Young House Love

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Planning Our Little Boy’s Nursery

Yeaaaaaah, baby – it’s nursery time! Pun most definitely intended. The last time we shared a shot of this room (in this post) it was looking like this. Totally newborn ready, right?

Nursery Now

We started on Clara’s nursery in February and she was born in May, so it felt right to get moving in there now that it’s January (since the barnacle is due in April). We’ve had so many ideas swirling around in our brains for the last month after finding out we were having a boy, that waiting a hot second before running in there and going to town has been nice because the projects and ideas that we truly love have had a little time to float to the top.

We’re leaning towards using bold green along with graphic black & white (although we’re sure almost every color of the rainbow will end up in there in small doses) and we’d also love some natural elements (wood furniture, woven baskets, bamboo blinds, etc). As for the mustache doll, Clara picked one out for her brother at a craft sale we went to recently, so he’s just in there for fun, along with the same green alligator toy that Clara played with as a baby.

Nursery Ideas

The whole green accent color idea actually came from the bike prints that John framed in rustic homemade wood frames for our last house’s sunroom. Here’s a detail shot of those awesome rich-wood frames…

Bikes 11 After Frame Close

… and here’s my favorite shot from that post. For obvious reasons.

Bikes 12 Makeout

We think they’ll make for awesome large scale art in the nursery, and from there we can layer in things like a black and white striped bench, a neutral rug, bamboo blinds, built-ins to flank the crib that are spaced to accommodate a twin sized bed in between them (longwise) – or even a full-sized bed (widthwise) for when the barnacle is older and no longer chilling in a crib like a villain angel.

So our starting point for the room is definitely that bike art, but our first purchase for the room actually snuck up on us. We were in HomeGoods and saw this big 100% wool rug, and something about it just had us at hello.

Rug In Store

Even Clara was smitten.

Rug With Clara

Within five minutes we were checking out with it and stuffing it into the car. It’s an 8 x 10′ 100% wool Martha Stewart rug by Safavieh and it retails for $800 but it was marked down to $399. We liked that it was soft (not scratchy) and had a cool pattern on it that was somewhat subtle (so it won’t compete with other bolder patterns, like a thick black and white stripe on something, for example).

But the room was hardly rug ready, so we had some cleaning up to do when we got home with it. After we put all that stuff where it really should go (either in other closets/rooms/or the storage room) it looked a lot better – and we were able to take our traditional “us in the room before we start on it” photo.

Us In Room Final

We did one of them in Clara’s nursery before we started on that back in 2010 (apparently I automatically pop up onto my tip-toes whenever I’m in a picture next to tall John).

Nursery Paint Before Pic

And then we snapped this one when we were done, so we’re planning to do that in the nursery here as well. It was fun to compare how my bump changed after three months, and sort of hilarious that I “popped early” and just seemed to stay that big – well I grew a little more – in the last trimester).

Nursery Belly Pic2

Here’s the nursery now with the rug in it. It’s looking pretty big here since it’s shoved up against that side and back wall, but we think once we center it and load in the room it’ll hopefully be great.

Rug In Room

We’re loving everything from the tone-on-tone pattern to the nice wool feeling underfoot. Just ignore those unpainted walls and that half-constructed crib…

Crib Angle

Rug close up. Hubba hubba.

Rug Detail

So there’s still lots to do, but it’s progress! We’re sure our to-do list will continue to evolve as we go, but here’s a first-thought brain dump for ya:

  • clean out the room
  • paint the walls and ceiling
  • address the window (bamboo blinds + blackout curtains?)
  • get a rug
  • add built-ins to each end of the long wall so the crib (and a future bed) can nestle between them
  • add sconces to the sides of the built-ins
  • create some sort of slatted or trimmed out wall between the built-ins for interest?
  • get the ceiling wired for an overhead light fixture (none of the upstairs bedrooms have them)
  • find an armchair for all that late night nursing
  • redo the closet for little clothes (paint it, add a second hanging bar, cubby storage, etc)
  • maybe even paint the closet door a fun color like Clara’s?
  • add chunky crown molding
  • bring in a dresser/changing table (we’re 80% sure we’ll use the wooden hand-me-down from John’s dad that’s currently in our closet)
  • build custom shelves (since John did this for Clara, he’d like for this to be a tradition)
  • 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)
  • make a mobile
  • hang art (at least one or two prints will have a sea-faring reference, thanks to Clara’s baby boy nickname of “The Barnacle”)

We’re planning to document this nursery’s evolution exactly the same way that we did Clara’s: in real time as we go. We created hers over the course of three months and 17 posts (cleaning the room, painting the walls/ceiling, going shopping, crib hunting, adding curtains/blinds, getting a crib, painting & hanging a mirror, finding a chair, making a faux sheepskin, refinishing her dresser, adding drawer liners, organizing her closet, making a crib skirt, making a mobile, building nursery shelves, adding art, and sharing the full reveal when it was 100% bean-ready).

Clara Grid

So while we expect that many of the steps that we take will change this time (we don’t need a crib, but we want to add built-ins), it’s safe to assume that over the course of the next three months, we’ll probably share one or two updates a week as we go (along with progress in other rooms, showhouse updates, etc). We have a few loftier goals for this space (like built-ins, sconces, and chunky crown) so it might be down to the wire, but no matter what we hope to be done by mid April.

Oh man, it’s pretty crazy to think that in a few short months we’ll be a family of five (Burger counts!) with a former junk-room-turned-functional-bedroom for our littlest family member. I’m all grinny and hyper over here. Is anyone else working on a nursery? Do you have a big ol’ to-do list and a permasmile on your face? Or do you have memories of creating a bedroom for your little one that you’d like to share? I can’t get enough of that stuff.

Comments

  2. Stefanie says

    I was hoping you guys would use that awesome bike print in the nursery as soon as you revealed you guys were expecting a boy! Love the bold green color in it and can’t wait to see how you tie it into the room.

    A friend of mine is currently pregnant and her and her husband are both cycling enthusiasts so it was only natural to lean towards something bike related when it came to their little man’s room. She actually ended up making her own mobile using a bike wheel (sans tire) and paper airplanes made with maps. She got the inspiration from here http://decorhacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/11039.jpg and it turned out really beautiful. Just throwing an idea at you. =)

    Reply

  3. Meghan C. says

    This post couldn’t have come at a better time! Our little man is due at the end of April and we just started clearing out the room and painting it a soft
    Blue aptly named “sweet baby boy.” We have a cape style house so the baby’s room has the sloped ceiling with built-in dresser & bookcases into the eaves. It’s a funny little room but it’s perfect for a baby.

    I’m doing a dinosaur theme in the room in soft blues, greens, and yellows so it’ll blend nicely with the other rooms. I’m toying with the idea of painting the back of the bookcase a nice deep blue for a little extra pop. Provided my brother doesn’t complain, I may swipe this giant neon green and orange stuffed dinosaur he had as a kid to bring in a family touch. It’s seriously atleast 3 feet long. It’s like the giant stuffed animal you’d win at a carnival game.

    Hope everything goes smoothly and can’t wait to see the progress on the barnicals room!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh man, that room sounds amazing! I can’t believe it already has a built-in dresser and bookcases in the eaves! So sweet! Would love to see photos when you’re done!

      xo
      s

  4. Kayla says

    We just found out yesterday we have a little girl due this summer! I am so excited to get working on the nursery.

    On a related but unrelated note….do you guys use pads under your rugs? I am new to the hardwood floor scene, but am wondering since our house is all hardwoods.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Congrats Kayla! That’s so exciting! As for our rugs, we like basic rug pads from Target. They can smell a little plastic-y so we like to get them and open them up and air them out (in the sunroom or even out in the hot sun for a few days) just until they’re no longer stinky!

      xo
      s

  5. Amy says

    Looks like it’s gonna be awesome!
    My all time fav room that I made for my completely unexpected third child was my favorite space I ever fixed up. We were in a 900 square foot apartment with our 5 year old and two year old. We didn’t want to move before hand so making fit was the name of the game. We had a small walk in closet in our master that I converted into the most lovely room in our house! The kids played in that teensy tiny space every single day. We moved 6 months ago now and I never thought if miss it as much as I do!

    Reply

  6. Becky says

    Love it! I recently finished a nursery myself for my now almost 5 month old boy. It was so much fun finding inspiration and pulling it all together. I used some sea-faring items myself. I’m not a big fan of themes per se, but I did want to add some nautical pieces into the decor. I’m pretty thrilled with how it turned out. I love spending time in there (which is good, since I’m in there a lot! haha).
    Here are some pics if you’re interested in taking a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/113786796@N08/sets/72157639521286363/

    Can’t wait to watch your nursery come together. :)

    Reply

  7. Sophie says

    All this baby-stuff is getting me so excited! And I LOOOOVE your ideas for the nursery!
    Boys are really great, my friend gave birth to a little boy, Elliot, two days ago, having had NO idea she was pregnant at all. Absolutely no symptoms except a little weight gain. Went to the emergency room on Sunday morning thinking her appendix had burst or something, and 9 hours later she had her baby in her arms. Insane, huh?

    Reply

  8. Karen F says

    That rug is awesome – I can see why you snatched it up! Home Goods is one of those places where, if you don’t get something when you see it, when you go back another day it’s usually gone!

    Can’t wait to see the nursery come together – Clara’s nursery was beautiful – I got nostalgic looking at all the pictures!

    On a side note, I’m so bad at putting rooms together – I swear, every room in my house is unfinished, and I don’t even know what to do to make them complete. I envy your ability to have a vision, to execute it, and to see it through to the end!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw you’re so sweet Karen! I feel like we’re always all over the place (every room here is like 5-15% done, haha!) but it’s nice to remind ourselves that our first house took 4.5 years to come together, so nothing really happens overnight!

      xo
      s

  9. Lindsay says

    Love this! My first (a girl) is also due in April, so I’m super excited to see what you guys come up with. We’ve been hard at work emptying out the guest bedroom that we will be switching to a nursery and this past weekend I made my first nursery purchase – a TON of fabric. It’s for curtains, crib skirt, a couple pillows, some other decorations, and, I’ll totally admit it, some extras just because I couldn’t resist. :)
    I’m also happy to see that you, like me, seem to have “popped” early. I am so ridiculously sick of people I barely know hearing my due date and telling me I’m too big. Grrr. My doctor says everything’s great. Uh… “Step off!” (family-friendly version of the words I really say in my head…)! And you look GREAT, by the way! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, thanks Lindsay! I think it’s a short torso thing. If you’ve got one, the baby has nowhere to go but out! Congrats on your little girl on the way. The nursery fabric sounds so exciting!

      xo
      s

  10. Carol G says

    Love the rug. I really liked those striped canvas-y bins from the Container Store and bought 2 when I took the door off my linen closet similar to yours in an earlier house. Here’s the thing – they were wicked expensive and they have started to get soft,collapse and look sloppy. I took a plastic bin also from the container store and “lined” the one I throw my laundry in. I was super disappointed b/c I LOVE the look, but they just haven’t held up over time!Maybe they’re just supposed to sit on a top shelf and look pretty?

    Reply

  11. Angie says

    I am so excited for you guys and your baby boy! I am due in 2 weeks for our 3rd, but our first baby boy. His room is still not complete, but you guys were a big inspiration. I ordered “Bucky” and wood trees for the wall using your Christmas redo of the hospital for my ideas! Hopefully it is done this weekend…:)

    Reply

  12. Rachel says

    Haha. I saw the green and natural elements (and didn’t see the bike picture on the side of the mood board) and immediately thought “ooh, that’s like John’s bike art!”

    ..Does that make me a stalker? :)

    Looks great, guys. Can’t wait to see it come together!

    Reply

  13. Leah says

    I’m working on a nursery too! We live in a little two bedroom, so this will be transforming the office/guest room/storage I’ve been using. I see lots of decluttering and organization in my future.

    I’m not due until late June, so I’m glad I can follow along with your progress and hopefully get some ideas. I want to do something nice but also flexible. Also trying to figure out if I can still justify storing stuff in that room; it is way huge for a nursery. Just have to figure out baby/toddler safe ways to do so.

    Reply

  14. Kelly M says

    Hi John and Sherry,
    First,congratulations! I am a new follower of yours and still find myself really excited for your family on the upcoming arrival of your baby boy. :) Second, can you tell me where you found the blue fan in the bottom middle photo? I’ve been looking for a nice fan to replace the ugly one we currently use in our bedroom (we love white noise for sleeping) but so far I’ve had no luck.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  15. Nicole says

    We used a similar green for our daughter’s recent room redo. We used Yellow Green by Ben Moore, which I selected to match her duvet. This was Phase 1!

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201699941008362&set=pb.1475208613.-2207520000.1389112375.&type=3&theater

    It keeps evolving though and many things have changed, including rug, bed, pillows, etc. The chevron duvet and green walls are still there though. Maybe one day we’ll be finished. Can’t wait to see what y’all put together!

    Reply

  16. Clarissa says

    Love it!! Can’t wait to see the finished result!

    P.S. Sherry, my husband is a foot taller than me and I automatically do the tip-toe thing too when we have our picture taken…LOL! You look fabulous by the way!! :)

    Reply

  17. Beatriz says

    That’s a fantastic looking rug. I’m loving the emerald green accent color. My favorite. Can’t wait to see the final result

    Reply

  19. Marjan says

    Ohh so lovely. Is there any chance there was a name on the rug? Would love it for our living room! Perfect and so what I have been looking for.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  20. gemma@thesweetestdigs says

    OOoooh the rug is gorge. Love the subtle pattern and the colour is a perfect neutral. Can’t wait to watch the space come together!

    Have you seen Janice’s nursery that Sarah Richardson did? It doesn’t have too much black + white accents, but it does have the pop of emerald green amid layers of neutrals. Really pretty! http://www.sarahrichardsondesign.com/portfolio/sarah-101-season-2/natural-nursery

    We had so much fun doing our nursery for our little girl. I still get all smiley heading in there every day! http://thesweetestdigs.com/2013/07/29/project-nursery-before-after/

    Reply

  21. Trisha says

    I am super excited to see your progress on the nursery. We are expecting as well, but are still really early on. I’ve been thinking about our nursery as well, but I now have a dilemma I am hoping you can help me with. Due to a job change that requires residency, we are likely going to have to move in the next year, thus sell our home. Since our home is only a 3 bedroom, I don’t want to make the nursery too difficult to visualize as a regular bedroom for potential buyers (or to make crazy paint choices that would be hard to change in the future). The rest of the house paint colors are pretty much like your second home (Colorado blue, moonshine, etc.). Any suggestions on how to approach this?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think you’re really smart to think about it! I’d go with a neutral wall (maybe a light tan) and then do pretty breezy curtains (maybe even white ones from Ikea) and then add the crib and a chair or whatever else you need, along with a sweet mobile and art (since buyers know that stuff comes with you, hopefully they can see past it).

      xo
      s

  22. Momcat says

    “Clara picked one out for her brother…” — that line was a show stopper for me. (Sigh..) I am so happy for you all. What an exciting time for each of you, and at the end there will be a BOY !! Very cool.

    Reply

  23. Cathy says

    I can’t wait to see the progress and then the final reveal of the nursery. Without a doubt, I know it will be awesome! I LOVE that rug! Fabulous!

    Reply

  26. Natasha says

    I love your nursery ideas! My hubby and I are expecting our first little one in only 6 short weeks and we don’t know what we are having (which we are super excited about!) The hubby just finished up the painting which is like a light aqua-ish green and all our white trim. It’s looking beautiful and now it’s just onto cleaning the carpet and setting up the crib, and possibly changing out the mirrored sliding closet doors. We were thinking of actually doing a fun color for the closet doors but don’t know which color to pick since we don’t know what gender the baby is.. Might have to wait for the little one to arrive first! We have gorgeous black antiqued finish furniture for in there, just looking for a good glider or comfy chair now for feedings! Any recommendations would be wonderful!! Best of luck and fun in creating your nursery! It is so exciting!

    Reply

  28. Sylvia says

    Sherry – pregnancy looks so good on you! Loving the scheme for the nursery! We recently moved our 12 month old boy into his big brothers room from our room (they’re only 15 months apart and we only have two bedrooms so it works out nicely)

    Reply

  29. Tiffany says

    I love the color scheme (and the rug)! Green is such a great, bold color that you can do so much with.
    And you are the cutest pregnant lady ever! You make me want to consider having another baby…..maybe.

    Reply

  30. CohoesMom5 says

    We didn’t do a nursery for any of our 5 kids – it just worked out that way. For the first one, we were in an apartment and couldn’t paint the walls. All we could do was clean out the room, setup the crib, changing table, and dresser, and hang a quilt that my aunt made. For the second kid, we moved into our house 3 weeks before she was born. It was all I could do to get the crib set up in her room as I was trying to get the rest of the house unpacked while still working full time and taking care of the one-year-old.

    The other babies had to share rooms with their older brothers or sisters so we only set up the crib and changing table (actually it only came down once – the rest of the time the previous was still using it when I found out I was pregnant so we just left it in place until it was needed again).

    At least I get to live vicariously through your decorating. And I got to decorate my kids rooms when we moved into our new house 3 years ago.

    Reply

  33. Anna says

    Love that rug so much! Quick question for you. Do you have any tips for keeping wool rugs clean? We have one in our living room that has been through pets and kids, which I have spot cleaned here and there, but when I called about getting it professionally cleaned it was almost as much as the rug. Any ideas to get it fresh looking again?

    Good luck with the room. Can’t wait to see the progress!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just vacuum them regularly and spot clean any crazyiness that happens (spills, etc). We have luck with wool rugs lasting a nice long time (we have a light yellow and white one that’s 6+ years old that’s still going strong with a dog and a kid). You also could rent one of those carpet cleaners from a place like Home Depot I think. Anyone have tips for Anna?

      xo
      s

  34. Sassy Apple says

    I didn’t read all of the comments, so maybe someone’s mentioned it already….but I have recently seen black-out bamboo blinds being sold at HD/Lowes. Don’t know if you necessarily want an all-in-one, but I thought I’d let you know. Have fun decorating!

    Reply

  35. Lauren C says

    I’m so excited that you guys are keeping us updated on your barnacle and nursery design. I’m actually due with my first baby in August and have NO IDEA what I’m doing, so I’ll probably be following your lead on a lot of things.
    Good luck!!

    Reply

  36. Sarah says

    Super excited to see the progress as you go along!! I am expecting a boy too, but in May. We just purchased some fabrics so that I can make the crib bedding & I’ve been pinning like a mad-woman ideas for his room…Still undecided on the main wall colors. Btw, your bump is adorable too!!

    Reply

  38. Elisa says

    Great mood board! I’m due early April and we haven’t started yet. Oops! Second kid is so different, hah. My sweet husband’s “gift” to me on Christmas was a little flipbook explaining the board and batton he’s studied up on on for the nursery and plans on executing – including your tutorial! So — thanks for that! :)

    Reply

  39. Sherri says

    You HAVE to check out the Story time Best nursery chair line. We splurged on the chair & I am so glad we did. They seriously are the most comfy out there. They take a while to come in if you don’t buy something someone has in stock. check it out:
    http://www.besthf.com/besthf/Storytime/Home

    PS I totally don’t work for them or anything, just love their chairs.
    PSS I’m excited to see what you come up with

    Reply

  40. Katie says

    We are just now starting on our room for our second little boy due in May. When our first son was born we received an vintage looking periodic table of elements (my husband is a scientist). That is is the starting piece and inspiration for this little boys room!! He is going to be the cutest little science nerd on the block:)

    Reply

  42. Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says

    I am feeling the green! I have to say, I was never a fan of black in home decor until Pinterest started showing me gorgeous, dramatic homes that still look nice and light. I’m hoping to buy myself a cute B&W striped pillow or something for the bedroom. Sidenote: Sherry — you are all belly! You look so glow-y and happy. Keep the belly pics coming :)

    Reply

  43. Amanda @ Serenity Now says

    Love your inspiration board! That green is fab. :) I just finished up our baby boy’s nursery in November…he arrived on Dec. 2, so it was right in time! I used dogs as accents after seeing some cute bins in the pet section at Home Goods (hey, it worked!). His room is my oldest daughter’s former nursery, so I primed those pink stripes and went right over them with light blue. He seems to like it so far, although my husband wanted a Batman themed room, or something more “manly”. (go figure)

    Reply

  44. Tish says

    I am really enjoying going through this with you. We are due in May with our second, a girl. Our first son was adopted, and it was such a whirlwind event (we picked him up about 48 hours after we learned of his existence), that we never really had time to put together a proper nursery.

    Here’s what I’m working on, although I still can’t figure out what color to use on the wall. :) I love your ideas too and I love the rug you found! Best of luck!

    http://www.polyvore.com/nursery/set?id=103072183

    Reply

  45. Emily says

    So you’re getting a new armchair for the nursery? Did the chair you used in Clara’s nursery find a new home? Or is it “her” chair now?

    Just wondering, because I was planning to just keep using the same glider for all the future kids, unless our kiddo #1 (just a couple months younger than Clara!) is particularly attached to it.

    Reply

  46. Meg says

    My husband and I are house shopping soon — partially because we plan to start a family in the not-so-distant future and, well, planning for a nursery makes me feel ridiculously happy and giddy. :) I’m sure I’ll be back here for inspiration as soon as that time comes! As it stands, love the idea for this nursery, and that rug and bold green are awesome!

    Reply

  49. Samantha says

    This is so exciting! And sort of makes me breathe a sigh of relief! I am due mid-May with our first, and I keep panicking that we haven’t done ANYthing to our to-be nursery (besides clean out all the “junk”). So excited to see what you’ll be doing. We did not find out the sex of our little one, so I have all these gender-neutral ideas floating around my noggin. Now to just make them reality… :)

    Reply

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