– Dollhouse – This was a true labor or love for me. This was a dollhouse me and my Dad built when I was a little girl. I decided to rehab it, paint it and give it a little facelift and gift it to Sloane on her first birthday.
– Car – The hot pink Mercedes was a gift from Sloane’s grandparents.
– Swan – The adorable swan rocker was a gift from Sloane’s other grandparents. Will go so adorable in her room.
– Busy Board – made by a local Michigan artist, ArtworksbyAmy.
– Pink Foam Ball Pit – This ball pit is just so pretty.
– Photographer – She’s amazing and it was so nice not having to worry about snapping photos during the party. Kim Hoover from Apple of Our Eye.
It was such a special day for our sweet girl. Somehow during all of this, putting my love and time into things like this is what fills me up. I hope she looks back on this day and sees that even though it wasn’t a typical kid-filled first birthday party, it was special and she was surrounded by so much love.
The “Before” was a very boring, plain, builder-grade look. The house was built in 2019 and while everything was nice and new, the room had no personality and did not reflect the little girl living in it at all! There was nothing “custom” about the room and it’s likely that everyone who bought a home from our builder had rooms that looked exactly like this one. The room also had very little functionality aside from sleeping! There was little to no storage, no shelving, and no real storage system for toys, books, etc.
We wanted more, and needed more out of this space. We wanted a space that WE could get creative in, but that would also encourage creativity for our little girl! She needed a place she could feel herself in, feel safe in, read in, study in, and just enjoy being home in!
The entire makeover could have been done in one weekend, but it took us about 3-4 weeks simply for delivery or products we had ordered to spruce things up (bedding, rugs, etc.). We chose a kid-friendly bedding that can be made up simply with pull of a zipper! We went with a beautiful and feminine floral peel and stick wallpaper that was not only SUPER easy to apply, but it has all my daughter’s favorite colors!! Then we added some neutral wood toned shelving for aesthetics and storage, a large comfortable egg chair for cozying up with a book, and some floating shelves above the dresser for books and/or pictures. The entire project cost about $750.
We love everything about this project! My daughter was over the moon thrilled when it was finally done and now she enjoys playing, reading, lounging in there all the time!! It’s so pretty and functional now that it’s even inspired her to keep it clean!! Now if that’s not a mom-win, I don’t know what is!!!
I honestly wouldn’t change a thing, well…except I would have done it sooner!!! But my only words of advice would be make sure that whatever wallpaper you choose works with your wall type. For example if you have textured walls, make sure you get a wallpaper that works well on it. This one did for me! The other thing I would add is make sure you choose design elements that are true to YOU!!! You are unique and the room’s personality should reflect yours!
I sought out to create a monochrome nursery, complete with black/white patterns to stimulate our Audri Grace! I quickly learned that my ideas for using black, would overpower the aesthetic. With hues of gray, lilac, white and a hint of gold, coupled with a bold pattern – “All Dots!” – I was able to create my vision for a stimulating, yet calming space. Each piece of decor was identified with the hopes that baby would, one day, enjoy discovering it’s placement in her room.
Splish Splash it’s a Mermaid Birthday Bash! We had a great time Shellabrating our little lady as she turned 4. Although our guest list was limited this year, the pandemic can’t take away our mermaid state of mind!