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Leo’s Room

Description

When my husband and I moved into our new house, I took on the nursery design project as something to keep me busy on the weekends. The room (and house) is a classic 50s remodel and was in great shape. The house still has the original hardwoods throughout, so there was a nice base to start with.

Design Inspiration

I wanted the room to be non-themed. I didn't want anyone to walk in and see clowns or spaceships everywhere. So, I started with grey. I love the color grey and I knew I wanted the walls that color. From there it was a mix of patterns and colors that didn't quite all match but somehow seemed to work together in the end.

Decorating Style

I'm a graphic designer by trade, so I'm very into colors and typography. I didn't want the room to be overwhelming but I did want to punch it up in places with some of my artwork.

Project Details

We started with the grey walls. My husband is a contractor so he painted the room. I showed him a pantone swatch of a grey I like and he matched it. The artwork was all done by me on my computer. I printed it locally and set them up as a standard size so they would fit into store bought frames to cut down on costs. The rocking chair was a steal at $150 from rockingchairs.com. I never knew how much solid wooden rocking chairs could cost! The crib is from babies-r-us. It's a modern euro style and I really like it. I'm not big on bedding skirts, so I like the fact that it looks good without one. The mobile is from Urban outfitters. It's not meant to be a baby's mobile but when I saw it I knew it would be perfect for what I wanted; something unique and non-expensive at only $12. I used old family polaroids I got from my grandparents.

Favorite Items

The dresser was a cheap craigslist find and probably my favorite piece in the room. It was antique white with a mirror on top. We took off the mirror and my husband painted it using an oil based paint. I picked the yellow because it reminded me of a classic boys room from the 50s. I added the hardware from Anthropologie to give it a modern kick. My husband added new drawer slides so they work just like a expensive new dresser. I think it's a perfect size and something we can use for years to come. 

Advice

When I first started looking for room ideas, I got frustrated because every room seemed to have a theme. I like the fact that modern rooms can still have classic vintage touches. For me, I found it more difficult to design for a boy. The bedding was probably the hardest to decide one. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the brown. This was a challenge because a lot of boy stuff seemed to have either brown or blue in it. Don't get discourage in your search. Give yourself plenty of time. I started early and reminded myself that it was a fun project and not to get stressed out. I did all of it on weekends and completed it right before I hit full term in my pregnancy. 

awb89

Monday 14th of March 2011

Where did you find the alphabet bouncer?  All the bouncers I keep seeing are so cutesy, but I love the alphabet theme and the primary colors of this one.

CreativeCrumbs

Friday 17th of September 2010

Wasn't it difficult working without a theme?  I would have thought that it would be a nightmare shopping for pieces that would fit together.  It's really great what you did here.

Kelli Janell Salas

Thursday 9th of September 2010

The bedding is a line called Babylicious. I just found it random doing searches for "modern bedding." I then googled the brand and found a site that sold it the cheapest. I believe they only make 2-3 colors combos but they are all really cute.

Kelli Janell Salas

Thursday 9th of September 2010

The bedding is a line called Babylicious. I just found it random doing searches for "modern bedding." I then googled the brand and found a site that sold it the cheapest. I believe they only make 2-3 colors combos but they are all really cute.

SamanthaS

Wednesday 8th of September 2010

Very cute room. Where did you find the bedding? I'm looking for something with those exact colors and haven't been able to find anything I like yet.