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Painting The Nursery Closet Door Bright Green

At two weeks from my due date we’re checking off a few more lingering nursery updates, like painting the closet door a bright happy color, organizing the clutter within…

Nursery DOOR After

… making/hanging some more art, and changing our minds in the curtain arena (you know we love a good final-hour switcheroo).

Nursery Mobile Straight On

The green closet door was heavily influenced by Clara, who kept saying “my baby will like a colored door like mine but not pink” – and since a bold green door was originally in our plan back in January (which we mentioned to Clara, hence her obsession) we decided to stop hemming and hawing and just go for it.

After hanging our apple-green curtains and adding a kelly green sheet to the changing table, we worried a bright door between them would be too much. But the realization that we already had some breezy Ikea curtains from our last house meant we had nothing to lose by tossing those up to see how they looked (they used to hang on the deck sliders, but came down when we got french doors).

Nursery DOOR Before

Although I couldn’t recoup the time I spent making the colorful curtains, they were under $10 a pop, so it seemed silly to stay married to them at the expense of losing something else we had all looked forward to in the room. And I pulled off the faux-changing-pad-cover (just a fabric remnant I tossed on to picture what a green cover might look like) when we decided a bright closet door was too hard to resist.

Nursery Full Room Door Side

We still think the curtains need something (I want to line them in blackout fabric, and maybe trim them on all sides with black or brown ribbon – maybe green? Not sure) but we’re getting closer I think. And of course we still need to get a real changing pad cover, so that’s on the list.

Nursery DOOR After Writing

As for picking a green door color, we relied on our usual method of taping up contender swatches to see which one we liked best in a bunch of different lighting scenarios (early morning, afternoon, late at night with the light on, etc). The winner was Irish Moss by Benjamin Moore. Not too dark, not too light, not too neon, and not too yellow or blue.

Nursery DOOR Swatches

I only needed a quart to get it done (I went with semi-gloss), even though it took three coats to get a nice shiny finish with good coverage. Bold colors like this tend to look horrific for the first coat or two and then magically shape up at the end. Tinted primer probably could have saved me one coat (in exchange for one coat of that) but I didn’t have it on hand, so I just did three coats of paint instead. I applied the first one with a brush…

Nursery DOOR First Coat

… but switched to a brush + small foam roller combo for the second two coats, just to knock things out a little faster. It’s the same method we used on Clara’s door (three coats of paint applied with a roller/brush combo) which has held up well for the last five months with heavy use so that’s nice to know.

Nursery DOOR Roller

As for actually getting the closet ready, that just meant organizing things (lining up shoes, putting a few empty baskets on that top shelf for future use, placing some extra toys in a bin on the floor, and transferring excess clutter to the hall closet). The hall closet is a more spacious double-doored closet, so things that we won’t use for a while like a bumbo and the play table can go in there. We’re sure the nursery closet will evolve into more sophisticated storage as the baby grows (might add some cubbies, a basket system, or a reading area on the floor depending on our needs as we go), but it’s nice to have a clean slate in there now.

Nursery DOOR Clean Closet

We also had two nice wood frames that I wanted to hang on the curtain wall, so I was inspired by this no-longer-for-sale pear poster and just drew the shape in pencil on white foam core and used green & brown finger paint from Clara’s stash. I’m sure as the bun grows we’ll switch it out for a family picture or a subject/animal that he loves – but it’s sweet to have something there for now.

Nursery ART After Straight On

To make the lettered “Love You Forever” message below that, I took inspiration from this print from a no-longer-in-business Etsy shop, and used black construction paper and a pencil. I sketched out the letters roughly, cut them out, and laid them on another white piece of foam core. I tried to keep them all similar in height, but I didn’t get caught up in perfection, thanks to the charming irregularities in the inspiration print.

Nursery ART All Black

When I was done I showed John and he came up with the idea to add some color to the V’s, so I used decorative paper from my craft closet and a glue stick to attach them all to the foam core. We both love how it came out – and you can’t beat the price (free) or the amount of time it took (around fifteen minutes).

Nursery ART Green Vs

Since Clara has a print in her room that says “You Are So Loved” it feels nice to have a similar sentiment hanging in our son’s room. Sniffle.

Nursery Art Corner Pulled Back

Aren’t those wood frames nice with the stained top of the built-ins and the dark hardware on the drawers?

Nursery Built In Straight On

They also tie-in to the frames of the bike art and the changing table on the other side of the room, so there’s more balance going on.

Nursery Changing Table Straight On

Speaking of wooden things, we found this cute rocker at a local thrift store called Consignment Connection for $15. Clara is obsessed (even though it looks fragile it easily holds her weight) and thinks her brother is going to LOVE it. Can’t wait to see if she’s right.

Nursery Rocker Detail

Slowly but surely, this room is coming along – we even think we have a plan for the wall behind the crib after this post o’ brainstorming (thanks to everyone for their thoughts and ideas!). We might wait until the baby’s here to knock that out, but in the meantime everything from the toys on the built-ins to those elephants marching across the crib sheets and our new green closet door is making us more excited than ever to bring home this little man of ours.

Nursery Three Details

Even though we’re not done in here, we worried we’d miss the chance to re-take our family picture before the bun is born (a tradition that we started with Clara), so here’s the one we took when we started on the room back in January…

Us In Room Final

… and here’s one that we snapped yesterday. Could I be more pregnant? I laughed and asked John if he inflated my bump in photoshop (or hid my legs). Turns out I just look like this and my belly really is that far out in front of me. #watermelonsmuggler

Nursery Family Pic

And just because I can’t resist a good waaaay back shot, here’s how the room looked before we moved in last summer.

Nursery Before

Even though we still have a bunch of remaining to-do list items, it’s definitely feeling more like a baby-ready space.

Nursery FULL ROOM Horizontal TEXT

Nursery Full Room Door Side

So our to-do list officially looks like this:

  • get a changing pad cover
  • line the curtains with blackout liner and add some sort of black/brown/green trim detail?
  • tweak the wall behind the crib with wallpaper, a stencil, slatted wood, or some sort of accent color (we have a plan… we think…)
  • make a woodsy little cuckoo clock (since I made one for Clara, I’d like to make a charming little rustic one for the bun as well)
  • add an overhead light on a dimmer since nothing’s there at all right now (wish we could check this off but we can’t agree on a light we both like)
  • possibly add a softly colored ceiling someday? maybe sky blue to add another color to the mostly green/yellow/neutral/white palette?
  • add sconces to wall between the built-ins in a few years (we’ve decided these will be more functional after the crib is swapped out for a twin bed, to be used as reading lights)

Is anyone else making art? Having a curtain change of heart? Or painting something a bold, saturated color? We never could have guessed we’d have a bold foyer door along with two in our kids rooms, but they’re proving to be somewhat addictive.

Psst- To read about all of the nursery updates from the beginning, here’s how we painted all the pink trim, laid new hardwood floors, got a rug, painted the walls and ceiling, added built-ins to each corner of the crib wall, tackled some baby bedding, hung some extra thick crown molding, filled up the built-ins, made some curtains, added a cabinet for open storage and diaper changes, and made a mobile for over the crib.

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Comments

  1. Silke says

    I was thinking about your curtains last night as I was falling asleep (yes, really…) and I thought: what if you would sew over the no-sew-hems on the right and on the left with green-ish thread a few times, to have the effect of something ‘fun’ without it being too overwhelming? Sort of like the stripes on the quilt for baby Barnacle. Just a thought. I also love the breeziness of the simple white, and just a hem wouldn’t hurt if you really want to add some color.

    Reply

  3. Amy says

    Like the new curtain choice never a big fan of apple color…maybe they looked better in person. Question…what happened to the cool wallpaper idea

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We still like that but think we have a better idea for behind the crib (since we always thought that looked bare but didn’t love the wallpaper there. We’d love to work in that pattern somehow though (it comes in fabric too).

      xo
      s

  4. donna says

    how about a woven wood shade on the window to block light when needed. it would tie in nicely with the other brown accents in the room.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That would be pretty but we have white faux wood blinds on all the upstairs windows already so we wonder if one dark shade would look weird from the curb.

      xo
      s

  6. Jessica says

    Love the nursery! I am putting the finishing touches on our nursery for baby #2 and absolutely love the ottoman in yours, where can I get my hands on one?!

    Reply

  8. julie says

    I love the curtain switch too! I would add a bamboo shade,tying into the baskets and wood accents going on. That would give you some blackout, leaving the curtains neutral. Love the space!

    Reply

  9. Jess says

    LOVE the green door! And the new curtains!! I wouldn’t have said it before but now that they are gone, I’m so glad they didn’t work! I already have two kids but all this nursery stuff is giving me baby fever. LOL

    Reply

  10. Lesli DeVito says

    this room is amazing…and I can’t believe in a matter of days, lil “Barnie” will be living in it! I think “Owen” would look good on that wall…!!!

    Reply

  11. Judy M. says

    What a great nursery. I love your style! Noticed you left the knob on the door while painting. Just wondering what method you used not to get paint on the doorknob.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m crazy and I love cutting in so I left it and just cut in around it but that’s from years of practice (and muttered cursing). I used to remove them or tape them off, so that’s faster if you worry about getting paint on them.

      xo
      s

  14. Amy U says

    I still don’t get how you can tape teeny paint swatches to a surface and visualize how they’ll look in the end, especially when there are a bunch of them to distract. I’ve tried, and all I see is a bunch of teeny paint swatches. Is it a matter of doing it a lot? Does it get easier in time?

    Reply

  15. Angie says

    Changing the curtains out was definitely the right decision. The focal point is the print and changing table, and the bold green curtains did too much to distract from that. From the other angle, the crib is the focal point, and from straight on the chair is the focal point… all things point to the windows taking a back seat in the background to let the other objects in the room shine.

    I LOVE how this room is turning out!

    Reply

  16. Mamaw says

    Love the green door and neutral window treatment as opposed to the green window treatment you had in there earlier. Love this room. Good job! Can’t wait to meet the new addition to your family.

    Reply

  17. Monica says

    Hi, Monica again about the woven wood laminate light…I’m not trying to push it on you really! I just saw in one of your other comments that you were looking to diffuse the light in little man’s room. We put our light on a dimmer switch and the low light coming through the wood slats I amazing! We actually leave it on really low most the nights for our little boys to sleep with (and it would be the perfect light to nurse hungry babes by). Okay…I really won’t bug you about it again :)

    Reply

  19. Nicole M. says

    You should use green pom pom trim to put along the edges of the curtains. Would be so cute!

    The room has really come a long way :) Looking forward to the arrival of your sweet baby boy!

    Reply

  22. Alyssa says

    Love love love this nursery! I want cheerful doors in my kids’ rooms now. Have you guys DIYed a baby book for the Barnacle?

    Reply

  23. Angela says

    I didn’t read all the comments so maybe this has already been said, but if you want to trim the curtains, I’d go with dark gray to play off the rug and the chair a little more. Then the green elements in the room can steal the show.

    Reply

  24. Chelsea in Richmond says

    OMG, I LOVE that green door! It’s so awesome! My husband would be all about this nursery design with the bike poster!

    Reply

  25. Jennifer says

    Love the change! I was not a huge fan of the original curtains. Just something off about that color. The green on the door is just perfect. Oh and the art is precious!! Way to go. Looks like you all are ready for that baby!

    Reply

  26. Erin says

    I’m sure you have sourced it in a previous post, but I can’t find the info…can you share the source info on that awesome chair? It looks so comfy and I love the lines! Thanks. PS- The room looks awesome. You guys are rock stars!

    Reply

  27. maggie says

    What a great room for a baby boy! My husband (who is a real 4000 mi. a year bike nut) walked by when I was looking at your pics and said ‘Whoa..where can I get that artwork?’ So keep your windows locked! ;)
    I would use a dark grey fabric to edge the curtains to play off the chair color. Just an idea.
    Maggie

    Reply

  29. Alli says

    Hi,
    I just wanted to say that I love your blog. I read this post while I was eating my lunch at work and it totally cheered me up!! The room looks great!! We will be moving into our first house this summer and I will definitely be using your blog for ideas, tips, tricks, and paint colors!! Thanks for inspiring and sharing!!

    Reply

  30. Patchi Cancado says

    It is looking lovely! I am loving all the details and the green. If you can’t find anything for the wall behind the crib let me know and I can create a custom wallpaper for you using our peel and stick material that doesn’t damage the walls. It would be our gift from Trendy Peas to you guys! :-) I mean it!

    Reply

  32. Leslie says

    Hi there! I was hoping maybe I could get a question answered. I saw the pretty green door you just painted. How do you get things so smooth? We have door casings/doors painted in what seems to be an oil enamel. Sanding/deglossing don’t seem to do so much for making primer stick to it. Also, we’re using the zinsser 123 water base primer – it seems thick and it doesn’t level. Any tips? You made it look easy here, but I’m still getting brush marks and roller marks on the door and I’m pretty dejected…. :(

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would use a small foam roller (4″ one) and roll on the primer, that helps to level it. Then let that dry and do a few coats of paint, again with the roller. Good luck!

      xo
      s

  34. My Crappy House says

    I wish you had included a picture showing the door next to the green curtains. I loved the green curtains AND I love the door. I think there’s enough white in the room to offset both being bold. But that’s just me. I like bold…

    Reply

  35. Carla says

    Does the sheen on the door need to match the sheen on the trim? I’m stumped on trim sheen and how doors tie into that.

    Our older home doesn’t have nice trim and baseboards. They’re dinged and not something I want to draw a lot of attention to. At first I thought I’d paint the baseboards the same wall color, but it felt drab. So I bought a quart of Benjamin Moore’s Natura in semi-gloss.

    The gloss emphasized every little imperfection, as I expected, and felt very good. So I bought some eggshell. It’s in a very pretty white and looks nice, but it feels too dull. The Natura line doesn’t offer a nice compromise.

    Someone said Advantage is great for trim. What did you use? Does the door trim match the door sheen? Next on our to do list is the front door, inside and out. I’m stumped on what to choose.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just use semi-gloss Natura or Ulra Spec paint by Ben Moore for trim and doors. It’s nice and wipeable. Our favorite color for this house is Simply White.

      xo
      s

  36. M says

    I’m loving the room! We just found out Monday that we’re going to have another baby late Nov./early Dec. We have a strong feeling it’s a boy (I’m usually right!) so I might nab inspiration from your nursery! :)

    Reply

  38. Pat says

    The green door is perfect. I thought I liked the room before but the change of curtains and painting the door make it seem more cohesive.Very charming and modern!

    Reply

  40. Alin says

    Just wannna let you know that the bumgenius color ribbit (dark green like the nursery) is almost sold out everywhere. I believe babiesrus has some still, just fyi. You look beautiful and good luck on your birth (I believe it is an informed cesearean?) … and youtube circumcision, if you need more info. All the best

    Reply

  43. LJ says

    The green door awesome! In the space next to the door, could you put a height chart? I’ve seen cute ones that look like big wooden rulers. :)

    Reply

  45. Karolina says

    Love the room! And the green door looks amazing :)

    I did the art work for the nurseries for both my boys. It’s fun to see something you made yourself, and you can hold on to it as a keepsake if you want to.

    Reply

  46. Daniel Lloyd says

    The designs of door are amazing and i like the snaps you added above . These all are looking classy or trendy . I also done recently renovation of my home all furniture , paints , appliances . Really it’s great idea to renovate your home to give a modern touch.

    Reply

  47. sue says

    You guys are amazing. Love the room. So glad you changed the curtains. I think the white ones look so much better then the green ones. And the green door is so much fun.

    Reply

  48. Fiona says

    Hi guys, thank you for making my day better and posting such interesting posts that you make me read them at work.

    You guys are great at what you do, please keep doing it forever?

    Cheers you four

    Reply

  49. Airese west says

    The temporary writing on the wall made me think….a very fine black stencil of bike treads driving elongated figure 8s would
    Go great somewhere in the room

    Reply

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