Design Happens

We all have that room in our home, right? The one with furniture that doesn’t go with the rest of the house, no art, and walls badly in need of a fresh coat of paint? If you don’t, I don’t want to hear about it (okay fine, what’s your secret?). This room is kind of my hidden shame, but I’m willing to share it with you. Cue the scary music…

Sheesh, where to start? The Ikea beds that I thought would be minimalist chic but turned out to look more like prison cots? The mountain of outgrown baby clothes in the corner? The dresser and chest that are out of place in my mid-century modern home? The drab white walls with streaks of water damage left over from a bad storm? It’s embarrassing.

First up, I’m giving the trunk and dresser to my mom, where they will fit in with her rustic traditional style and free up much needed space. The beds are headed for Craigslist, along with the too-small rug. Once everything is out, a crisp coat of paint in bright white will go up on the walls and I’ll be ready to tackle my first project: a custom paint treatment on one wall inspired by this one from The Brick House blog.

What’s staying? I’ll keep the glider, but I’m having the cushions recovered, or I might even try to do it myself. The vintage tile and brass side table will get cleaned up and hold a lamp next to the glider, perfect for bedtime stories. The sassy antique lamp will get a new shade and hopefully fit in with the vintage nautical vibe. And that huge Charley Harper national park print will bring color to one of the walls.

Two things I’m unsure of: the Eames rocker (currently holding my stash of teeny baby boy clothes), and the curtains that came with the house. The room is small so I’m pretty sure there won’t be space for a second chair, so that may find a new home in Lulu’s room. The curtains will depend on how they look when the work is complete. Their crisp black windowpane check is inoffensive, but may be too busy once everything in in place. What do you think?

WHEW. I have got some major work to do (and let’s face it, so does my husband). Make sure to check back next week to see our progress. And don’t forget to take a look at the mood boards, both high and low, that I created for the design of this space.

When I left you last week, I was showing off my if-money-was-no-object nursery mood board. And sure, it was fun to pretend that I can drop thousands of dollars decorating this baby’s room, but let’s face it: I don’t live in that world. In reality, I’ll be using what I already have, doing a lot of projects myself, and looking for inexpensive alternatives to finish things off. But here’s the fun thing: I actually like my “reality check” mood board even more than the expensive one. After all, I am more of a do-it-myself kind of girl. Wanna see?

This super sweet-yet-affordable nursery skips the high-end wallpaper, in favor of a DIY paint project like this one from the Brick House blog. Since they were actually the most reasonable items from my previous mood board, I think I’m actually going to buy the graphic French and colorful raindrop prints, and I’ll round those out with this leaping pig print that I already own. I also snagged a model sailboat from my parents basement, and I’ll mount that to the wall with the rest of the artwork. After pining for the expensive rug from last week, I found this star-flecked Dwell Studio rug and I am crazy for it. Like, beyond reason. This may have to be my one splurge (though it’s less than half the price of the inspiration rug!). I dream of a highly collectible mid-century modern dresser, but I found one similar to this on Craigslist for $50 that will hold a diaper change pad and clothing to boot. For lighting, this tiered brass pendant from Urban Outfitters looks like it costs about five times more than it actually does, and it pairs perfectly with this vintage-inspired constellation globe. I wisely held on to my old Dwell Studio for Target glider (no longer available), and I’m going to give the cushions an update with some cute new fabric. Fancy cribs are fun to daydream about but you can’t beat the $99 Ikea classic I already own. I’ll dress it with inexpensive striped percale sheets and a blanket made from this adorable scooter-printed fabric. And you’ll have to stay tuned for an upcoming Weekday Crafternoon to see me take a classic rocking horse and an Ikea sheepskin and make a super cute custom riding toy.

Which do you prefer? The high-end nursery from last week, or this week’s more approachable take? I was surprised to fall hard for the less expensive option, but I’m kind of relieved. Check back next week to see the embarrassing “before” pictures of my guest/junk room. I’ve got a lot of work to do.

P.S. For more fun, follow my Nursery Inspiration Pinboard!

Around here, we are crazy for cute kids’ rooms (and even cuter kids!). With kid #2 due this June, I am rolling up my sleeves and diving head first into turning my neglected guest/junk room into a nursery for my little boy. Before I tackle the “before” (and yes, I’ll be showing you my Room of Shame in a couple of weeks), I’ve been having a blast creating my dream nursery mood board. It’s boyish without being babyish, and has a color palette of navy, grey, orange, weathered brass, and warm wood tones that fits right into my modern house in the woods. I’m not big on sticking to a theme, but there are definitely some elements that tie together here — sort of a vintage nautical thing.

My money-is-no-object nursery would have 3 crisp white walls accented by this gorgeous underwater wallpaper from Hygge & West. On the walls I want to mount a vintage model sailboat, graphic Frenchy artwork, colorful raindrops and an adorable piglet portrait. To warm up our wooden floors, I got lost in this constellation-inspired Calligaris rug, and I’d skip the rocking horse in favor of a rocking sheep. To rock baby to sleep, a sleek handcrafted rocking chair that’s an instant heirloom. I’d love to skip the changing table in favor of a changing pad on a low-slung classic mid-century modern dresser in gorgeous wood, topped with a constellation globe so my baby will always find his way back home. Wouldn’t this chunky vintage brass pendant be lovely lighting up the space? Lastly, baby boy needs a place to lay his head, so I’m ogling a modern crib that still manages to be cozy, this custom-made crib sheet in a tiny anchor print, retro elephant fabric for throw pillows, and a cozy, graphic blanket.

Sigh, it would be a stunning room. And if you tally it all up, it would probably cost as much as I’ve spent to decorate the entire rest of the house. Next week I’ll show you how I took this pie-in-the-sky mood board and created an affordable version that I actually ended up liking even more.