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…
… making/hanging some more art, and changing our minds in the curtain arena (you know we love a good final-hour switcheroo).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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…
… 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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Aren’t those wood frames nice with the stained top of the built-ins and the dark hardware on the drawers?
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.
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.
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.
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…
… 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
And just because I can’t resist a good waaaay back shot, here’s how the room looked before we moved in last summer.
Even though we still have a bunch of remaining to-do list items, it’s definitely feeling more like a baby-ready space.
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.
Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house? Just click on this button:
Chris says
I love the little guys nursery. It feels fresh and new, while still very much like the rest of your home. The personal touches show just how much love you guys have for this special baby. Congratulations and prayers for a healthy and safe arrival <3
Meghan says
I went to the Target by my work today in hopes of picking up the skeleton key hook in black. They were actually unpacking the display case. I was so tempted to wait there for them to unload the black ones but figured they’d get annoyed by me! But just wanted to let you know the end cap looks great!!
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhhh, that’s so exciting! Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
Anna // Gone Banannas says
You are too cute, Sherry! You guys have done such a wonderful job in this room. I really love all the colors and the feel of it. Now to just add baby :)
Jenny says
I recently did this ombre initial art project with my three year old daughter for her room.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/64035625926096110/
It came out super cute! The only thing that I did differently was not use the black the post suggests for darkening the primary paint color. I tried mixing black into the reddish/pink color I wanted to use and it looked awful. Instead I ended up blending a darker cherry red color in stages with a pink and then a white to achieve the colors I wanted. It looked great when the colors weren’t fully mixed and little streaks of each color were still visible, since my daughter has a tendency to mash the paint brush into the canvas. I lightly penciled stripes onto the canvas and let her have at it. I bet Clara could totally make one of these for the baby (and herself). I think the next time we need an art project for a rainy day I’ll have my daughter make one for her baby brother. The barnacle needs a green ombre initial painting!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds really fun!
xo
s
Amy says
A sky blue ceiling would look so good in there! Do it! The room looks awesome, you guys, great job!
Lauren says
What about a dark bamboo style roller blind over the window for darker but also wood feel and not distracting from the new ones.
YoungHouseLove says
I love that idea but we have white faux wood blinds already (in all upstairs rooms) so it all looks the same from the curb. We worried changing them in one window might look weird…
xo
s
Tammy says
Love everything about this room. And I agree, I prefer the softer curtains with the bright green door. Love that door, you did a wonderful job. Perfect green!
Margo says
I was browsing Etsy (which is almost as dangerous as stopping in at Target with the intention to only buy one thing) this morning and saw this. I thought it would be such a fun pattern for your changing pad. Love the barnacle’s nursery!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/126953211/charcoal-arrow-contoured-changing-pad?ref=shop_home_active_4
YoungHouseLove says
Love that! We were thinking about arrows there too! Like a ode to the wallpaper!
xo
s
Steph Nelson says
Looks so much better with the white curtains. Makes the window look bigger and the room lighter and brighter. I made a frame for a huge wall map thanks to Johns DIY frames on the bike posters, so thank you!
That belly is unreal!! I bet you aren’t counting the days AT ALL.
Melanie says
I love the “last minute” changes you made with the curtains and colors. The green curtains were great, but I really like the way the new ones fit with the overall effect.
Evelyn W says
Clara’s contribution is awesome! Such a fun room, really great vibes. It looks like it will be much enjoyed.
Katie says
I just wanted to say I love all your links to previous posts. I haven’t been reading your blog for too long so I love to click on the links to see what I’ve missed!
Anna says
Sorry to be that person, but where is the white pouf from? I’m mid-hunt right now, and I just can’t bear to spend $200+ on something I’ll just drape my feet over.
YoungHouseLove says
Joss and Main has some awesome sales sometimes. The prices go up and down so I wait until they hit a low.
xo
s
Allison says
Sorry if this has been offered, but I saw a Sarah 101 where they used ball fringe to line the curtains in a boy’s nursery and it was so cute too. Everything looks amazing, what a lucky little guy!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Alexis says
Sherry, your belly is large and in charge and beautiful! I love that in the before and after shot you’re wearing the same outfit, John is basically in the same clothes and Clara’s top and bottom swapped colors plus she’s still holding the mustached doll.
I think the bun’s room has really come together. Personally I’m dying for an injection of bright orange somewhere in there. Maybe its because it’s becoming one of my new favorite colors.
Looking forward to the finished product and by that I mean that baby!
K says
Speaking of washing machines… (Oh? You didn’t say anything about your washer..? Huh.) ANYWAYS, if you had to buy a third set would you go with front loaders or HE top loaders? I have to buy a set this week and am so bummed there aren’t any good sales going on right now. We had front loaders in our old house but had (kind of minor) issues with the smell of the rubber in the washer and never remembered to leave it open to air out. Anyway, just wondering if you thought one was better than than the other!
YoungHouseLove says
Top loaders all the way! We have been really happy with them.
xo
s
Jennifer says
What type of doll is Clara holding? Looks like it’s a keeper!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from a local craft fair here in Richmond. Clara picked him out for her brother herself. She’s very proud of it :)
xo
s
Laurel says
Love it! I want some of your energy and creativity. I cannot believe what you guys can get done. Can’t wait to see baby pictures.
kb says
Great choice! I was sorry to see the apple green curtains go, but I like the switch up. Plus, maybe you could incorporate apple green into the changing pad cover…?
Nikki H says
Our front door is very close to that shade of green of the closet. I wasn’t sure of it when we moved in Nov. The previous owners had painted it that color, but now I love it (and am surprised the HOA allowed it). The nursery is adorable! And that baby bump looks ready to go!
Kristen says
Have you guys considered installing a ceiling fan? There are ones that aren’t too ugly. I know they aren’t exactly beautiful but it would be very practical. I loved having a ceiling fan in my room growing up. It helped with air circulation a lot more than the standing fan I do now does. I would kill for a ceiling fan in my rental!
YoungHouseLove says
We used a table fan in Clara’s room which seemed to work well for us (still use it actually) so we have a nice big Hunter table fan on the changing table for circulation in the nursery too. Hope it works just as well :)
xo
s
Vanessa says
I love that green door! The entire room looks fantastic. Ok now for a really odd question…is the color of the door close to the green megabloks? My son is three and we’ve been building a lot with them and I keep looking at the green ones thinking about a future bedroom color/accent. If you can’t answer the question, please don’t worry.
As for the changing pad cover – you may want to have more than one. Boys tend to um pee out/on things (at least in my experience). We had absorbent pads on top of the changing pad so the cover stayed dry and we just slipped in a new little square pad as needed.
You guys need a vacation – you’ve done so much work and Sherry I really don’t know how you do it while growing a baby. I was exhausted and never did 1/10th the stuff you guys do.
Congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Vanessa! I don’t know if it’s close in color but I would bring one of the blocks to the paint color and just hold it up to paint swatches to find a match. Good luck!
xo
s
Jessica says
I really love the punch of color from the green door. I would never have thought painting a door could have so much impact. I think my favorite little detail in this room is that bucket on the bottom shelf of the changing pad unit with the adorably charming dragon. I just love it.
Best wishes for you and your new little one!
xoxo,
Jessica
Lindsay says
For that little wall space next to the curtains, how about one of those over-sized wall rulers for measuring kids’ height? I can see it in like a rustic/distressed wood-type. I’ve seen them all over Pinterest/Etsy, but I feel something like that is right up John’s alley and he can DIY a really cool one! Just a thought! So happy for you guys, BTW, I’m due it 2 weeks also! April 15th! Yay babies!! :)
Jan says
I noticed the cute rocking horse. My son had the exact same one that was handed down to him from a cousin and that was almost 30 years ago! I have since loaned it to my great niece and nephew to use. I have enjoyed reading your blog and watching your family grow.
Stacy says
I love those curtains as is, but I totally understand about wanting black out curtains. I can’t get over how light and airy everything looks in your new home compared to when you first bought it. Makes me look forward to spring even more now so I can get started painting upstairs!
Haley says
I am due with our 4th baby in 3 weeks! It has been fun to watch your baby progress from afar :) The major difference between your family and ours? We don’t know the gender so the design will come sometime this summer. Fun times.
Lesley says
Apologies for the off-topic question, but will you get new license plates once the bun arrives that include him as well?
YoungHouseLove says
Heck yeah.
xo
s
Linda says
I am so glad you changed out those curtains, we’ve all tried something that just didn’t hit the mark as we thought it would. Acid green is an appealing color in small doses, but it certainly seemed to overpower on the window. Great call. The closet door green is a much easier color to live with and a fun element to the room. BHG has a great feature this month with a room using a similar green (to the door) and white. Not a lot of extra color and it is just gorgeous.
LARY@Inspiration Nook says
It looks great!!!!! Enjoy your last weeks as a family of four (yes I counted Burger)
Samantha @ Fabulous Fabris says
LOVE the green on the door. I think it was a good choice to switch out the curtains. The light green would have been too much with the door.
Maddie says
EEEEEEE this makes me so excited for you guys!! LOVE the door and art updates…can’t wait to see a baby in there! Congrats to you all, what an adorable family photo!
Cassi says
This room looks fantastic, guys! It’s sooo charming and looks like something you guys will all be able to enjoy for many years to come! It’s adorbs for a wee babe but I can see it still being cool eventually for a high-schooler too, someday!
Sherry, your bump is gorgeous! Can’t wait to see the Barnacle! Keeping you guys in my thoughts over the next few weeks that things go smoothly and as planned! XOXO
myamogabi says
LOVE the new door color. and the art in the wooden frames. and the rocking horse. In other words, love the new look!
Erin says
This is a great example of how a couple little changes can make a huge difference. Both are cute, but I think the green door and lighter curtains is sleeker and just looks just polished- belongs in a magazine! I have been afraid in the past about getting rid of things that I had invested time or money in, but you’re so right about not being married to things that aren’t quite right for a particular space.
Laura B. says
Looks great. How about a growth chart on the wall between the curtain and the closet? I saw one that looked like a giant ruler. It was very cute and would be great for a boy’s room. I saw it on a link from your last house crashing post. It was a decal but could easily be done by hand on a board. Portable that way.
YoungHouseLove says
Fun idea!
xo
s
Erica Barnes Thomas says
As always, you have inspired me :) I love, love love the green door and the new curtains/no blinds! So glad you are going with a black-out liner on the curtains!! How do you guys manage to find just the “right” balance of color pops to neutrals?
YoungHouseLove says
We just make a lot of mistakes. Haha! Trial and error, baby!
xo
s
Rachel K says
I think it looks great! A painted door is such a great idea for a kids room or nursery, I’ll have to use that one day :)
Jessica says
http://www.beaninloveblog.com/2013/02/diy-changing-pad-cover.html
This link is a perfectly simple DIY changing pad cover. I can whip them out now in a matter of 20-30 mins (if uninterrupted by the kids) Love the green door!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jessica!
xo
s
Cottage Katie says
So awesome!!! Great choice of green on the door, it has kick without being too strong. I am in love with the chartreuse curtains though, can’t beat a citrus green. This little boy is going to have a pretty hip room :)
Lauren Robinson says
Love the room!! Is Consignment Connection off of Lakeside ave? My daughter(Clara’s age) and I just did a painting for our dining room using wine corks and craft paint. My husband thought I bought it because it was so even not sure how we did that but love throwing together craft projects that are free!
PS if you ever want to do any designing in an old house in Northside Richmond, I wouldn’t say no! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that’s the place! I love that shop.
xo
s
Lauren Robinson says
I will check them out more, I’ve been in once and was disappointed with the selection. Kids Grow across the street is a good kids consignment store if you haven’t stopped in before.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lauren! Will check it out!
xo
s
nicky says
The room is looking so good now! I love the 0 lain white curtains and more of the bold green. Just a suggestion on the white curtains. I can’t tell if they’re the net types from idea like we’re in your first sunroom but if hey are that sort of fabric won’t look good lined. They won’t hang right and the lining will be obvious. Course if they’re actual fabric ignore what I say :-)
YoungHouseLove says
They’re linen I think, or some linen-like fabric (breezy but not netted or sheer) so I hope they work. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Erika says
love the green closet door, and your family photo. you look glowing and happy! congrats on your growing family! :)
Lauren says
The room looks really great! The little ones is going to love it so much and appreciate what great parents they have when he’s older!
Lauren | OhHay Blogs!
xxx
Megan says
I know that you have mentioned this in other posts, but for the life of me I can’t find it :) Where oh-where did you get the bike print above the changing table? Every time you post a picture, I fall more in love with it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an old store display from The Gap that we asked them for when they were done with it and then John built the wood frames himself.
xo
s
Laura says
I love these rooms that you’ve done for your little ones. Good inspiration for me for the future. I love the door, but I miss the colorful curtains. Maybe not the green ones, but something other than or in addition to the white. It just needs something with a little more pep for a baby. Can’t wait to see what you do!!
Monica says
I have the perfect light for you to DIY. I have been trying to start a blog for a long time now based on this lampshade I made. It is a woven wood laminate pendant light. I am so in love with it and people are always quite impressed with it. I have no tutorial, but it is really easy…two embroidery hoops (I didn’t want to deal with the clamp thing), a bunch of thin dowels cut to the height you want your shade, some wood laminate strips (like Katie B used in the first Pinterest Challenge for her mirror…which is actually where I heard about these strips), some lamp hoops, wood stain and some wood glue. Take a look at http://monicamurphymade.wordpress.com/ and my inspiration from West Elm at http://www.westelm.com/products/woven-veneer-floor-lamp-w549/. Good luck with the new addition!
YoungHouseLove says
So much fun! Thanks for the links, Monica!
xo
s
Erin C. says
Looks so good with the green door! My mother-in-law has one of those rocking horses from the late 70’s. My kids still play on it. It is way sturdier than it looks.
Meggan says
Sherry – The bun-p is beautiful. Wishing you a completely different birth experience this time around. Peaceful and easy :) He will love his room with all of the personal touches. I can just imagine he and Clara playing and reading in the closet. Your world is about to be filled with so much more love. Excited for you all. xo
steph says
Guys, this is just. . .wow. Best room yet!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Steph!
xo
s