Sweet Child Of Mine

Posted by Rachel, Editorial Coordinator

I just returned from maternity leave, and let me tell you, the past three months have been a whirlwind. But somehow, between feedings, diaper changes, and loads of laundry, I was able to finally begin decorating our daughter Sasha's nursery.

We had been all set to do so one weekend, but Sasha had other plans for us, arriving three weeks early. At that point, "her room" was still our media room, plus some boxes of unassembled baby furniture and some piles of layette. As I timed my contractions, I felt my first pang of maternal guilt for not being fully prepared for her arrival. (We did have the presence of mind to set up a bassinet and changing area in our bedroom, so all was not lost.)

I have always had strong opinions about nurseries. I used to joke that I was going to hang my "Rosemary's Baby" movie poster over the bassinet just to watch people's horrified expressions. Well, mainly my mother's. 

Speaking of mom, many moons ago, she had the great idea to decorate both my nursery and my brother's using primary colors -- one reason being that she didn't know if we were going to be boys or girls. And although my closet certainly doesn't reflect this, some of my favorite colors are red, yellow, and blue. I also love orange, and I think that these bold colors are very stimulating for a child and look modern in a nursery. Plus, I figured it's a palette that she can grow with. My goal is to be able to just swap the crib for a bed when it's time by avoiding the babyish trappings that pastel colors can bring.

All of the furniture is from Ikea, minus the Eames rocker, which we got at MoMA.  I got the crib bumper for $20 at a Dwell sample sale (I'm kicking myself for not grabbing the comforter too!), and the Dick Bruna "Miffy" posters above the crib are in inexpensive frames from Ikea. 

For now, we have to keep our media storage unit in the nursery 'cause we haven't figured out where its new home should be. Plus, it's really heavy, and we're really lazy. So to liven it up, I started placing things on top -- a vintage globe, my beloved childhood sock monkey, Bananas. I've also taken advantage of the fact that the unit is magnetic by spelling out colorful messages.

You might recognize the felt basket on the right from the shower that fellow Blueprint staffers threw for me and Kendra. Once filled with wonderful gifts, it's now brimming with stuffed animals, new and old. I suspect this collection will outgrow the basket soon! And speaking of the shower, here is the modern alphabet poster we both received, in situ:

We have received so many compliments on this print (thank you Blueprint!). And as Sarah Humphreys said on the Today Show, it really is the perfect shower gift. Trust me! We've also hung this other print (I love the colors) ...

... as well as these '50s schoolroom posters that I found upstate years ago, set aside, and actually almost forgot about!

We converted this unused space into, well, used space by adding built-in shelving.

It's now the perfect place to display my old books (yes, my mother kept everything), old copies of Martha Stewart Baby and Kids, as well as Sasha's smaller toys and keepsakes.

This is what we've come up with so far. It's a work in progress. My mom is still rifling through the attic looking for this, among other things. For those who are wondering, yes, window guards are on the way! And as for my "Rosemary's Baby" poster, it's going at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the nursery.      

Comments

[Caroline]

What a cute nursery!
Mine is still a work in progress too! Sounds like our babies are about the same age!

[Jennifer]

I see you have the Binth baby book - we have that keepsake book as well - it is lovely and I have enjoyed it so much for my son. Best wishes for your new life with your daughter.

[Katie]

I have always loved looking at nurseries, even thought I don't have kids of my own yet-

Ikea has such great stuff, I love their look!

[stephanie]

ooh, where did you get the miffy posters? the room is lovely!

[Jennifer]

I love the nursery, it is so fresh and modern. One thing though, as a former childcare worker, please take the bumper pads off of the crib. A large percentage of SIDS deaths are babies suffocating on bumper pads and other sleeping items. No blankets, toys, etc. Look for a sleep sac - onsie thing for your baby - it's much safer.

[Sarah]

I love what you are doing! It looks nice and modern, but cozy and lived in, too. I like how you have managed to take the sterility out of modern design. The alphabet poster is one of my favorites! And the more I see that IKEA crib in action, the more I like it too. I certainly like it's price tag! Thanks for sharing!

[Gabrielle]

I absolutely love the nursery. One quick point, though: Pretty soon, you are going to need to figure out another option for that open shelving. Within months, your little one will be able to tear apart your books, magazines and all of your handiwork of making it come together so beautifully in the blink of an eye when you turn your back for a second! Let us know what you eventually wind up doing with the shelving when it happens!

Love the room, though. Beautiful.

[Daniela]

Wow! I love the mixture of old and new, modern and vintage, not to mention the use of spaces. Really pretty! Congrats on the effort!

[Lynne]

what a fabulous nursery! i love everything about it, and especially that you were able to create such a great look without spending a trillion dollars! very inspiring.