feels like home
Nothing is sweeter to me than the excitement of first time parents. As a mother of four, I can't help but giggle a little at the nerves that all new parents seem to bring to all conversations re: newborns. I've recently exited the "toddler stage" for the first time in over a decade and am entering "pre-teen" territory, and let me tell you what, I'd love me a little newborn time. One thing that definitely shouldn't bring new parents stress is talk of the nursery. Having spent many sleepless nights in my own evolving series of nurseries, I know just how much the right space can bring peace to a new parent. When Mom and Dad contacted me about their upcoming baby girl and asked for a neutral nursery, I was honored to take on such a sweet challenge.
Consult Notes: Mom and Dad want gender neutral-ish (will need inspo pics), green, woodsy, cozy, a space that will grow with the baby, versatile pieces, blackout curtains, wallpaper, personal touches, a rocking chair, some added character to our "builder-grade" home, somewhere to charge Mom's phone, "do we need a wipe warmer?" (absolutely not), somewhere "we want to be."
Budget: $4000
Mood Board:
As we emailed back and forth after the initial conversation, we decided early on that either beadboard or tongue and groove being installed 2/3 up the walls with wallpaper on the remaining 1/3 would be the base of the design. It was on Mom's pinterest boards for other rooms of their home, but they hadn't done it yet. The nursery seemed to be the perfect place to bring that vision to life. We also decided early on that this wallpaper from Wayfair was adorable and perfectly gender "neutral-ish," and with those factors decided we had our jumping off point. Everything came together quite easily after that. We added a rocker (obviously) and an ottoman with interior storage for those late night feedings and early morning storytimes. Mom got a side table to charge her phone, maybe store a few protein bars, and set her water cup during feedings. Etsy once again provided in the art department with a feminine floral print and a pet portrait to pay homage to their dog (and Norah's future bestie), Winnie. The dresser doubles as a changing table with a changing pad on top. The lamp provides ambient lighting when "the big light" is too aggressive and adds a little whimsy with the scalloped shade. The rug is handwoven wool, and YES, wool sheds! So does Winnie, and so will Mom a few months post-partum. Wool rugs are superior comfort-wise and they are a classic and that is a hill I will die on. The green of the rug also pairs perfectly with the wallpaper and if we're being honest, will hide the evidence of any future blowouts that occur during tummy time.
Pictured:
Not Pictured:
We came in well under budget at $2861.60. The budget doesn't accomodate for things like taxes and shipping, so that's one reason why I always leave a bit of a cushion. The other reason is that I absolutely love finding a good deal. With this design, I recommended taking any remaining surplus and adding a custom or semi-custom closet system from any Big Box Shop. Norah's Grandma and Grandpa generously donated time, labor, and materials on the tongue and groove install, and that helped keep the budget low as well. For paint, we ended up using Alabaster, by Sherwin Williams. As always, we ordered plenty of samples from my favorite paint sample website, Samplize. Ordering peel and stick samples is a very cost effective and easy way to try out paint colors without having to actually break out any paint brushes. Using the paint samples, along with the wallpaper sample we purchased, we were able to view all potential colors in the actual space, rotate the sample's locations throughout the day to view them in various lighting situations, and ultimately choose a color that won't be outgrown any time soon.
Floor Plan:
We played with a few possible layouts for Norah's Nursery, but this was the ultimate winner for one main reason: safety. Of course it would be dreamy to place her crib under the far window with the drapes cascading around either side of it...but having met a few babies in my day, I knew that wouldn't be the best idea. Mom and Dad also liked that having the crib in the spot shown would mean she'll be easily viewed via a quick peak through the door. We were also able to place her dresser across from the crib, and after ensuring there is an outlet on that wall, M&D can put her baby monitor camera there as well as her lamp.
Budget Breakdown:
This project was an honor to complete and reminded me how fleeting that newborn stage is and that I need to do a little less doom-scrolling and a little more Little Blue Truck reading. Congratulations, Mom & Dad, and welcome to this beautiful life, Norah!
Jillian Schimpf
Lead Designer, Schimpf Haus
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