It seems that every week or so I read of another blogger who is expecting a baby. Might as well add my name to the list! Yes, we are expecting! No, we do no know if it's a boy or a girl. We have elected to be surprised. Well, I elected and Jack tried to educate himself on how to read an ultrasound in the hope that he could figure it out. (He believes it's a boy. I am not convinced he saw anything.)
As we begin to get ready for the bundle of joy to arrive (sometime in late July or early August), I have found myself surfing the intermanets for inspiration for our nursery. I've also been reading up on birth plans, doulas, breastfeeding, and baby gear, but I will limit this blog to the more design-related aspects of all things baby. (Seriously, do you really want to read about placenta encapsulation here? I didn't think so.)
First up: color! Somehow the makers of crib bedding misunderstand the whole "gender neutral" nursery thing for those of us waiting to be surprised come b-day. They seem to think gender neutral equals color neutral. I disagree. My search for bright, cheerful decor for our north-facing nursery has led me to some of the more unique and DIY-type nurseries out there in the blogosphere. Here are some of my favorites.
What I love the most in Norah's nursery is the bright and cheery yellow crib. The soft and watery aqua walls are also a favorite. This nursery has a little more pink in it than I think is appropriate for gender neutral, but it's a nice accent color to add once a little girl comes home.
This nursery for Little P, also from Ohdeedoh (an arm of Apartment Therapy), also has the sweet yellow and aqua combination. More photos and source info can be found on Me and Wee's blog. I love the crib bedding in this example.The bedding is from Nursery Works: it's called "Macaroni" in the color canary. Unfortunately, it is discontinued. Also, I've learned that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using pillow-like crib bumpers due to the incidence of SIDS. You can read some general guidance here and here.
These two bedding examples from Serena and Lily are beautiful, but the price tag is a little ridiculous ($395 for the Graham 3-piece set; the Maggie fitted sheet is the only piece available on their site at the moment).
This sweet example from Life with Ely is modern and cheery with a pretty spring green.
This example from blogger Susan Weinroth is fantastic. The yellow and aqua (is there a theme here?) combination is executed so well and I love her attention to detail. The giraffe wall decals are great and is the little pompom trim on the curtain valance. I also love the bright yellow changing pad cover. Her source is etsy seller Little Owl's Nest.
Baby Ike's nursery by Erin at Domestic Adventure is by far my favorite that I've found thus far. The muted grey walls temper the bold yellow accents, which is a look I'm going for in our nursery. I also love the many DIY projects that she undertook throughout. She shares some very creative projects on her blog and has a long list of sources. Special thanks to Erin for letting me know the paint color of the fabulous dresser: Valspar's Dandelion Wish.
The color palette I am looking at is a soft, pale warm gray for the walls; a darker gray for the furniture to match the crib we have picked out (more details coming soon!); warm sunflower yellow for curtains and bedding; and spring green and teal/turquoise as accents. I've already selected some items and look forward to sharing them with you soon.
What were your sources of inspiration for your nursery? Were there particular colors you were drawn to? Was there a specific item around which you designed the room? Please share! Sources and links welcome!
Mine was designed gender neutral... I knew I wanted a lot of white with a little bit of aqua!
ReplyDeletehttp://blueprintbliss.blogspot.com/2010/05/baby-cs-nursery.html
Congrats on your impending arrival! Thank you for your words about our nursery and for linking over. We just love our room and I am so glad it has helped inspire you! Good luck as you start your nursery...it sounds like it will be fabulous!
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