A Nursery Makeover

Rooney’s Nursery

Gosh. I just adore being a mom. It’s even more magical than I thought it would be. It’s smellier than I thought it would be. It’s definitely messier than I thought it would be. And then there’s all the baby stuff… I cannot believe the “stuff” that has piled up in our home since having kids … and that’s with Nick and I actively striving to keep the “stuff” at a minimum.

Our baby girls (who are a mere 14 months apart) have more STUFF then we know what to do with. When asked if the girls share a room, I have to remind myself to stop shaking my head so aggressively as I explain, no...no they do not. They do not share a room. Keeping track of so many tiny girly clothes, shoes, socks, bows, glittery things, toys and 2 different diaper sizes is not for the faint of heart. It’s for an organizational warrior. This, I am not. I do know that being even a little organized is incredibly empowering as a parent, but since organization is not my forte, a general “separation of the things” is what I aimed for by putting everything in two separate rooms.

What I’m getting at is this: I feel like a nursery making pro at this point. I’ve learned what works for our family and what doesn’t. I love these sweet rooms in our home that house our precious girls.

Frankie, our now 16 month old, has a sweet airy nursery with shades of pink, red, blue, green and hints of gold accents. Honestly, I really wasn’t going for any particular style or feel with her room. In fact, I knocked out this room in about a week and pretty early on in my pregnancy. I had never created a nursery before. We were starting a business and we were traveling regularly that summer and it was a crazy time…I just needed it done. I’m happy with how her room turned out though. I stayed true to a commitment I have when decorating: I’ll only use items that I really love. It’s hard to go wrong when you stay true to that. I used vintage pieces that have some soul. I used colors that are fun and peaceful. It turned out lovely.

When I found myself pregnant yet again and so soon, I needed a plan. I very rarely have a “plan” when I work on a room, but I knew a little bit more about the feel I was going for. I wanted a room I could spend hours in. I wanted a feminine room but one that wasn’t overly girly. Something pretty but moody. I wanted a room that reflected who I already saw Rooney to be even in the womb. Sweet, deep, and full of personality.

This room is a great one to write about because it proved to have its challenges - It’s tiny for starters. About 8’ X 10’. Finding furniture that met my design desires while maintaining function and that didn’t eat up too much space was tricky. Secondly, it’s a very old house and this room needed some repairs and restoration. Thirdly, I’m pretty devoted to thrifting and finding a good deal. Especially when it comes to items for a baby. They just grow so fast! Before you know it, all that “stuff” I was talking about becomes a memory. I wanted pieces that could grow with her. Nothing overly babyish, ya know?

So let’s talk about a few cool aspects of this room:

It all starts with the color. We painted the walls Track Green by Glidden. It’s the perfect green..not too bright, not too dark. It’s like a cheery but very wise green. We added some softness with the blush in the curtains and the chandelier.

While we’re at it…let’s talk about that chandelier. As it turns out, finding a whimsical, unique chandelier while not paying a fortune is really really hard to do. I searched for weeks. Online, in every home improvement store, FB marketplace, craigslist, thrift stores…nothing worked. So I happened to be in the lighting section at Menards and came across a table with some beat up display lights drastically marked down. I found this really cool silver chandelier…it was pretty butchered with scratches all over, broken lightbulbs, broken decorative chains, and frayed wiring…but it had a great shape. And it was only $80. I took it along with a few cans of spray paint in two different shades of light pink. I removed all the lightbulbs, lightly sanded any deep scratches, replaced a few very small missing pieces, and spray painted the dickens out of that chandelier. I used two different colors to give it a little depth…and voila! She’s a beauty.

The dresser was another tricky element. Like I said, this room is really tiny. Tinier than what pictures show. We used a large six drawer dresser in Frankie’s room in place of a changing table and I love it. It’s large enough to hold and hide lots of diapers and other baby-bottom needs in the top drawer, socks and bibs in another, and clothing below. It’s also large enough to put a lamp on top of for all those late night diaper changes. It has enough surface space to display all her bows and hair ties for easy picking. So in the morning, I can change her diaper, dress her, and do her hair all in one convenient spot. And the height is perfect for pinning down a writhing, wriggly baby whose hair you’re trying to put pig tails in. I needed this for Rooney’s room. I needed to find a dresser that was large enough to deliver lots of function, but small enough to not take over the room, and of course, one that doesn’t skimp on style. I found the perfect little dresser at a local thrift shop miraculously. Actually, the piece was buried in a warehouse in the back of the shop. The owner took mercy on me after I described to her what I had been searching all over creation for - I was about 7 months pregnant and frustrated. People are really nice to you when you’re 7 months pregnant and frustrated. She graciously took me back to her warehouse with a flashlight and started digging through towers of furniture to show me every dresser she had. I spotted the perfect piece. I came back with a trailer 20 minutes later. I was fixing it up that evening. Once I got it home and in better lighting, I discovered big scratches and water stains that wouldn’t allow me to just leave it un-painted like I’d wanted it. I compromised. Instead of painting the entire thing, I just painted the drawers where most of the damage was. Nothing a little strategically placed paint, updated hardware, and some cool casters can’t fix! I paid $50 for the dresser.

The crib was another fun project. It was given to us by a friend. It was a pretty crib to begin with, but it was a reeeeeally light wood. All the wood in the room including the floors is a very dark wood. It bothered me. It just didn’t work. So another painting project was underway. I tend to use a lot of neutrals when painting furniture, but I wanted something bold this time. I took Rustoleum Linen White Chalk Paint and mixed in Track Green to make a slightly lighter green than the walls. I love the look. Its monochromatic magic.

The rug is a black and ivory tribal pattern from Rugs USA (the best place to find a huge variety of rugs at great prices). This particular rug can be found here. The rocking chair has a mid century look with clean lines and a simple beige cushion from Target. Check it out here. I found an incredible vintage brass elephant on FB market place (I have a thing for brass animals and I have a thing for elephants) The huge framed piece on the wall is a vintage print of yellow roses I found thrifting. I painted the wood frame black.

Some thoughts to take away from this little nursery project: BALANCE. If you take a look around the room you can see that for every bold design choice I made, a classic or subdued choice was made too. It’s a balancing act. For me, I love an unexpected element like a huge piece of art in a tiny room or a piece of furniture painted the same color as the wall. But those choices are so much more powerful when balanced with some more down to earth elements. It could be overwhelming to the eyes to go bold with every choice you make. But quite bland if you only make safe, predictable choices. Mix it up.

Another thing to take away from this project: Learn to IMPROVISE. Have a piece of furniture you like the dependability of but has an outdated look? Instead of throwing it out, would you consider painting it? Re-staining it? Switching out the hardware? These are all totally doable changes that make a huge difference and can save you a lot of money rather than simply buying something new. Maybe you could find a unique, inexpensive piece of vintage furniture or decor items from a local thrift store? Spray paint, stain, new hardware, chalk paint - these all go a long way in restoring what you already have.

And the final thing : LOVE the items you choose. Commit yourself to that. It might be easy to just mimic a picture you find on Pinterest…and there is no shame in that. Pinterest is great for getting started. But stay true to filling your home with pieces that really speak to you. Pieces that bring you joy. Pieces that serve a purpose AND have style. What do you love in your home right now… and why? That’s a good place to start for figuring out your decor “love language”.

We truly love being parents. These rooms are precious and worth putting some thought into because of who they hold. I look forward to watching how our girls will grow and change and how these rooms will change with them.

Thanks for reading today! Join us next week for more Aviator Jayne Inspiration!

With love,

Mandy