Towards the end of last year we were visiting family in Minneapolis and I was eager to gift our nieces something precious for their room. I found myself in the baby aisle & I've gotta say, I fell in love with Pillowfort and some of the other brands I was seeing out there. With fresh color palettes and stylish prints, there's lotsa options to create a beautiful baby or kid's room.
Lately, a lot of my friends are having their first or second child, and I'm back in the baby aisle :) It's gotten me super motivated to put together a few nursery boards for these sweet mommies-to-be.
Huge disclaimer: I know zilch about what it's like to be a parent. Not even going to try :) But here's a few things I kept in mind when designing these boards...
... making the nursery a beautiful and calming space for both baby and mom.
... making it a space that ages well as your child grows. So you're not stuck with a lot of baby-ish looking stuff once your little one has outgrown that phase (word on the street is that they grow really fast! ;-)) I feel that if you keep the main furniture pieces slightly more classic and neutral, and "play" with the accessories (easier & less expensive to change up) that might work better in the long run.
I went with color schemes that felt fresh & put together 2 boards with my favorite finds! The first board is mix of things from various big box stores. And the second is sourced exclusively from Target (because I've been seeing a lot of stylish things at Target lately).
Fresh Navy & Pink
1,2 I started with this classic valance from PB Kids & these pagoda prints off of a maker on Etsy. I am in LOVE with both right now. The pagoda prints are super cute and perfect for a little girl's room. The valance is clean and classic.
3,4,7,8,9,14 I wanted to create a comfy nook for mommy and daddy because let's be real, they're probably spending as much time in this room as the baby :) At 3am, you want to have a spot you can just plop down in and throw your feet up. Create a cozy corner with a wing back chair / pink velvet throw pillow / monogrammed lumbar pillow (baby initial!) / soft throw & this brassy gold floor lamp. Don't even get me started on the Moroccan pouf! It's comfy and trendy, and looks amazing.
5,6,10 This fuchsia ikat fabric from Spoonflower is such a fun, fun print. It would make for a bold & beautiful crib sheet. You can add on a crib skirt and bumper - maybe keep it simple, to complement the colorful sheet. The crib is a classic from IKEA as is this soft waffle weave blanket (here and here) for the baby - very comfortable.
12,13 Now for some fun! :) I love these gold bunny ear knobs from Anthropologie. An easy way to upgrade a chest of drawers.
11,16,17 Put a storage basket or two near the crib to store whatnots and stuffed animals like this adorable lulu bunny or sheep stuffed animal.
15 And finally this natural fiber navy blue rug will ground the room.
Soothing Green & Brown (everything from Target)
4 I was very inspired by a beautiful green and brown room with gold undertones that I'd seen online and decided to use this as my color scheme. A hunter green paint color is perfect for an accent wall. Valspar's Field Time green or Benjamin Moore's Raleigh green are both beautiful grounding greens.
1,2 This walnut crib is a great color & converts into a toddler day bed - very convenient. Keep the bedding white and add on a fun jungle themed crib mobile.
3 This ceiling light is all sorts of amazing! The only place I would not use this is maybe a smaller sized room because it could overpower the space. But otherwise, it's perfection! You can always figure out if something is a good fit or not by measuring. And if you're just not into having a dramatic light fixture in the nursery, a nice alternative would be a floor lamp like this one.
7,8,9,10,11 I wanted to create a focal point around this beauuuutiful 3-drawer chest - great for storing all your nursery essentials. I've paired it with this striking zebra framed canvas and a gold base table lamp from Pillowfort. Add on a globe (giving baby the travel bug early!) and use some alphabet blocks to spell out his name :) Alternately, you can keep it totally fuss-free and just place a changing pad on top.
6, 12, 13 14 Keeping the rest of the furniture neutral (rug / comfy chair / ottoman ) with a pair of light gingham pillows, creates a calming atmosphere.
15, 16 I love these stuffed animals from Manhattan toys - lots of cute choices! Keep a large woven storage basket or two in the room to help keep things organized.
For my friends who are going to be moms soon, I hope you're having a restful pregnancy and being taken care of by those around you. When my nieces & nephews were born I was over the moon (and still am every time I see them!). I can only imagine what it feels like to be becoming a parent! Sending a ton of positivity & good energy your way :P
Got any ideas of your own running through your head right now? Or any of these call out to you?
