Nursery | DIY Project
Another DIY Project from us :)
This room was originally our home office, however, the previous owners used it as one of the children’s bedrooms. When we found out we were pregnant, I knew the first thing I wanted to do was change the color - I hated how cold it made the room feel to me. Once we learned we were having a girl, we weren’t sure if we wanted a “theme” to the room or not, more feminine colors, etc. After some discussion, we decided we wanted the room to feel fairly cozy and just overall kind of a neutral color scheme - once she’s older we can change it to what she likes!
This room gets the best morning light, and occasionally really pretty evening sun, and therefore I wanted a color that worked well throughout the entire day - I loved the dark green in our bathroom, so we used that again for an accent wall, and then chose a soft green for the other walls. I also opted to paint the closet the same dark green for some moodiness, haha.
Once we began deciding on colors, etc, Jake said he wanted to try refinishing the flooring. Since this room had older baseboards, he also opted to remove those and replace them with newer, taller ones that match other updated areas of our home.
In the end, we are really happy with how it turned out! Her room is very cozy and comfortable and a space that we all enjoy hanging out in. I like that although we updated a lot of things and painted it, the room is still very much a simple space that can change as she grows!Some of my favorite additions are the velvet curtains. They’re velvet on the outside, and the window side is made of sound proofing and blackout fabric. I LOVE how they add extra softness to the room but also serve a purpose. There were a few things we purchased new, but many we just utilized from inside our home already. We bought the dresser new from Wayfair and I do not recommend it, haha. It was on sale for around $500 and came in about 5 million pieces. It does not have true sliding drawers and the drawer pulls are SO sharp - I’m currently looking for new ones to switch them out for a safer option.
Thanks for checking it out,
Xo, Brittni and Jake
Here are a few images from when we bought the home, and then during the renovation process.
Jake’s words…
“We started working on the nursery early. We didn't want time to get away from us and not be prepared for when little Frankie girl arrived. We had been using the room as an office and it didn't need that much work to convert it to a nursery.
The biggest aspect was refinishing the hardwood floors. I love hardwood floors and love the floors in our old house. It was one of the first things I was drawn to when we were looking at the house. That being said, I had never refinished hardwood floors and I was generally intimidated by yet another project I had never done before. I did my standard YouTube research. My biggest takeaway was to go slow, take your time and keep moving when sanding. I rented a "medium duty" floor sander from The Home Depot. It worked well enough but I was continually paranoid about sanding too much so I probably did more sanding by hand than I needed to when I could have used the rented sander. Sanding isn't hard, but it is messy. Beyond messy. I need to refinish other areas in our house but the mess alone has been reason enough for me to put it off.
I decided to use OSMO Polyx Hard Wax Oil rather than a traditional wood floor finish. I have used OSMO products on other wood refinishing projects and have been really happy with the results. One of the things I like about OSMO oils is that it is super easy to apply (rub it on, let it dry). It is also liquid proof and if it scratches, you can apply more oil to the scratched area without having to re-sand anything. It turned out really well.
Other than refinishing the hardwood floor, everything else was simple painting and finish work. I tried to find baseboards that matched the others in our living room. The ones that were closest to matching only came in 8' sections though. This resulted in having to do several joints in them which looked really good when I was done, but as our old house moves and vibrates with traffic, construction and army depot bomb testing, the joints have become a little more visible and will need some touch up work over time.
We painted the walls, installed the floorboards, and Brit had me do some beadboard in the closet (because it's important for the baby's closet to be cute). We're happy with how the room turned out and I feel like it's a cozy, calm room for Frankie.”
FINAL
Final thoughts…
Now that she’s been here for a few months and we’ve had time to enjoy this space, there’s a few things I’d keep the same and a few things I’d do differently. First, the crib we love and it’s beautiful! We were gifted this by my parents and could have chosen a less expensive one, however, we like that it can eventually convert into a toddler bed that she can grow into. I also feel like it’s built well and if we decided to resale it we could still make money off of it.
The dresser I really don’t like. We purchased it on sale for $459 and it doesn’t even feel worth that price. It also came in literally a million pieces and I think took us around 5 hours to put together. On top of that, the drawer space is not very deep, they are not true “rolling” drawers which makes it feel even cheaper, and the handles are sharper than shit. I’m planning on purchasing different drawer pulls asap because I know if she falls and hit them she’s going to get cut/hurt. Luckily, they just rest on top of the drawer itself, so I think I can purchase any type of handle and drill new holes in the dresser.
The curtains I really love! They are partially blackout and partially sound-proofing, and look so soft and pretty!
Overall, I’m glad we did not go for a “themed” room. To me, this room feels very calm, which is what I wanted while she’s little. Once she starts developing her own interests, I’m totally fine changing up the layout/decor/paint, etc. We aren’t sure how long we’re going to live in this home, so doing something minimal for this room felt like the option that made the most sense. If we stay past her toddlers years, I’d like to eventually build a little vanity in her closet and make it a mini “walk-in” closet. Who knows!
SOURCES:
Paint:
Dark Green - BEHR Global Green
Light Green - BEHR Back to Nature
Window Cling: Amazon - same one used in our living room window! We love it.
Rug: Walmart
Crib: Target in “Honey”
Dresser: Wayfair
Chair: Walmart
Oddomen: Already had from Target
Shelves: Already had from Target I believe? They are probably 7-10 years old
Curtains: Amazon
Curtain Rod: Amazon - We have this same one for our front room and love the color and quality!
Curtain Rings: Amazon
Baskets: Amazon
Memory Box: Amazon
Air Purifier: Amazon a few years ago
Flower Pillow: Amazon
Green pillows: Vintage from my moms childhood bedroom
Art: “Where the Light Falls” by Lore Pemberton
Mirror: Vintage from my brother-in-laws grandma that I then painted gold
Floor Stain: OSMO
Sander: Rented from The Home Depot