Subject: Nursery Fabric

Melissa -

Hope your family had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! As you are reading this, I am probably en route to Ikea for a day of awesome finds. I am so excited! After poring over the Ikea website for many hours, I think I have made a list of all the things I need/want, and I cannot wait to check it twice!

I've already shared with you some of my nursery inspiration ideas and some of the accessories I would like to incorporate (loved your suggestions, by the way, especially that adorable book!), so now it's time to talk about fabric. This aspect of the room has been a question mark from the beginning, but in the last few days I feel like I have gotten a clearer picture of what I want and I'm starting to get excited. First, though, I feel like this picture is a good illustration of what I ultimately want to achieve in this nursery:

I'm not talking necessarily about the colors, but instead the mood. It reads kid, but it's not theme-y or overly cute-sy. I also love the lightness and brightness in this space - and that's really what I want. I want the room to feel airy and light, but also to be sophisticated and have a vintage vibe to it. At this point I think I have settled on the wall cover "Light Blue" (creative!) by Benjamin Moore. It's a true blue, but not over-powering. Like Suz's nursery, I want the wall color to be secondary, but still add to the overall mood. I like for colors to read what they are, but still be pale enough to be considered a neutral too.

I think the main piece of furniture in any nursery is the crib (duh), so I feel extra pressure to get that bedding right. I'm not worried about fabric for the bumper because I'm using this white breathable bumper thing that is already in the crib. So - one less thing to think about! So that leaves the crib skirt (and sheets, but that seems secondary). I want some kind of plaid that looks like a man's dress shirt, but is still kid-friendly and colorful and will let me incorporate lots of other colors in the room. It was love at first site with this:

It's very similar to a Serena & Lily fabric called "Rex" that you may remember I sent you back before I knew I was having a girl the first time, but has now been discontinued. Bummer. This swatch I found off a random website that does not even sell fabric, so I'm really going to have to use my Internet skills to track this down. But I really like all the colors and think it achieves what I want it to.

Also in this room there will be a twin bed, so I need to think about bedding for it too. One thing I'm trying to keep in mind is that one day little Bobby might be sleeping in this bed with this very bedding, so I want it to be kid-friendly, but also if a grandparent needs a place to sleep one night they don't feel weird about sleeping over because the sheets are covered in a circus print and bears juggling, you know? I am drawing my inspiration from this room that was posted on Little Green Notebook:

This is exactly what I want! I love how the bedding is light/bright/airy, but also is boy-ish but not too juvenile. I am liking the idea of doing some kind of quilt (maybe in gray?) on the bed and then doing a more colorful duvet folded at the foot of the bed. The one in this picture is a Dwell find from Target that is no longer available (from what I can tell), but then in my Ikea stalking I found this:

Not bad, right? I will need to see it in person to get a read on the colors and if it would really work, but I kind of like what it's doing. It's definitely kid-ish, but it doesn't seem childish (an important distinction, no?) and I like that the background is white, which helps with my lightness and brightness goal. I also like that there is some turquoise/light blue in it, which references back to the madras above. And one thing to keep in mind is that it's going to be folded at the foot of the bed, so that will help tone it down some. I wouldn't want this as the main bedding - that might be too much for this room. So fingers crossed it is a) not hideously ugly in person or b) out of stock. One more thing on the bed: it's going to be right near the upholstered rocker, which is covered in a khaki-colored twill, so I need to stay away from that color in a quilt, don't you think?

Right now the window in the room is covered with some pretty sad-looking mini blinds. I found this DIY on covering a cheap roller shade with fabric of your choosing, so I think I might go with that. Here is the fabric I am considering:

I really want red to be an accent in the room, used sparingly but still with purpose so it really has some punch. I found a brass lamp at a thrift store (a true thrift store, not overpriced Goodwill) that I have painted a glossy red, so that will bring in another pop of red. Maybe I will do some sheets that have some red in them too...maybe polka dots or something? I also like the idea of incorporating a little bit of black and white buffalo check somewhere, since that really says "man" to me :) I think re-covering my little footstool for in front of the rocker will be the perfect spot for it.

So, yeah. That is the fabric. I think I covered everything, right? As always, can't wait to hear your feedback/comments/thoughts.

Happy shopping day!
Kara

Re: Subject: Nursery Accessories

Hi Kara,

Where to begin?!?  I think the nursery accessories are the best part of a nursery.  I have a feeling we are going to come back to this topic quite a bit.

In my mind I picture Don Draper's office/Bobby Draper's bedroom.  Leather club chairs, plaid, houndstooth and a little bit of this:

As far as vintage posters go, I think All Posters has a great selection.  I also came across this site called Vintage Printable, where you can print poster size images for free!  They have some really cool stuff, including map prints like this which I know you are a fan of.

Then there are cool typography prints like this:

And if only you were having a Cowgirl instead of a Cowboy, how fun is this??  Clearly I have a vintage Wild West obsession.  Totally subconscious up until this point though!

I am going to keep my eyes open for other fun accessories.  The only thing I've found thus far is the cover of this book.  I was thinking fun vintage book covers could also be cool framed?  Or maybe one or two go on the shelves?

And look, it's your entire family!!  Except you need a dog.  But Ina is there!!

Okay, last thing before I wrap this up, but it's for Suz and not Baby M.  I recommend you add this to the Ikea list...

I own it.  I painted it.  It's amazing.  There is also a mirror version.  I think in a fun color this could be very cute in Suz's new room either as a mirror, chalkboard, bow holder (per your Pinterest).  The ideas I have are endless.

Until tomorrow!
xxx

Subject: Nursery Accessories

Melissa -

So happy to hear from you! I like how you are a perfectionist and I am a procrastinator...I knew if I told myself I was going to wait until the beginning of the month, I would never write anything again! Also, if your bathroom looks anything like the inspiration pictures you posted, I will be so jealous! (and totally happy for you too, of course) Actually, it could really work out because one day when I move out of this house I will need a new master bathroom myself, and then I can just copy yours :) Everybody wins!

Okay, now to my current mental obsession: this nursery. Like I said, I have all the furniture already so we'll mostly need to concentrate on accessories and fabric. Today I am going to show you some of the accessories I have found around the interwebs that I love and would like to incorporate in some way. So, without further ado...

These globes from Jordan's apartment seem perfect to incorporate into the Mad Men/'60s Jet Set vibe. I don't necessary need nine, but maybe one small vintage-looking one? I think I have seen then before at World Market.


Above the dresser I want to do either one shelf or two for displaying purposes. I've already promised Mr. Lass we can have cigar boxes in this room, so that seems like a good place to display a few. Plus some other knickknacks...Zippo lighters, perhaps? (Just kidding and I laughed at your comment about the bubble cigarettes. I have, however, thought of trying to find a chunky brass ash tray - clean, of course - to hold pacifiers. I had a pretty bone dish in Suz's room that served the same purpose it was a nice way to display them plus they were always handy.)

These shadow boxes might be a nice alternative to plain shelves, or I could maybe even do both, depending on what I want to display. Of course, the more shelves and small items means more tedious dusting...something to keep in mind.


I am terrible at deciding on artwork, but I fell in love with the idea of vintage travel prints, especially to go with the aforementioned '60s Jet Set vibe. These are a great price and I may only get two. Or three. I'll need to add those frames to my Ikea shopping list.


This faux deer head seems perfect for that old man/den vibe. I don't know if I would choose fabric so busy, but I love the idea of some kind of kid-friendly taxidermy in the room.

O-kay. Got an idea of what I'm working towards? More to come!
Kara

Subject: A Fond Farewell

Melissa -

Ahh! Wasn't that a nice three months off? Well, vacation's over! We have work to do. Here is my guest room as it sits now:

Not too bad, right? But now I am going to have to send it off with a tear and a wave to make room for...(imagine the dots are a drum roll) - a new nursery! Yes, it's true. Suz is getting a new baby brother for her birthday in March. He will be the Bobby to my Sally. Speaking of which, I am drawing on some Mad Men inspiration to for this nursery.

Here are a few pictures that I love (all via Babble):

I want it to be very boy-ish and sweet, but also sophisticated. A room I will want to be in. In my head I keep saying that if Don Draper had a nursery, this would be it. But then I realize that's weird on many levels. So maybe if my husband were to design a nursery for himself, as an adult, this is what it would be. Maybe that isn't that less weird...but I think you get what I'm saying.

The good news is that I have all the furniture already (plus a surprise piece I can't wait to share later on), so basically we'll just need to focus in on accessories (!!!). I'm going to need lots of help on fabrics, I think. So get your creative juices flowing! Plus, in addition to this nursery, Suz is getting upgraded to a Big Girl Room (bye bye sweet nursery), which means a twin bedding and new bedding!!

So lots to work on and, even though you're not physically here to help (unless...?), I will be relying on your awesome Internet researching skills and impeccable taste to help me pull this off in the next 20-ish weeks (yikes - I hate hard deadlines!).

Xoxo,
Kara

Re: Subject: The Nursery

Kara - Are you not like SOOOO proud of yourself?!?  The nursery looks amazing and the time and hard work you put into it is evident!  While, I am of course impressed by every little detail, here are the few things that stuck out to me:

1.  BRAVO on painting the Jenny Lind crib and changing table.  You said you might have cried a few times...I am crying just thinking about how much time went into that!  It was worth it though because the black has a really dramatic effect with everything else in the room.

2.  The bedding...WOWZER Mrs. F!  I cannot believe that everything was made by hand?  Is your momma for hire?  :)  And the fabric is gorg!  I am especially smitten with the floral bed/crib skirt.  Does it have a special name when it's on a crib??  :)

3.  The teapot silhouette teapots are awesome!  I cannot believe you made those.  I was thinking it might be kind of cute to have silhouettes of my dogs in the house.  But maybe the only reason that popped into my mind is because I just read an article on Gwyneth Paltrow's Holiday Gift Guide and it included these silhouette necklaces.

4.  Loving the idea of the suitcase for the keepsakes!  Now that we are moved in and I've pretty much unpacked every box, I realize I have all these keepsakes and trinkets and nowhere to really store them.  I think Suz will definitely appreciate having all her little baby memories in one very cute "storage" case.

5.  Your childhood memories.  I think it's so sweet that you have things from your childhood throughout the room.  I have this teddy bear that one of my dearest friends, and soon-to-be first house guest, gave me for my 3rd or 4th birthday.  I've decided that the bear's new home is in what Hubby refers to as the 4th bedroom and what I refer to as the "Baby's Room."  You know, the one I am not expecting.  :)

Teddy Bear in the "Baby's Room"/4th Bedroom

Close-up of Teddy - (This was done at his request, being the first time on a blog and all!)

Well, congrats again on a job well done.  I wonder what our readers think of the nursery and what their favorite part is??  We know they are out there!!   

xxx,
Mel

Subject: The Nursery

Mel -

I hope you have some free time, because I have a lot to write about today! It may have taken me 8 months after Suz was born to send you the final pictures of The Nursery, but here they are! I cannot wait to show it off to you and tell you all about it, especially after we went back and forth with so many links and ideas and suggestions. Let me just say, I love the final product. I wanted something that was sweet and girly and classic, and that is exactly how it turned out. And, I think the room totally reflects Suz too - sweet, girly and classic. Enjoy!

Here is a shot from the door:

The room isn't very big, but it was the perfect size for a baby (they're small, you know?). I love how the room feels really cozy, with furniture encircling the entire room. The little alcove was the perfect spot for a changing table and I love that it is by the window. (I hate the mini blinds, so please ignore those.) I found out last fall that I was having a girl and I have to admit, I was a little bit inspired by Mad Men. (I felt bad for Betty Draper, though - we both thought we were having girls and it turned out only one of us was right!) I was really drawn to the classic look of the Jenny Lind style of crib and changing table and got real steals on both off Craiglist. I painted them both black, which was one of the most time-intensive projects I have ever taken on and several times I didn't know if I would finish. It didn't help that I was super hormonal and thus emotional - I may have cried once or twice when I thought I could not go on. And while I realize now it was nothing compared to actual labor, I do consider it one of many labors of love I have endured for this little girl.

Here is the before, during and after of crib painting:

And the changing table:

As I said, the changing table is also the Jenny Lind style and was originally white. I love how much open storage it has. The baskets are from Marshalls and not only are they the perfect size for stowing diapers and burp cloths, but the sides are low enough that everything is within easy reach. The buckets are from Lowe's and I like how they bring in a different texture to the room. Plus they are virtually indestructible and are nice and deep for holding toys, blankets and shoes.

Above the changing table hangs this mobile:

When I was 14 and in Switzerland on a band trip (see, being in band did have some perks) I saw it hanging in the window of a wooden toy shop. I immediately fell in love with it and bought it at once. I then hauled it all the way through Italy and back home, where it hung in my bedroom for the rest of my youth and finally made the move to my house when I was working on The Nursery. The colors match the space perfectly and I love the story behind it. Little did I know that when I bought it, it would one day hang in my daughter’s nursery! (Oh, and most importantly, Suz loves it too.)

Here is a shot of wall the door is on:

The chair is from Wal-Mart and I love it. I knew I wanted an upholstered rocking chair (versus a wooden one with cushions) but a glider was a little outside of our budget. This chair fits the space and the fabric is the perfect neutral color for Suz now or a boy in the future. The fabric has also held up really well. I would recommend this chair to anyone. It’s a steal price-wise and you order the chair cover separately in the color you want, which means it can be removed and washed. We did the Site-to-Store option so we didn’t have to pay for shipping and assembly was easy. The blanket on the chair was a shower gift and the little pillow in the chair was a gift from one of my aunts. It’s Humpty Dumpty and I had one when I was growing up, so I think it’s sweet to have in Suz’s room now.

I knew I wanted some kind of ottoman or footstool for this room, but I also knew that a big ottoman wouldn’t fit. I told my husband that I would find a cheap footstool somewhere for $10 and make it pretty myself. And that’s exactly what I did! Here’s the before:



The transformation is amazing, right? The fun thing about this little footstool is that the cushion is on hinges so there is a little storage area too. So cool!

Here are some close-ups of this wall:

The bookcase is from a vintage shop in town. It was originally white and cost me $30. I balked at the price a little bit, but when my husband unloaded it from the car and then carried it up the stairs after it was painted, he complained that it was very heavy for its size. Then a friend of mine came over with her daughter who was pulling up on furniture, and this bookcase did not even wobble when she used it to stand. So now I feel great about the price of this piece because I know it will last a long time and there’s no danger of it tipping. The lamp is by Shabby Chic and was on clearance at Target. I wore the ballerina costume for Halloween when I was 3-year-old and used a simple poster frame to mount it. I used a vintage bone dish as a container to hold pacifiers. The upholstered box was a shower gift – doesn’t it match the room perfectly? I love it.

The shelf is from Michael’s and was originally a wood finish and I painted it white. The S is a cardboard letter that I painted myself (I love all the hints of blue in the room – so vintage!) and the tea set was one I had growing up…I could not believe how perfectly it matched! The little top is vintage that a friend gave me as a “so happy you’re pregnant” gift.

And here is the room’s piece de resistance: the crib. My mom made the bedding...isn’t that so impressive? The fabric is Lucinda Blue by Maddie Boo and I found it the cheapest here. We used white seersucker on the bumpers and then my mom piped the bumpers in the same fabric as the crib skirt and used grosgrain ribbon for the ties. The poms are amazing and I think make a room that might otherwise seem a little too adult really whimsical and fun. I ordered them from the Etsy shop PomLove. I know you can make them, but at that point I was on Project Overload and could not handle the thought of searching for the perfect colors of tissue paper and then figuring out how to make them. I think I paid $25 for all five and got to choose the colors I wanted for each of the three sizes.

Next to the crib is this:

I picked up the chair at an estate sale for $10 and painted white. The paper suitcase is from Pink Loves Brown and is perfect for holding shower and pregnancy cards, ultrasound pictures and our little bracelets from the hospital – all the stuff you don’t know what to do with but you know you want to keep! The rabbit I had growing up and the prints I made myself. Here is a close-up:

I cut the silhouettes out myself using black poster board and then stretched fabric behind them. I think they’re really cute and fun for a little girl’s room.

The only area I’m kind of blah about is the dresser. I ordered a really cute lamp from eBay that was a white teapot base and a sage green shade, but it got destroyed en route and it was the only one the seller had in that color. Sad! The silver jewelry box is from my lovely friend Peach and the black & white box was a gift from some friends – they gave us cigars tied with pink ribbon to hand out to friends and family at the hospital. Jon was thrilled…that’s such a great gift for dads!

Phew! I think I covered everything. Like I said, I love how the whole thing came together and it was so fun to plan a room from scratch, start to finish. I had never done that before – usually I started with something – but once I had my inspiration (the fabric) and my vision (girly & sweet), I really got into it.

Have a fab-u-lous weekend!
Kara

P.S. My quiet, non-busy week has turned surprisingly busy and hectic, which meant no bathroom painting. I have bought the paint, though, so hopefully it will be a pre-Thanksgiving project next week!