Description
This is the nursery we designed for our son.
Design Inspiration
The inspiration for this project was the beach and incorporating whales and sea turtles. We wanted something that kind of went with our general design in the rest of the house, but was fun and kid friendly and something he would be able to grow with. We decided on doing a coastal/sea theme.
Decorating Style
Beach, Coastal, Clean, Bright, Fun
Project Details
Crib - Solutions by Kids R Us Lifetime Convertible Crib - White
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3520318
Chair - Shermag Glidder
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11981544
Dresser - Re-purposed and painted. Bought the knobs from an Etsy shop - PatrinasPlace
http://www.etsy.com/listing/90930629/8-ocean-whale-dresser-drawer-knobs-pulls?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_query=whale+knobs&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=handmade
Changing Table - Actually a kitchen cart from IKEA I already owned and just re-purposed. It fit the changing pad mattress perfect and with the open storage below, it really has worked out well.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80035920/
Baskets in the Changing Table - Purchased from craft store.
Letters (A, B, C) - Bought from Jo-Ann Fabrics and painted to match the room colors
Artwork - My sister actually drew these for me so they are one of a kind. The seagull picture is my absolute favorite.
Curtains, Book Sling, Crib Skirt - I made each of these items with fabric from Fabric.com and some online tutorials.
Curtains - These come in a few different color combinations in case anyone really likes the fabric.
http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=bd59573b-1759-4c84-a531-a3f0ad9ca6c8
http://annasnest.com/article/how-to-make-lined-curtains
Book Sling - http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=9d6043cf-461d-4dc8-8658-4402cd2db094
I knew how to make these, so I just did the math to make it work out with two dowels from the craft store and a double curtain holder.
Crib Skirt - This also comes in a few different shades.
http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=0875c0aa-b8b1-498d-b113-a75efff3e555
I also knew how to make the crib skirt, so I just made up my own pattern and sewed it together. The fabric under the mattress is just a plain muslin from the clearance remnants bin. Remember, no one will see it so it doesn't really matter what it is.
Curtain tie backs/holders - Made from a cheap U style curtain hook and a giant seashell glued to the front. All were painted white to match the room.
Starfish - We picked these up from the craft store and hot glued picture hangers to the back of them to hang them.
Sailboat Lamp - This was given to us by my mother-in-law from a garage sale find. We replaced the socket and bought a new lamp shade from IKEA and it works like a charm.
Favorite Items
The seagull art work from my sister and the curtains. They turned out really well and look professional. I am just proud that I made them.
Advice
Start small and add in what you like. I knew I wanted to have blue and green for colors and then I went in search of fabric that would compliment that color scheme. After that it was just adding things here and there until we got the look we wanted. Also, look for coupons and sales for the craft stores. I saved a lot of money by buying one thing with one coupon from the craft store each time I went. I live around the corner from it so that made it easy, but it was worth it to have the coupons on hand and swing by when I drove by. I would also say to think outside the box on stuff you already own to re-purpose the items for the nursery. Outfitting an entire nursery from scratch is expensive. Craigslist is a great place to look for dressers you can repaint and decorate how you'd like. Good luck and have fun!
Tasha Cune
Thursday 17th of May 2012
Neat and nice. I like your use of blue, which represents the sea, and green, which reminds me of fresh, newly grown plant.