nursery inspirations for a third babe.

I have only four weeks until my due date...which is pretty crazy.  Even crazier is the fact, as of writing this, our nursery for Baby Three is no where near being done.   Eek!

Eventually it will get finished, I know.  Even if baby has to sleep in a pack-n-play for a few weeks (not ideal, but we would survive.)

Here is what I am dreaming of for this babe's nursery....

source : @paigejonesphoto (instagram) 

I love the white walls, and minimal decor in this inspiration pic.  Our nursery is tiny, so bright, white and simple is ideal!  Baby's new nursery is our former 'master bath' - so it is conveniently located next to our room for night feedings.  However, the furnishings will have to be different than our former two nurseries (see Cormac's in this post and Finola's in this one) due to the size.  Um, and my style!

My style has completely changed in the past six years!  What you'll see in this nursery is more of a minimalist,  boho-style, rather than traditional.   We are selling our white sleigh crib and instead using the very simple IKEA Sniglar crib (in the picture above) which we bought four years ago after second-guessing Cormac's big boy bed after Finola was born.  I am glad it will get some additional use!

I can no longer fit my HUGE IKEA white chair + ottoman in the baby space, so we will most likely be seeking other, smaller options for my nursing chair.

source : domino

Other items we already have for the room :  the existing changing table dresser (kinda huge, but with three spacious drawers will serve as basically ALL of baby's storage - as there is no closet in this room.)   Also, I have a piece of art that I for sure want to hang over the crib, as well as a new light fixture that I am in love with!

source: project nursery

Other desires...
+ Plants!  A fiddle leaf fig in a cute basket would be ideal.  And various hanging in front of the window in some white macrame hangers.

+ A bold rug!  The walls will be white, so I'd love some big personality on the floor.

source : project nursery

Here is what we started out with...

Baby's room six years ago...a little drab and dark!  Um, and a bathroom.

Since this pic all the bathroom fixtures are gone, and we have painted the walls bright white and installed new wide-plank flooring.  Still so much to do, but so exciting to start completely over, with a fresh space.

I'll be sure to post some before + afters when all is complete!

Happy Monday! 

finola's room // an update!

Three years ago, when we found out at her birth, that Finola was a girl indeed, the nursery was very gender neutral. We had basically mimicked Cormac's nursery in our previous home, using all the same decor, crib bedding and furniture.   We even used the same pale gray wall color. You've gotta love the versatility of gray!
I figured I would add more girly details as time passed, and we got to know Finola personality a bit better.

Here was the post of the renovated nursery, way back then.   I can't believe how sparse and boring it looked.  You can certainly tell it had not been lived in by a sweet baby yet! So many cool memories have taken place in this room since she arrived.  Endless milestones, games, conversations and stories.

A lot has changed aesthetically, too! Since then a lot of pink, both pale and fuchsia, has been intermingled with the turquoise. The green was basically done away with. Some florals, glorious florals, were also worked into the space! I have a flower weakness.

Her room is basically a mish-mash of pieces - much more eclectic now.

She got a big girl bed (daybed from IKEA) - that is kinda awesome with it's storage drawers and ability to pull out to become king-sized!  I upcycled a crappy little bench I found at Goodwill for $10 and made it a window seat with a cushion.  I chalk-painted the little side table by the chair turquoise -- another "free" item!  The stool by her bed I acquired from my parents and painted/stained. We sold the white wardrobe on Craig's List and are in the middle of converting the closet into a real closet again.  (You'll notice there are no doors yet, and it needs more shelving.)  I've added art prints that are more feminine and reflective of Fin's personality : Bright!  Loud!  Full of life!

So there has been a lot of girlishness happening in Fin's room!  (Which is obviously no longer a "nursery" but a toddler girl room.)  I thought it might be fun to do before & after pics of her room from when she was first born, to now as a three-year-old...

Disclaimer : I did spend ten minutes picking up toys/books in the room prior to taking these pics, as well as making her bed (which I only remember to do half the time.) I did not dust or vacuum or sweep or go to any extraordinary lengths to "organize" her stuff, nor did I edit them the pics any way.  All that to say...usually it looks much messier...but not much"different." 

Here is then and now...

Then...barely used...

Now...more personality!

I have no idea why we originally put the changing table in the closet.  I get weird notions sometimes. You live, you learn!

I have no idea where to put the tent I made.

the frilly pink lampshade I put on the eiffel tower lamp is off-kilter...but that's okay. 

it's nice to no longer need to use this as a changing table!

p.s. that is not fin's afternoon coffee.  my kids don't need caffeine.

Then and now!

You'll notice in the below before and after we moved the dresser out of the closet so we can eventually put doors on and she can have a "real" closet.  Plus, there is much more LIGHT!  Since Fin's birth the magnolia tree outside her window was cut down.  Yes, very sad, as it was a beautiful tree...but I actually love the extra light!

I love how things have evolved in this space.  I love that we have lived in a home long enough to see things evolve!  Yes, we have officially lived in 'the dream home' for four years, making a record for us as a married couple in a home!

I hope we are here another fifty!

+ + + + + +  

How have things changed in your babies rooms as they transitioned from babe to toddler?  

nursery reveal!

This is my first baby.

Also, my first time "designing" {term used loosely}

a nursery.

I think once I've had a baby a while I'll know more

what to include in a nursery.

However, like most newbie mamas,

I kind of had to wing it.

After scouring magazines, nursery design websites,

Google, Pinterest,

other blogs,

anywhere with anything

vaguely baby-like

this is what I came up with.

It all started with the crib bedding.
 I found it at Land of Nod

after struggling to find boy bedding that fit my vision {aka modern, yet sweet, yet not too specific.}

I loved the turquoise, aqua and green colors, 

with some gray in there as well.

So we painted the walls pale gray {Notre Dame, Valspar}

went with white furniture

and when it came time to accessorize,

I went with lots of grays, blues and a bit of green...

circles, and some owls in there as well!

{lurve wise little owls}

Here is the tour, 
via photographs:

It is a pretty small room, with no closet.  However, with the wardrobe and dresser/changing table we bought from Ikea, we have plenty of storage space for teeny baby things. Also, there is storage in the ottoman and drawer beneath crib.

I fell in love with this owl pillow immediately!  The circles and the beautiful turquoise color coordinate well, and it is just dang cute!  Found it on Etsy, as well as the art prints in the room.

The crib bumper was my initial inspiration for the entire room.  The outside is a sweet, preppy plaid, the inside has lovely circles made of different fabrics/colors, which you can see below:

"C" is the only clue you will get about Baby Boy's name!

{Cannot wait to FINALLY reveal the name!}

These bookshelves are actually 3.99 spice racks from Ikea, which I painted white.  

The boy has to have books!

The changing station is pretty simple.  I had bought these Mason jars from a flea market a while ago, and thought the color was perfect!

The changing table cover I special ordered {since I cannot sew} from another Etsy shop, along with a matching Boppy cover.  The mirror is Ikea.  The "Keep Calm, Carry On" print is actually a framed greeting card.  

I hung a couple extra paper lanterns up above the changing table to give Baby another thing to focus on during the fun process of changing diapers.  Plus I wanted to bring a little of the green over to this area!

This owl that sits on the chair is from Pier1.

The paper lantern "immobile" I made myself using various paper lanterns I had already, and added some I bought on Amazon.  I was inspired by others I had seen on nursery design websites!  Plus, I couldn't find a traditional crib mobile that I liked at all.

Where the feeding and reading will happen!

Replaced the boring knobs on the wardrobe with some from Anthropologie.

Had to add a touch of country with this mini straw cowboy hat!   We are in KY after all. :)

Just for fun, here is the BEFORE:

Baby Boy's Room AFTER:

There you have it, my bloggie friends!

Now what will this mama do with herself before Baby arrives?

Could be any day now!

g
Linking up here:

gaga for gray! {more nursery inspirations}

I am in the throes of the nesting stage.  

Yesterday I got up at 4am {on a Saturday}and just had to clean!  Sure, it may have been my sleep schedule is way out of whack from working 3rd shift the past 27 days straight, but still...4am?


The nursery is my current obsession.  It is painted, the furniture purchased and fully assembled {I still need a chair!} and now I can begin accessorizing!


For inspiration I have been scouring the web.  I found a chic website called Project Nursery and was hooked:  gorgeous photo galleries of nurseries, darling baby showers and sweet ideas for baby's 1st birthday party!


I can reveal: the walls of Baby Boy's nursery are gray.  Who says gray has to be "neutral" and dull?  I found the perfect, powdery, pale shade and ran with it.  So...

Here are some of my favorite "gray" nurseries featured on the site:

V's Nursery:  the gray walls, the shabby-chic, eclectic decor...makes me want to have a girl {er, someday}

Aria's Nursery: the subtle pale gray and yellow color scheme is modern and gender-neutral...and check out the chalkboard toy basket - LURVE!  {learn make your own here}

Bright Gender-Neutral Nursery is fabulous: Bright and fun and oh so colorful...yet, gray!

Cameron's Nursery: I love the modern look of this one!  The tree/bird wall decal and elephant basket add fun elements without going overboard.

I could go on and on finding inspirations on Project Nursery.  In fact, I probably will! 

:)

Which is the one you love?

G