The Nursery
We moved into our first house when Mills was just 2 weeks old. I didn’t finish decorating his nursery until he was 3 months old. I had little design experience and a very tight budget. All of that to say, I never really loved it. And I didn’t make many changes when Saylor was born. So when we found out I was pregnant with James, I was eager to do a little redecorating. Knowing that this isn’t our forever home and that babies only use the nursery for a short season, I didn’t see value in spending a significant amount of time and money on the updates. But a a few simple changes made a huge difference!
photos by The Birmingham Photography Co.
The first decision I made was to update the wall color. I chose Dewdrop by Benjamin Moore. It is the most beautiful soft green that I think would work in a nursery for a boy or girl.
I also decided to keep several pieces we already had. I have always loved our crib. It was an investment purchase for us. Matt had just graduated dental school when Mills was born, and this crib will always remind me of that season of life. If you’re looking for a similar, less expensive option, I love this one as well. The bookshelf was a purchase from Target and was an inexpensive way to fill space and display special items. We also chose to keep the IKEA side table. I had my eye on a more decorative side table by Gabby, but chose to just keep what we already owned, especially since it offered storage. The side table also coordinates with the dresser, but more on that later. The light fixture was installed when Mills was a baby, and while I wanted to switch it out, I honestly just couldn’t make a decision… so the light fixture stayed. I feel like you’re getting an authentic peek into my decision making and spending habits!
Let’s talk about the curtains. We have these throughout our home. They are IKEA and so inexpensive. A major win for a “starter home”. One day, I’ll invest in custom drapes, but we’re not there yet! To give these IKEA panels a more tailored look, I used these hooks and these rings alongside several tips from this blog post to create the pleats. I love the way they turned out!
We’ve always just chosen to do a simple white crib sheet for our bedding. There are so many beautiful options out there (I eyed this brand for a while), but in the end I chose to just keep it simple. The Noah’s Ark print really brought the room together and added some beautiful color. The print is by Gina Langford (I contacted her via Instagram @gina.langford). After receiving the print, I took it to a local frame shop to have it framed. If you’re in Birmingham, I use Thompson’s Frame Factory.
We love the book shelves on the wall. They’ve been a part of the nursery since Mills was born, so they’ve stood the test of time. I love having easy access to all of our board books. The lamp, the chair, and the rug were all additions to the nursery this year. We ended up buying the chair off the floor of a local furniture store, so I don’t have a link for it. The rug is an amazing budget friendly option. We purchased this rug pad to lay under it since the rug itself is very thin. I think I remember needing to trim up the rug pad so keep that in mind.
I mentioned earlier that the dresser coordinates with the side table. They are both from the IKEA Hemnes collection. This dresser is a very common recommendation for a lot of reasons. First, it’s large. The drawer sizes are incredible and they roll in and out super smoothly, Second, the price can’t be beat. Especially for the size. And third, it’s a classic and simple look that can be updated in many ways. We chose to update the hardware using these gold knobs I purchased off Amazon, and I love the way it elevated the look of the dresser. The mirror was a fun Home Goods find, but I also love this mirror and considered it as well. The lamp was from Target and was purchased when Mills was a baby. I almost purchased this one to replace it… but we all know I didn’t. Because sometimes done is better than perfect and my children’s clothes are expensive.
We are so thankful to have baby James in our arms, and we have loved having this sweet space for him!