Baby Boy Nursery Reveal
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – this just may be my favorite room in our house. When we found out we were expecting our first little boy – my thoughts were all over the place. I’m a girl mom. I buy princess dresses. Sign-up for ballet classes. Design delicate, feminine spaces.
What do I do with a boy? And what the heck do I do for a nursery!? (priorities)
My first hurdle was getting over the emotions involved with re-designing Kingsley’s XO nursery. Oh how I loved this room. Two short years didn’t feel like enough. Once I realized she moved into the big girl room with a pep in her step and not a single look back, I was like, “Well, OK!”. Still overly attached to the space – I found a way to re-create it in the girls’ walk-in closet (more to come).
The Design Plan
As a third-time mom and design-enthusiast, I’ve seen my fair share of nurseries. Pinterest has completely blown-up the game. So I went to the drawing board with two main goals: 1. Create a space Crichton can grow into, 2. Make it unique.
Last year, we did a complete overhaul of our downstairs guest room and I’m obsessed with it. I’m also slightly annoyed that because of the way it’s situated in our house, I never get to enjoy it. So I knew this would be the “inspiration” for our nursery. I love the moody wall, the modern touches and textured pieces.
I sat down at my computer and within an hour had a full design board. Candidly, this usually takes me DAYS of tweaking. But for whatever reason, my vision was clear as day. Looking back, it’s kind of amazing how true to this design board I stayed!
Choosing a Theme
Let’s start at the very beginning….a very good place to start. When you read, you begin with A-bee-see. When you design, you begin with WHAT’S MY THEME?
Sorry, it was too easy. But seriously, you know it’s true. Well, I’m here to tell you that your theme should not be your driving factor. Set the mood, not the theme. I wanted this room to be slightly masculine, mature (weird for a nursery, I know), and serene. At this point, we had decided on his name: Crichton James (read the post, here), and so the only “theme” I would bring in was subtle dinosaur touches a la Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park.
The accent wall was the real mood-setter, and my husband was just the man for the job. He (with only a little complaining) created a beautiful wall of vertical shiplap in the perfect shade of green. We landed on Behr’s Halls of Ivy and it’s stunning. I opted for vertical because it’s more modern and that’s the direction I’ve found my overall style heading in lately.
I’ve enlisted Kelly to do a full DIY-post on how to create a vertical shiplap wall in your home, so keep an eye out for that!
Selecting Artwork
When I first found out I was pregnant, my sweet friend Hannah Crosby offered to create a piece of art for the nursery. I was ecstatic! My appreciation for art is one of my biggest growth areas as a designer. I truly believe in the power of investing in special pieces for your walls. Simply put, you just can’t make the same statement with canvases you picked up at Target on a whim. If that upsets you, I’m sorry. I’m all about savings in certain areas (e.g. rugs), but art…is well, ART.
Long story, short. I had never commissioned a piece before – but I had a clear picture of what I wanted: something moody, abstract, and right out of a scene from Outlander. I kid you not, those were my exact words. Hannah created MAGIC.
My painting is everything I dreamed of and more. I wanted the piece to look finished, which in my mind – meant framed. PictureFrames.com offers canvas frames at an affordable rate, and offers the perfect shade of brass.
Hannah went on to create a print of my painting, and it’s available to any of you who love it as much as I do! This can find a home ANYWHERE, in any room – it would be stunning on a styled built-in or bookcase or resting on your kitchen counter. You can shop the print here. Use code MEG20 for 20 percent off your order.
For a commissioned piece of your own, reach out to Hannah and start the conversation. I promise you will be overjoyed with the result.
More from Hannah
The Non-Nursery
I knew I wanted this nursery to sku more mature vs. typical nursery. We had the crib and dresser from Kingsley, so any big purchases or additions (accent wall) we committed to, I wanted to last and grow with Crichton. It’s why I opted for a vertical shiplap wall instead of playful wallpaper. And y’all know I love some wallpaper.
One of my biggest moves was skipping the traditional glider and opting for this rattan beauty from Crate + Barrel instead. One day, it can easily transition to our family room. And I love it so much, I won’t be sad when that day comes! The artwork and vintage golf prints can grow with Crichton into a “big boy” room as well, although my husband already has his eye on them for his office.
Don’t get my wrong. I love playful wallpaper, cute animal prints and all things traditional-nursery. But with this being our third and final rodeo, I was itching to do something different.
The Details
Before you get all stressed that I’m forcing our not-yet-born son to grow up too fast, I added the sweetest, age-appropriate details to his room… including, Bauer’s first art commission we’re lovingly referring to as, “Mr. Pickles.” Months ago, Bauer did this portrait of her brother and we’ve noticed a trend every time she draws him – we look forward to meeting him and his blue beret. If you’re lucky enough to have a personal touch like this to add to a nursery, or any room – DO IT. My friend, Joni, over at Lay Baby Lay has some great tutorials on how to scan photos and print them in large format.
Many of the the show-stoppers, like the Dino Play Gym and Rainbow Pillow come from my all-time favorite shop for all things baby, Project Nursery. I’ve wanted one of these wooden play gyms for years and I can’t believe it took me THREE babies to get one. The rainbow pillow is a reminder that Crichton is indeed our rainbow. I don’t want to forget the storm we survived to hold him.
You can use the code “NURSERYGOALS” for 15 percent off site-wide at Project Nursery now through August 19.
I love this room so much. And fun fact: this is the first nursery I’ve ever had complete BEFORE baby’s arrival. We moved five days after Bauer was born into our first home. When Kingsley was born, we were living temporarily in an apartment while our house was finished. She was almost four months old before she had a proper room of her own. It’s a real treat to waddle myself into Crichton’s room and daydream as we await his arrival!
Memories captured by Alea Moore Photography.
Shop the Room
Commission Artwork by Hannah Joiner Crosby
Wall color is Behr’s Halls of Ivy
Blake Rattan White Cushioned Chair
Jellycat Dragon Stuffed Animal
Brooke says
What is the neutral color on the rest of the walls?
Meghan Basinger says
Hi! It’s Sherwin Williams Incredible White.