We’re knee deep in the middle of a bunch o’ projects (in the office, the dining room, and the living room- yeah we’re all over the place), so we thought we’d share the one thing we actually completed in the meantime, which was a little moving (and some obligatory shaking) when it came to Clara’s nursery. Here’s what it looked like mid-chaos (chaos = really bad pics):
Why the furniture shuffle? Well, we arranged it for Clara’s seven month old self (she wasn’t even crawling when we moved in) and now she’s a fifteen month old walking fiend with a lot wider “wingspan” so we had to make some changes to keep her safe slash happy slash sleeping.
The issues:
- an air vent was located near the foot of the crib, and sometimes when the air kicked on in the morning it would wake Clara up early. Which any parent will tell you is a tragedy.
- a few slivers of sunshine landed right in the crib due to slipping out the side of the thick curtains & closed blinds (which also occasionally woke her up at the crack of dawn)
- her taller height/longer reach meant she was getting closer to grabbing the nearby curtains from her crib, which evoked visions of finding her swinging from the rafters in the morning like a happy little monkey
- the bench under the window wasn’t ever something Clara seemed interested in, but we worried when she got older she might try to climb up on it and get out the window (you know, when she enters the Houdini stage)
- the ceramic table lamp on the side table was a lot more pull-downable thanks to our tall & active bean (time for something not-breakable and not-reachable)
Also:
- there are just certain types of people who like to rearrange furniture, and we’re it
Here’s what it looked like before the switch:
So here are the changes I made (John was working and I was on Clara duty, so she loved “helping” me push things or clapping while I did all the work):
- I pushed the crib around the room against every available wall and in every possible configuration and decided that we (Clara and I) liked it best under the high-hanging and securely mounted mobile & floating shelves that used to be over her changing table (bam, no more air vent or stream of sunshine issues – and everything hanging on the wall is a good foot out of Clara’s reach)
- I was sure to pull the crib further away from the curtains so there’s no way Clara’s long arms can grab them from the new location (in some shots they look close but they’re over 2 feet from the crib, and the crib mattress is in the lowest position)
- I played around with a bunch of places for the changing table and eventually settled on the wall full of frames (although some of them hung too low so I tweaked the arrangement so they wouldn’t get kicked mid-diaper-change)
- I moved the chair, ottoman, and side table under the green mirror and added a not-ceramic-or-kid-height floor lamp that’s a lot more bean-safe
- I moved the bench away from under the window and stuck it on the wall with the closet
And since all those bullets are probably as clear as mud, here’s a little sketch for ya:
Now that the rearranging dust has cleared, it’s deffffffinitely nowhere close to perfect. But it’s a huge improvement in the function department (no more safety or early-wake-up worries). And Clara, who has always awoken at 7:30 (at least for the last 5+ months straight) has slept til 8:00 since the switch (two days in a row!). Which is no small miracle. So if the room looked beyond ugly we’d probably leave the furniture right where it is. Haha. Just kidding. Not really.
Anyway, here’s the new setup:
And here are some details that make my sappy mom heart happy:
Of course there are more than a few things we’d still like to do in there (although we’re set on finishing the other projects around the house that we have in progress, so there’s no rush). But here’s the ol’ list:
- get/make a less awkward side table for the chair and ottoman (that’s an already-had-it nightstand from our old guest room that we stuck baskets in to create drawers – and later removed since Clara now
likesdemands easier access) - hang something over the green bench in the corner (I already know what’s gonna go there – and let’s just say I’m feeling ducky about it)
- sew a new pillow cover for the chair (the green pillow under the green mirror is a little “meh” for me – and we have lots of spare fabric from Clara’s photo project
- expand Clara’s frame wall (height and width wise) with even more photos (John’s baby pic had to come down so it didn’t get kicked from the changing pad, and I’m dying to get it back up there out of Clara’s reach along with some other stuff)
- DIY a dollhouse
- make a beanbag for Clara’s closet reading nook
- paint the area under the window with leftover magnetic paint under wall paint so she can have a fun “secret” magnet wall
- add crown molding
- paint the ceiling
There are probably a bunch more things that I’m forgetting. Oh well, one step at a time, right?
Did you guys do any list-making or room rearranging this weekend? Did you do it while your hubby got his laptop on and the baby “helped”? Did you find all sorts of nasty dust bunnies that horrified you behind the furniture? Did your dog whine audibly and try to distract you by bringing in a toy to play with because he was so against the activity?
Psst- See how we made the flower mobile here, refinished Clara’s veneer dresser here, painted and upholstered the bench here, painted the green mirror here, made the curtains here, built the book ledges here, found the capiz shell chandelier here, made the art wall here, painted the walls here, and stamped Clara’s closet here.
Maggie says
Clara is VERY smart, as I’m sure you know. I checked our the instructions for the flower mobile, and I’m going to make something similar for my twin grandbabies, due in 2 months. I assume Clara’s crib is not on wheels, so she can’t roll it around. My oldest child’s crib had wheels, and when he got to about 15 months, he figured out how to move it around while inside by rocking back and forth, as well as pushing it from outside. Needless to say, the wheels came off ASAP!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s pretty funny! Nope, no wheels on hers. But your oldest son sounds really smart! Haha.
xo,
s
Desiree says
Love it! p.s. Everytime I see Clara’s light fixture, I drool. I have been searching high and low for one that doesn’t cost a fortune…but haven’t had any luck:( That Clara sure is a lucky girl…:)
jenn says
We had a big corner changing table that we have been using as shelving for a while (our girl is almost 4, been potty trained for a year) but just gave it away last weekend to my brother & his wife who are expecting. We put in a regular bookshelf, and all of a sudden we had a real big kid room! No more changing table! I think the glider & footstool will be the next to go, to have more play room, and that will be a crazy change. (I’m a die-hard-re-arranger, but my husband is a it’s-fine-the-way-it-is’er.)
lindsay says
I did a photo shoot with the cutest baby in that bright polka dot dress a couple of months ago. I loved her little outfit!!
Alana says
Yes! Sunday morning we had heavy rain and our basement (which is our mater bedroom) flooded. The hubby was away on a boys weekend, which meant I spent the whole day/night emptying the room of wet furniture, cleaning up the water, and then putting it all back together. It was a pain, but I had a chance to do some “extra” cleaning that needed done, and rearrange a few things. :)
p.s. we also did some DIY fixing to prevent the room from flooding again as well as put down some thin carpet tiles ourselves (they are much easier to take care of if the basement decides to flood again in the future than regular carpet with padding).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man so sorry to hear about the flooding, but so glad you’ve taken some extra precautions to prevent it and had some furniture rearranging fun.
xo,
s
DJ says
An idea: You could make the bean bag with fabric from her weekly photos! (Not sure if this has been suggested yet)
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to incorporate the leftovers (what remains since making our quilt and birthday bunting)!
xo,
s
Cathy says
About 3 months ago I was wondering when our little guy would sleep later than 6:45 am. He’s 2 and I thought he’d be sleeping later than he was. Someone suggested blackout curtains. I love his existing curtains so I simply bought a few yards of blackout fabric (on sale for about $2.50 a yard) and added it to the back of the store-bought curtains (even Sherry could sew this on). It’s made a WORLD of difference and he’s sleeping an hour and a half longer now (almost 8:30) consistently. We’re expecting again, and the new little one is getting blackout curtains right away. I wish someone would have told me about them earlier! It’s made a big difference in him being able to go to sleep easily in the summer too – it was always so light in his room at 7 pm when we tried to put him down. Just wanted to pass along the tip!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! Our curtains are already really thick (and combined with the blinds there’s a ton of darkness) – there’s just a tiny space between the side of the curtains and the wall where a sliver of light would squeeze through before we moved the crib! But now that it’s moved we don’t have any issue. Whew.
xo,
s
Courtney Rutledge says
Random question for you. I’ve had the pink pulls (you have in your laundry) – 50% off of course :) from Hobby Lobby. My mom actually brought them to NC from WI since we don’t have a Hobby Lobby here. Anyways they are on our daughter’s dresser from IKEA. One pink pull fell off (thank you 2 year old daughter) so I super glued it back on but there is super glue residue on the pink. Any idea on how to get it off?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe nail polish remover? Not sure though. Maybe test it a little first to be sure it doesn’t hurt the pull? Good luck!
xo,
s
KiTx says
On a totally un-DIY/decorating/furniture note- this video of Clara might be my alltime favorite. I LOVED watching her little mind turn as she figured out where everything was- definite improvement on my not-so-fab workday. She’s such a doll!
Megan says
I love to rearrange furniture yet I haven’t done it in any of my rooms in awhile. I always redo the livingroom around Christmas to fit a large real tree, but other than that, the others have stayed for awhile. Sad. I grew up rearranging my furniture in my bedroom all the time. And my old roommate did it monthly. I like the changes and will look forward to the new additions as you post them. I keep wanting to change my daughter’s room around but hubs isn’t on board. I guess I really need just need to decorate it better – I LOVE your gallery wall in her room that includes photos of both of you as kids! So cute! A bean bag in her closet would be super adorable! Or you could make some giant floor pillows – my daughter found a pet bed at Marshall’s one day and thought it was the perfect size for her. Maybe that’s a possiblity for Clara?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute! Burger could get cozy too. Haha.
xo,
s
Heather @ REOlisticRenovation says
Can I have her closet? LOVE!
Carrie says
I am a chronic furniture rearranger. Every room gets rearranged at very least once a year. I get bored. :)
It surprises me that you are though. It seems like your old house was set up the same way for a long time. I loved your bedroom but could not have handled never being able to rearrange! :)
joyjoy says
I like the switcheroo. Clara’s room is so sweet. It always makes me smile. :-)
This weekend we did a huge yard sale of a bunch of our junk, so to say we did a fair bit of moving and shaking might be an understatement. At least, that’s the way my arms feel right about now.
I have a question about the mirror that was previously over Clara’s crib. How is that hung/secured? I’m itching to hang some art over our bed, but the hubs thinks something might fall and smash me. It probably doesn’t help that we live in California aka Earthquakeland. Did you guys do anything special to make sure the mirror was nice and secure?
YoungHouseLove says
We actually used a heavy duty anchor and screw to hang the mirror and then drilled directly through the face of the mirror with two more long screws and anchors to literally “permanently secure” it. You know, the same way you drill through kitchen cabinets to hang them? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lisa says
Someone may have already asked this-but where did you get the teething guards and sheets for Clara’s crib? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We got the organic crib sheet from diapers.com, the teething guards from Toys R Us, and the breathable bumper (which we used from 8 months on) from Buy Buy Baby. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ali says
I think it looks great!! And if it helps her sleep, THAT is the golden standard. haha.
Also, on a not-at-all-related-to-this-post comment, wanted to say thanks for the recommendation for Shady Tree Service! They are going to take down two trees in our front yard and gave us a great price considering their size!!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad! Say hi to William for me! He’s the only man I trust my trees to!
xo,
s
Shay says
In the first picture are those teething gards on Clara’s crib? where did you find them and do they work well?
YoungHouseLove says
We got those at Toys R Us and they work well so far!
xo,
s
Tabitha says
Clara is the cutest! I miss that age – my oldest is 4 & my youngest will be 3 in November. They grow up SO quickly.
Amber says
I actually like the arrangement better now than before! I think it looks more balanced with the crib and dresser across from one another. Of course Clara’s room is just darling and so is she! My kiddos had that book and loved it too…such a smart cookie you are growing there, good job!
Hillary says
I kind of want to live in Clara’s nursery, and I mean that in the non-creepiest way possible!
faith says
RE: DIY dollhouse
My dad made one for me that was sturdy and tall (about five feet tall about 6 or 7 inches deep) but the cool thing he did was to make all the rooms with left-over decorating stuff from our house — so that the living room had the carpet and wall paper of our real living room — the doll’s bedroom had my carpet and paint color on the walls and my mom had sewn a similar blanket that just laid over a little wooden platform so it looked like my bed. Same tile in the kitchen, same shingles on the roof, etc. I loved that and it made it very “real” to me. I can totally see you making a photo collage on the wall with the little pics glued to white squares for the frames. Good Luck with the project!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds like sooooo much fun! Love it.
xo,
s
Debby says
What is the name of the book that Clara is looking at and pointing? Looks like the perfect book for my granddaughter.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s called Slide & Seek Colors (I think you can find it on amazon.com). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
{hooked on hickory} says
i feel like i’m always list making. we have 10000 projects going on at our casa right now. people reading our blog probably have their heads spinning. just hard to choose! we want to tackle it all.
best of luck!
ashley
Stacy says
You said John was working while you rearranged furniture? Did he go back to a “regular” job or is he still doing the blog thing 24/7 with you?
Sorry if I missed that somewhere – I don’t get to check in every day.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, he was blogging away! There’s actually a surprising amount of “desk job” stuff that we do between organizing weekly giveaways, managing sponsors, writing posts, editing photos, etc.
xo,
s
Emily says
Ahh! Thanks for posting the video of Clara! My little guy is only 3 months younger, it’s amazing to see what kiddos can learn in just a short amount of time. Oh yeah, good idea to switch her room around too. You guys are great parents and DIY-ers. :)
Shirley Flores says
Clara is growing up so fast !! She’s sooo smart :)
My husband and I are TTC this year …
You guys inspire me on so many ideas on a nursery.
Thank you for sharing !!
Meg says
Did the ribbon chandelier in the closet get the axe? I can’t make it out in the pictures.
YoungHouseLove says
I took it down to paint the closet and still have yet to hang it again! So lazy of me. Haha. All I need to do is hook three pieces of thread over the hooks. Someday!
xo,
s
Colorado DIYer says
I noticed the book by Mo Willems on the shelves above the crib. If you haven’t looked at his Elephant and Piggie series of books you should. I’m a teacher and they are one of my favorite series books to read. They make me laugh out loud!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the recommendation! We’ll have to check those out!
xo,
s
Dana @ House*Tweaking says
I love Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!!!! Have you read Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late? Another kids’ book favorite of mine.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, how have we missed that one? We have the Bus and the Hot Dog ones!
xo,
s
Kim says
I saw a couple of play kitchens that were DYI’d from old dressers. So cute! I wonder if you could do doll houses like that, too. It seems dollhouses would come later, but a play kitchen she would love now or soon. It could also be a grill or workbench if you wanted.
YoungHouseLove says
This is true! A play kitchen is definitely also on the list (I was thinking for the playroom, but it could definitely work in her nursery as well!).
xo,
s
Kristin says
I am loving the new set up!
And I saw these and added them on my Pinterest diy and immediately thought of you Sherry and your large collection of paint swatch strips. The look easy enough and would be fun little gifters.
http://pinterest.com/pin/116546706/
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Sarah says
I like the room better like this! One other advantage you might notice from the crib being behind the door is that when you peek in at night (assuming you close her door) opening the door won’t send a beam of light shining across her face. The door will likely keep the crib shadowed.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s true! Hooray for bonuses that we didn’t even notice like that!
xo,
s
Mia says
Love the little video quiz! Clara’s getting so big and she’s so smart!! Like her little right handed pointy finger pops right back to her mouth while she’s thinking. Precious, just precious! Thanks for sharing!
Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says
Cuuuuuute! I love moving furniture around. I’m of the mind that one’s furniture should never live in the same spot for more than six months at at time. Unfortunately as a kid I wasn’t of the mind that one should ask for help before moving one’s furniture… I should probably refinish the floors in my old bedroom for my parents some day.
Cinamon says
Great job with the baby proofing remix! I find myself having to pull a switcheroo from time to time as well with my 12 month old. I think he grows about an inch per day, not to mention he is showing signs of being a full blown climber in the near future. Scary. Your little one is such a smart girl! I really want my little guy to get into reading, too. Right now he is more interested in speedily flipping pages and looking at pictures briefly (so much to do, so little time), but I’m hoping he’ll slow down and take a little more time with each page pretty soon. I was wondering what book Clara is “reading” in the video?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s a book called Slide & Seek Colors (I think you can find it if you search that title on amazon.com). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elizabeth :-) says
Ok, quick question… Love the blue fan!!! I also see what appears to be an iPod for music? So does C go to sleep with both on? I have brothers (3) and (14 months) sharing a room! I can’t seem to find the blue fan at target anymore! Thanks. LOVE how you have changed her room!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we have the fan on to keep air moving while the iPod dock provides even more white noise (we loop a sound track for $6 from itunes of things like running water and babbling streams and pouring rain). As for the blue fan, you might want to try amazon.com (it’s called Deco Breeze in “sky”). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tara H says
Sherry,
I really like Clara’s nursery! It’s looks great. I love that you put baby pics of you and John up on her wall. I would like to do that in our daughter’s nursery. The video of Clara is priceless. You guys have a baby einstein on your hands. Wow! That was great! You two have done a great job as parents and diy-ers.
Jenna says
I did work at rearranging our master bedroom furniture this weekend, but it was a massive fail. Apparently, our bed only works well on one wall. Boo… Oh well, at least we tried!
And I like this new layout of Clara’s room! Can’t wait to see how else you perk it up.
katie says
Clara’s room is just so adorable! I agree with other posters – I want to live there! Since you’re expanding the photo wall in her room, have you considered including a picture of “The Bean” in Chicago’s Millennium Park? It’s actually called Cloud Gate, but it might be a great addition to her room. And a great place for you guys to visit. It’s so much fun, the whole park in fact. And while you are there you can check out the Crown Fountain – giant video monitors of faces that transform into fountains in the warm weather.
Here are some links to both for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_gate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Fountain
YoungHouseLove says
Aw I love it! We might have to take the bean there in person so she can post in front of it!
xo,
s
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Clara is super brainy! Thanks for the video. Hug her for me, please? :)
I love Clara’s furniture layout. The room somehow looks brighter!
Jennifer says
So… Are the dresses on the super cute c hook for decoration? Or planned outfits for days to come? I am curious… Regardless, ithink it is even more adorable now!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re two of her cutest party dresses (one she wore for her first b-day and one that she wore at a recent beach trip). We figure instead of hanging them all in her closet, the two cutest ones can hang in a place of honor on the C hook. Haha. They outgrow them so fast, so we might as well enjoy ’em while we can (sniffle).
xo,
s
kathyL says
Have to share this or I will explode!!!
http://www.otherpiecesofme.com/
(scroll down to the dresser)
LOVE IT!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!!!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Clara is so smart! Way to go Clara!
Kathleen says
“Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog” is one of my favorite kid books! Actually, all the Pigeon books are. I have all of them in my pre-k classroom and the kids love them, too.
simplyblythe says
rearranging must be in the air…we attacked the living room.
Jackie Kelly says
actually, funny you asked. i was inspired by you to make a list this past weekend. my husband and i are making a BIG move so i blogged my “to-do” list to not just have my reader (thanks mom!) know what was going on but also for my sanity. thanks petersiks!
Emma says
Was that pink owl (on the very left of the frame arrangement) an ad out of a magazine as well? For splenda or something? I think I used the same one to make nursery art for my friend! He is great. I am glad that I am not the only one that does crazy things like that.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! Love that little guy, so I framed him!
xo,
s
Julia says
I just recently stumbled onto your website & I have loved looking through your posts. I just started blogging about some of our house remodel and decorating. After looking at your website I have have so many new ideas for decorations maybe it might even be a nursery some day! Thanks so much! P.S. your daughter looks like a bundle of fun!!
Zsa Zsa says
Such a pretty nursery….love the minor rearrangements you made, and I really like the burst of colors here and there. I’m also loving those frames on the wall! great job you guys! :)
ashlee says
making a home functional and safe yet also attractive is a huge challenge as a parent. but you are doing such a great job! i’m in the process of making over my daughter’s room. it’s so hard to come up with storage ideas for a kid’s room that is still attractive to the eye is difficult. i’m just going to wing it with wicker baskets and hope for the best.
ashlee says
yeah, ignore my typos in the above comment. i just worked four night shifts in a row. haha. i’m exhausted, but what am i doing? reading your blog. haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- no worries! We average two typos per post.
xo,
s