Designing the Nursery was something I had dreamed of for months (Ok lets be honest..Years!). I had a pinterest board full of inspiration.
Yet when it came to getting started I really had no idea.
Aside from the fuzzy brain from pregnancy I also didn't know who I was designing the room for. I know that sounds strange as I was designing it for my baby but I didn't know who he was or what he liked. It was a bizarre feeling.
I spent evening after evening scrolling through Pinterest. Would my baby like a funky monochrome room, a calm serene room full of greys, bright colours or pastels? I just didn't know where to start as I really didn't know 'who' my baby was.
I decided that I wanted a natural wood cot to compliment the slightly Scandinavian style we had already started to develop within the rest of our home. On my hunt for a cot I came across MOCKA.co.nz and found the Aspiring cot in Natural (they have since brought out a gorgeous Natural/White option) and at $199 I was sold! Such an awesome price for a cot. A 50% off nursery sale at Farmers secured the mattress and with that our first major purchase was done!
We hadn't even painted the room but I was so excited we just had to put the cot up right away- it couldn't fit out the door so it made for an interesting time when we did paint the room!
Once the cot was up I had more of a clear vision of how I wanted the room to look (I did get Dom to shift the cot and dresser around a few times just to be sure!). We already had a beautiful white dresser from Freedom Furniture and I knew that I didn't want a traditional change table so the Reva Basket was our answer.
I have always loved black and white so I knew that a monochrome element would be key to the start of the design process. I found some black polkadot wall decals and knew that I was headed in the right direction.
I came across a beautiful tassel garland with black, white and mustard and this helped to establish a colour theme. - I broke the number one interior design rule - do not base a room design around one item!!
I searched stores for items with hints of mustard and came across a beautiful throw at Farmers. The throw added just the right amount of texture and warmth to the room.
Each item I selected had a specific place and I did end up buying a few things that I didn't use but overall I was happy with the design. I had created a room that was warm and inviting with a little bit of spunk!
Here are my top five tips for designing a nursery:
1. Start with the biggest item first, the cot. Once you start looking at cots you realise there are so many different styles available, the right one should jump out at you.
2. Keep referring back to your original inspiration. Are you headed in the same direction? Do you need to look at other inspiration, something different and new?
3. Add a little touch of old. Is there an item from your childhood you can use, or something second hand? There is something about older toys that add a little bit of magic to a room.
4. Keep it personal. Know your style and stick to it. As much as you would like to have the perfect room like everyone else, you know your style. Refer to your inspiration but remember to own it!
5. Make something. Make something for your babe. I made Parker a mobile for above his change mat...it was stressful but I'm glad we now have a special keepsake.
Added cliche bonus....Have fun! Take time to enjoy the process, remember the room does not need to be ready before the baby is here. You may want to meet your little babe and add the finishing touches once they arrive.
Photo credit to Black Robin Photogr