When designing our nursery, my husband and I wanted it to be a calm escape for our baby and for anyone who entered. We wanted it to feel safe, bright, and inspiring. Since we live in a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, the space was not only going to be a nursery but a guest room for family and friends who came to visit. So, although it was primarily a nursery, we wanted it to feel somewhat sophisticated for anyone who came to visit.
I sifted through hundreds (maybe thousands?) of photos for inspiration. But, what I found myself gravitating towards the most was a clean, neutral look. A lot of woods, whites, golds, woven materials with pops of colors sprinkled throughout.
When decorating any room in your home, you definitely need to start with a budget. We wrote out a list of things we thought were worth splurging on, and items that we knew our baby (and us) would grow out of quickly. We also factored in-the-middle-of -the-road items that we knew wouldn’t break the bank but also wouldn’t break in a few months.
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Book shelves: purchased on Wayfair
The Crib
We started with the crib, which we felt would be the focal point of the room. We ended up going with a higher (yet reasonably priced) Babyletto Lolly Convertible Crib since it would take our baby from infancy all the way up to a toddler.
The assembly was a piece of cake and the sturdiness of the crib did not disappoint. It’s definitely a solid, good quality piece of furniture. Not to mention, it’s a nice neutral color to fit into any color pattern.
The mattress we purchased is one I wish we had in a queen for our bedroom because its durable and firm, yet soft and supportive. And, it will take our baby all the way through his toddler years since one side is for infancy, and with just a simple flip, the other side is crafted for a toddler. Plus, it’s waterproof for easy cleanup.
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The Dresser
We ended up getting a pretty basic dresser since we live in a smaller space and needed something functional that would fit in the room. Plus, the way I looked at it was the dresser was the foundation in which I could accessorize. I knew it could be elevated a little with some minor tweaks to the knobs and different textures on top. We also really liked this dresser because it had a ton of storage between the drawers and the baskets. Plus, the baskets add a nice textured element to the space.
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The changing basket
This changing topper was something I knew I had to have the moment I saw it. It adds so much texture and decor to the room. It’s sold with the basket and foam insert and is something I’ll have way after he is potty trained since the basket can be used to store blankets and pillows. This is hands down one of my favorite pieces. I had seen so many plain, white, expensive changing toppers ranging from $125 to $150. And, I’m sure they are functional, but I was striving for something that was aesthetically pleasing, that I could use beyond the baby, and functional.
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The ladder shelf
Accordion hooks: purchased on Amazon
The best hack when you live in New York is to build upon your walls (just like I did with my spice rack in my tiny kitchen). It’s a massive space saver and helps break up any boring white walls. Admittedly, I searched for weeks for the perfect ladder shelf to play exactly that role. It was part of my original concept for the nursery and I knew it would be functional and decorative all at the same time. After browsing through several pages and sites, I finally came across this one from Target.
Not only was it a piece of cake to put together, but it is beyond sturdy. It does’t feel flimsy at all. It’s taller than I thought it was (which I’m pleasantly surprised at), and the shelves have more than enough room to store the essentials like baby wipes, swaddles, baskets, etc. This is a piece of furniture that we’ll have for years to come.
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The Rocking Chair
Book shelves: purchased on Wayfair
We came across so many rocking chairs we liked but ultimately we needed something smaller for the space. We also knew we would likely outgrow it once the baby got older, so investing in something overly expensive was not necessarily something we wanted to do. However, we also didn’t want something cheap, squeaky, and uncomfortable. Just like the ladder shelf, I researched rocking chairs like it was my job and eventually settled on the perfect one. I am so happy with this one, it’s comfortable, rocks well, and looks cozy in the nursery. It came in only a few pieces and was beyond easy to put together (I did it 8 moths pregnant with zero issues).
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My Darling Boy, I Love You So prints: purchased on Etsy
Wooden Frames: purchased at H&M
The Wallpaper
There was no way this nursery would be complete without wallpaper. I knew immediately there would have to be an accent wall no matter what. However, if I learned anything from the last time I applied wallpaper to my bedroom in my early 20s, this time around, it would have to be the removable kind. After searching at least 100 pages of wallpaper [I kid you not], we finally settled on these adorable yoga bears from Etsy.
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Admittedly, the shipping took forever, so I highly recommend not waiting until the last minute. But, I cannot stress enough how easy it was to apply to the wall. Each wallpaper panel lines up perfectly to one another to give you a clean pattern. And, if you find that you made a mistake, you can just peel off the paper and readjust. It took my husband about an hour to do the whole wall. Highly, highly recommend!
