A little over a year ago, we were still operating a bed and breakfast out of our house, and the plan to grow our family still seemed a bit distant. But in September, we closed the B&B and began the transformation of one of our Victorian guest rooms (you can see photos of it HERE) to a nursery. Since we were uncertain if we would have a boy or girl, we chose bedding that we felt would be appropriate for either, although now that it is in the room, I do feel that it gives the nursery a more feminine feel. It was important to us that we stay true to our decorating style and not create a room that felt as though it belonged in another house. We tried to be mindful of the house's 1860's architecture and history and create a room that was eclectic, fun and appropriate for a baby...and on a budget!
While we still have things to do, here is the nearly finished project. We feel that our little boy won't mind the flowers that are a part of the current bedding scheme, and by the time he is old enough to notice, we will have found something boy-worthy in a vintage airplane or train or other motif.
This crib is only one of two new pieces of furniture that we bought for the room. We purchased it to match an existing wardrobe and dresser that we already owned.
The rocking chair below is the only other piece of new furniture that we purchased. My husband and I painted the pictures that hang on the walls.
I previously owned the Beatrix Potter plate, bunnies and books. We also borrowed this lamp from another room to use on the table beside the rocking chair. The little desk belonged to my husband before we were married. It has a green leather inset on the top.
My mother-in-law made the cross stitch picture of the Bremen Town Musicians many years ago and gave it to us to use in the nursery. I think it looks as though it was created especially for the space. Most of the childrens' books belonged to my husband and me when we were children, although we have added (and will continue to add) more books to the baby's library. Can you guess which of us donated the Star Wars pop-up book to the collection? :-) Hint: Not me.
I bought the sheep artwork from an artist on Etsy, and the Easter egg compass and basket came from Victorian Trading Company.
I have owned this rocking horse for years and thought it would look cute in the nursery while the baby is not old enough to climb on it. Of course, it is not a toy, so it will have to be removed from the nursery as the baby grows. We will not want to tempt him to try to ride this guy. We will be on the look-out for a more appropriate rocking horse as our son grows older.
The alphabet sampler is one that we owned. I thought it worked well for now behind the rocking chair.
The pillows in the rocking chair were borrowed from another room in the house.
I have also owned the antique school desk for many years. I think it adds a nice vintage touch in the nursery. The bear is handmade by a shop owner in town. The vintage wooden blocks were picked up by me at yard sales, antique booths and auctions over the years. I must have dozens of them.
This wardrobe (I know there's a better name for this piece of furniture...what is it?) belonged to my husband growning up. It has a matching dresser, which does double-time as a changing table. We purchased the crib to match the wood of these two pieces.
As you can see, we used a lot of what we already owned to decorate the nursery. While we will want to change the decor to reflect our son's interests as he grows, for now it seems to work. Tell me, does it looked pulled together from years worth of collecting? Does it feel hodge-podge? I'd love to get your thoughts!
Thanks so much!
