I focused on a modern nursery that would easily transition with Audrey as she grows. A baby’s room that wasn’t too “baby” or overly girlie. Her parents are young, cool, and hip…and that’s what I wanted to convey in the design. Baby Audrey did her best to let me know what she liked too–lots of swirls and lots of kicking.
It’s incredible how easy it is to accumulate a mountain of toys over two years. These were my goals in creating a toddler room for my son:
Have only the age appropriate toys in the room (all baby toys went into storage)
Keep them off the floor
Have the toys easily accessible
A navy blue & white, elephant themed nursery for our baby bee to be!
This room was once our spare bedroom that had beige carpet and beige walls. After trying for baby #1 since August of 2010, we found out we were finally pregnant this year near the end of February. I was so excited that I immediately put all our spare bedroom furniture up for sale on Craigslist. After clearing out the room, we took the money from the furniture and spent it on new baby furniture :)
When we moved into our house a year and a half ago I didn’t have much time to decorate the playroom, and over time it became a mish-mash of color, stuff, and kid clutter. Recently I revamped it with some paint, fabric, new storage, and new play zones (pretend, reading, legos etc.). All of the details can be found on my blog, http://namesakedesign.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-summer-i-plan-to-tackle-four.html.
Maximizing a tiny bit of wall space to create an organized and easily accessible arts and crafts storage center.
A small modern nursery becomes a happy place for our firstborn baby girl.
Since we don’t need the changing table anymore (yay no more diapers!) it was time to make use of the huge closet and transform it into a big girl space.
A transitional room, with modern furniture, and classic Cade Bedding from Caden Lane.
A fun, bright, easy to use playroom that used to be mom and dad’s home office.
Preston’s walls are painted a dark “Sock Monkey” brown and a 12″ red boarder is painted around the top. The trim and furniture are an antique white. All of the colors were pulled from those of vintage Sock Monkeys! Most people think nurseries should be bright and pastel, but I disagree. Preston’s room is cozy and makes napping EASY! There are red and white gingham accents throughout. They can be seen on the drapes, crib skirt, personalized PBK soft chair in the reading area, on the ribbon attached to the mobile I made, and on a letter “P” hung above the rocking chair. The other fabric selection is ivory with Sock Monkeys. The crib sheet, crib blanket, rocking chair pillow, changing pad cover, light switch plate, lamp and night light are in this fabric. Some of the pieces were bought on Etsy and others purchased individually at babybedding.com. The pieces from babybedding.com were my only splurge, but are still affordable. I painted all of the picture frames an antique white and glued red buttons on (a project that cost $11 including frames-Walmart wooden frames, spray paint and some red buttons I had). Button details are also on the mobile and hamper. I also made the “No Monsters Allowed” sign that hangs above the closet. Our home is a 1941 bungalow. I wanted a nursery that may have been there when the house was built but with a modern twist-of course. I was also on a small budget, because I lost my job shortly after getting pregnant. The entire space was done for under $600, excluding the crib and dresser-gifts from our parents! My dad made the red shelf above the crib, and we painted it with leftover wall paint. Another friend made the personalized wooden blocks and made the personalized basket that holds toys. I found the alphabet art for $10, at TJMaxx and the letter “P” for $2.95 at landofnod.com. The “P” is hung by a handpainted Sock Monkey knob-$3.95 on Etsy! The red rugs, red changing table basket, and ivory rocking chair pad were Pier 1 clearance finds! The rocking chair was snagged from my parents porch. The crib, changing table/dresser, and bookshelf were ordered on sale from JCPenney. The small “bedside table” was purchased at a HUGE discount from a furniture store that was going out of business. The hamper was bought for $19.99, from babiesrus. I cut the wood buttons off, that it came with, and sewed on large red buttons I got at Walmart for $3. We painted this room with the intention that it can be used for years to come. The crib converts to a toddler bed and full bed, the changing table becomes simply a dresser, and the few sock monkey elements can be easily removed. With new sheets, comforter, rugs and art, this room can be transformed. I have visions of adding baby blue or orange to the red and brown, for a “big boy” space. For now, Preston loves “his monkeys” more than we could have hoped. He giggles and “talks” to them often, and we beam with pride!
Ah, the city life. There’s nothing quite like it. However space in the city often comes with it’s limitations. After many wonderful years in NYC, both Pam and I can very much appreciate the creativity that goes into decorating small spaces. Theo’s Mom Amanda and Grandmother pulled together a delightful, contemporary, clutter-free nursery. Their special touches and smart storage/shelving solution, make for plenty of room for baby!