Thursday, November 18, 2010
Nursery Design: The Beginning
So I'm over 24 weeks into my pregnancy, which gives me less than 16 weeks (or 3.5 months for those unaccustomed to measuring time in weeks) to decorate Baby Boy Conn's nursery. To give you an idea of what we're starting with, above is a shot of the soon-to-be nursery. I had considered cleaning the room out first before taking a photo, but I thought I'd best be totally honest with you guys. As you can see, the room is our currently storage room, chock-a-block full of leftover furniture, hand weights, Christmas gifts and baby clothes (largely courtesy of my sister, soon-to-be Auntie Babs).
So the first task, obviously, will be to clear out the space, donate/sell the unwanted furniture and install the ceiling fan that's still sitting in a box on top of that old IKEA ottoman. Once that's accomplished, the room will truly be a tabula rasa for my nursery vision.
As mentioned in previous posts, I've decided to go with an orange and aqua color palette for the nursery, accented with plenty of white. The dominant patterns will be stripes and the alphabet (or typography, really), both of which are currently en vogue but also happen to be (male) child appropriate.
The first task will be repainting the room from its current greige to a soft aqua; I'm thinking of going with Benjamin Moore's Seabrook, but I need to get a sample up on the walls before I make the final call (yet another task for this weekend!).
All of the major furniture pieces will be white and relatively modern in style. Given how dark the room is, I didn't want to drag it down with dark, heavy furniture. The Sparrow Crib from Oeuf has the fresh simplicity that I'm looking for and in person it seemed sturdy and well constructed (added bonus: this one will also convert to a toddler bed, buying me an extra year or two before I have to spring for his "big boy" bed). The Bam six-drawer dresser is similarly clean lined and the sort of piece I can see using in an older child's room in a few years time.
All of the major furniture pieces will be white and relatively modern in style. Given how dark the room is, I didn't want to drag it down with dark, heavy furniture. The Sparrow Crib from Oeuf has the fresh simplicity that I'm looking for and in person it seemed sturdy and well constructed (added bonus: this one will also convert to a toddler bed, buying me an extra year or two before I have to spring for his "big boy" bed). The Bam six-drawer dresser is similarly clean lined and the sort of piece I can see using in an older child's room in a few years time.
I debated about whether or not to spring for a changing station -- in many ways it seems like an unnecessary expense -- but ultimately I've decided to go with Stokke's care changing station for several reasons: (a) I absolutely adore how tall it is -- the height is way more comfortable for me than the standard dresser or changing station; (b) I'm giving cloth diapers a go and as such will need a designated station near the bathroom for optimal efficiency; and (c) once the kiddo is out of diapers (and the sooner, the better in my book!), this piece can function as an open bookshelf or even a small desk with just a few minor adjustments.
The other major purchase will be a rocker/recliner. I absolutely love the lines of Jennifer Delonge's luxe rocker and the punchy aqua velvet would inject a stylish note into the space; however, I may end up going with a different (but similar) piece that I can test out in person as this baby is, alas, only available online.
For bedding, I'm keeping it simple with Giggle's orange striped crib sheet and forgoing a bumper altogether [aside: a new study indicates that you're better off without one for safety purposes]. The darling aqua/orange blanket not only coordinates with my color scheme but features a pair of darling dinosaurs. (Dave and I were both big-time dinosaur fans as children so I'm rather hoping BB Conn will feel similarly rather than developing an obsession with, say, monster trucks, to which I cannot at all relate.) I'll also be transforming the Alphabet Tales fabric from Osborne & Little's new Zagazoo collection into throw pillows, crib skirt and a pelmet box for the lone window.
To liven up my beige carpet, I'll be laying down DwellStudio's peppy draper stripe rug, a great buy at $200 for a 5' x 8' (and I prefer a cotton flat weave -- much easier to keep clean with a baby than anything too plush!). Among other accessories (yet to be chosen, I'll be honest), I'm thinking of going with this fun orange lamp from Jonathan Adler. Art wise, I've long loved Binth's alphabet poster, with its vintage style and soft orange, blue and gray colors, so of course I snapped it up the first chance I got to actually use it. I'm also adding a pair of letterpress prints from Sycamore Street Press and a beautiful Noah's Ark print from Bold & Noble (not shown in the collage).
Stay tuned for updates over the coming weeks! In the meantime though, happy weekend!
To liven up my beige carpet, I'll be laying down DwellStudio's peppy draper stripe rug, a great buy at $200 for a 5' x 8' (and I prefer a cotton flat weave -- much easier to keep clean with a baby than anything too plush!). Among other accessories (yet to be chosen, I'll be honest), I'm thinking of going with this fun orange lamp from Jonathan Adler. Art wise, I've long loved Binth's alphabet poster, with its vintage style and soft orange, blue and gray colors, so of course I snapped it up the first chance I got to actually use it. I'm also adding a pair of letterpress prints from Sycamore Street Press and a beautiful Noah's Ark print from Bold & Noble (not shown in the collage).
Stay tuned for updates over the coming weeks! In the meantime though, happy weekend!
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30 comments:
Love, love, love all your choices! Fabulous Averill! I really can't wait to see it all come together - as you know, it's one of my favorite color combinations of all time! That rug is really speaking to me...
We also don't use a crib bumper at the beginning, but once the baby gets older and can move around more (ie, get their limbs stuck in between the slats), then we place it in the crib!
And good for your giving cloth diapers a try...I haven't done that yet, but may eventually with Cal. I am pretty sure you can't use those immediately tho -- as the amount that comes out of newborns exceeds the capacity of cloth. Sorry for the mental graphic! But get used to it! Hehehe!
oooh, makes me want to have kids!
From,
Guess who
Averill, your design is looking so gorgeous! That's one lucky baby. :) I particularly love the striped rug and alphabet poster.
I love the look so far! Its going to be the perfect space for your little one AND you when you are done!
Looks good so far! Don't forget shelving for books!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I am a big fan of white with splashes of color. The baby will love and so will I. Can't wait to see the finished product!
It's going to look great! I love the colors.
Keep in mind though that the changing station you've chosen is two inches shorter than the average changing pad (32"), so it won't last as long. You guys are tall, too, so odds are your baby will be as well! Worth considering, since it's not a cheap item.
This is so exciting! What a sweet little haven this will be.
-Rene
LOVE THE PLAN!!!!! And I just knew the color scheme was going to be orange and blue! A lot of the munchkin pieces I purchased for you are that color! And about that, I will send them out tomorrow! PROMISE!
So cool, love that color combination Averill! That stripe rug is a great deal. So excited to see what you do - thanks for sharing it with us!
Love everything ! I read all the comments to see if anyone else thought the precious blanket had turtles on it? Lol! I need to brush up on my species :)
Love the nursery design. Can't wait to see the finished product!
I love the direction you are taking...will be a fabulous nursery. I am doing aqua and orange for our new playroom. And, love the Zagazoo collection, I have a ton of samples sitting on my desk for a client and they are great!
I am obsessed with your nursery ideas! Great use of color!
I am seriously excited to see the orange and aqua! Don't work too hard!!!
I LOVE the color pallet! When our daughter was born we decided to just put a contour changing pad on a dresser because her room is tiny. We really like it because everything clothing is right below you at arm's reach to change the baby.
Also, I am a HUGE fan of Cozy Wedge. www.cozywedge.com It's a safe bumper system that can stay in the crib through all ages. I'm not sure if they still will, but I contacted them and they did a semi-custom cover for me.
Lizziefitz, I also thought those were turtles, not dinosaurs, on the blanket. I read the description on the website selling it, and it confirm they are, indeed, turtles. Regardless, it's an adorable blanket. Love the orange and blue color scheme, Averill!
I love this colour palette--feels so fresh to me and perfect for baby. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Congratulations!! Your design looks fantastic. Can't wait to see.
I love your design plan, Averill! The colors are great. I am just finishing up our new nursery and I've enjoyed it so much that I am jealous that you are just starting!
Great design, Averill! So fresh and clean. Looking forward to following along as it all comes together!
I love your plans. The best part is that you could use the room a second time around with no changes necessary if there is ever a baby GIRL Conn! You must be so excited.
I absolutely love this plan. Will enjoy watching your progress.
Thank goodness you are keeping us all in the loop on your nursery design...I just know that I am going to absolutely love what you do with this room! So far...so love! Hope you are feeling great!
xx
Sue
Love the color palette and with modern touches. The Sparrow Crib is one of my favorites. Have fun!
xo,
cristin
Absolutely LOVE where you're going with the nursery! Can't wait for you to take us through all the fun details!
Take Care, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Ooooh, I can't wait to see it take shape, Averill! Its such a cool plan...love the colors and the patterns. Definitely love the typography. And don't feel bad, that's what our "nursery" looked like when we started too!!!
Quite excited for your nursery, I am so sure that you baby will have the best nursery.
That is going to be a beautiful room! I used SW Obstinate Orange in my son's room...and recently painted my daughters room SW Waterscape. Dewy is the lightest aqua on that strip and it turned out beautifully...not too green or yellow.
Can't wait to watch the progress on the room!
Beautiful selections and style! I think its gerat that you have decided to omit the bumper pads. They are so not necessary and are actually more dangerous as the child gets older. Mine never got stuck.
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