Skip to Content

Simon’s Alphabet/Geeky Nursery

Description

We wanted a nursery that was functional, fun, gender neutral, and showcased our love for all things GEEK.  We picked out the crib bedding first - Babyletto Alphabet - and used the bright colors and alphabet items in it all around the room.  We used graphic prints inspired by our favorite sci-fi shows and movies as most of the artwork and even had Gillian Anderson (Scully/X-Files) sign one for Simon!

Design Inspiration

We probably looked at hundreds of bedding sets and I was very close to buying a sewing machine to make my own with fabric from Spoonflower.  I stumbled upon the Babyletto set and thought it was perfect but I had to talk my wife into it a bit at first.  We now both love the Alphabet bedding - it's simple, colorful, and has "unique" alphabet items ("i" is ice cream)!  That set the tone for the room and we added in geeky elements to make it our own.

Decorating Style

We ended up with a very modern style for this room, white furniture and clean lines against the neutral gray walls and pops of color everywhere.

Project Details

We did a ton of work on this room - some before my wife even became pregnant (we had been trying for a year).  It was hard and sometimes frustrating work, but I loved every minute of it and am so pleased with the outcome.  We added the chair rail, painted the walls, pulled up the carpet, put down new flooring, and replaced the ceiling fan.

Floors and Walls

Antique Woodland Peel-and-Stick Oak Vinyl Planks - love this color!  Fairly inexpensive and not too difficult to put down.

Ikea's LILLERÖD rug - we wanted something with a simple enough design that nothing else in the room had to "match" it but also wasn't just a solid color.  This was the perfect find.

Wall Colors - we used Sparrow for above the chair rail, Dark Granite for below, and Silver Sky for the trim and bookshelves.

Curtains - from the start, I knew I would need to make curtains for the nursery.  The window goes to the floor, so the curtains needed to be long, and we wanted blackout for peaceful nap times - those two criteria don't really overlap much.  I scoured Spoonflower, not knowing what I was looking for, and I decided on one fabric or another a few times before I finally found this one.  Like the rug, it's a simple design AND it contains the bright colors we were looking for!  I added blackout fabric from Jo-Ann's to the back and hemmed the edges with iron-on tape to turn the fabric into curtains.

Changing Table

HEMNES dresser (and changing table) - a popular choice, but we jazzed it up with custom toadstool knobs from artcrafthome.

Boon Peep Mobile - we wanted a mobile above the changing table, so this being a wall-mountable, colorful bird mobile (we had a bit of a bird theme at our wedding) made it the perfect choice.

FINTORP Wall Rails - for organization and distraction!  Side near baby holds stroller toys that can be unclipped and given to baby during diaper changes, while the other side holds baskets with various diaper changing supplies.

X-Files Prints - I love this artist's episode prints!  So simple yet creative.  The larger print, Never Give Up on a Miracle, is from her "Truths" series and has a very special meaning to us.  We had Gillian Anderson sign it and she added her own message "Welcome to the world"!

DRAGGAN cart - this cart holds all kinds of supplies - bibs, swaddle blankets, receiving blankets, burp cloths - in an easy-to-access and mobile location.

Crib

Pottery Barn Emerson Mini Crib - we did a lot of research and decided a mini crib would work well and then did even MORE research to finally decide on Pottery Barn's option.  We really like it because it doesn't scream mini crib.

Babyletto Alphabets - love this collection, and so lucky they have a mini-crib version!

Doctor Who mobile - There were so many options on Etsy, but this wooden one with clouds was our favorite.

Wall Art

Geeky Prints - Another great artist, this one offers customizations!  We have representations from Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Stargate.  The silhouette animal pattern prints also came from this artist.

Batman Mask - because every baby needs a batman mask on their wall!

Doctor Who flag banner - I made this using various Doctor Who fabrics found on Spoonflower.

Garland - I loved the felt garland from Land of Nod, but buying this paper garland was far cheaper (plus I had a coupon) and we were able to get our exact colors by painting them!

Metal Letter "S" - very cool that this doubles as a shelf.  We have it displaying three of the alphabet items - crocheted ice cream cones for "I", tomato rattle for "T", and cupcake rattle for "C".

Books!

Behind-the-door Bookshelves - I love these!  They use the "dead" space behind the door and hold a bunch of books.  I built these based off this design, altering the height and width to fit my space.  I definitely could have made these deeper to hold even more, but they're still awesome!

X bookshelf - This is another nod to X-Files, but also super functional to hold books near the rocker in addition to the behind-the-door shelves.

Storage

Hanging Storage - for smaller stuffed animals.  Attached to the wall with a shelf bracket.

Origami Wall Shelf - love the look of these and they also represent the "Z" - zig zag.

Over-Door Storage - we use this for bath towels and wash clothes, out of the way but easy to grab when needed.

Shelves - I really wanted multiple shelves lined up on the wall, but after experiencing a lot of issues doing this in another room (the walls are NOT flat), I was discouraged about being able to have it in the nursery until I found these.  I just had to put up the brackets, and then slide the shelves in!

Toy Chest - this was my childhood toy chest that I stripped, sanded, and painted to match the room.  The lid stay was long ago broken, so I installed a new one.  I also made a cushion for it using foam and the Doctor Who fabrics.

Dog Tail Hooks - one for each dog brother Simon has!

Closet

elfa shelving - we were actually given most of the elfa components, used but in good condition, and I added the hampers.

Stacking Baskets - we're using these to hold fleece blankets, stroller blankets, Moby wrap, and nursing cover.

Miscellaneous

Little Castle Treasure glider - sold at BuyBuyBaby, only in store.  Sooooo comfy!

Children's table and chair - These were built by my great-great grandfather in the 1930s for my grandmother.  She used them, her children (my mom and her siblings) used them, and my brother and I used them as children.  Like the toy chest, I refinished the table and chair to match the room.  They are very special to me and I love being able to share them with Simon now.

Super Nerdy ABC Blocks - these were a must!

 

Favorite Items

I love everything about this room!  But my favorite item would probably be the behind-the-door bookshelves.  I love using that previously unusable space, I love displaying his books, and I love that I built them myself!

My wife's favorite item is the glider.  We sat in every chair at BuyBuyBaby and this was by far the most comfortable for us.  We ordered it early because we knew it could take a couple of months to come in (and it did).

Advice

Start early, have a plan, and have fun!