A Little Boy’s Nursery

I can’t lie; I’m pretty pleased that the first room I’m able to share and call “basically finished” (because nothing is every really finished) is my son’s room. I didn’t really start decorating my daughter’s first nursery until she was six-months-old so the bar was pretty low in terms of self-imposed deadlines, but I also really like how the space turned out. We kept most of the big stuff neutral, so the overall space is calm and soothing.

Here’s the view from the door. The room was a taupey-brown shade when we moved in and I knew I wanted to lighten it up. We went with Lazy Gray from Sherwin-Williams. It’s definitely on the cooler side of the spectrum but I wanted a shade that contrasts with some of the wood furniture we have.

We were very lucky to get this crib when we were pregnant with my daughter from my then-boss, as her youngest had just outgrown it. It’s in great shape and is a beautiful, rich solid wood. (For anyone concerned, yes, it is a drop-side crib. We were able to get the right pieces from the manufacturer so it doesn’t move anymore.) The decals over the crib are arranged in a pattern to mirror the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner Center because my husband is a HUGE Bearcats fan.

Yep, it’s the ubiquitous cube storage unit. They’re in every store, they’re a lot of homes, and they are just so darn functional. This version is from Target and we purchased 3 bins to go on the bottom shelves to hold smaller toys like blocks, cars and balls. Unfortunately I don’t see these exact bins on Target’s site anymore.

The wire triangle shelf on the wall is also from Target. It’s part of their Pillowfort line, which is so cute for kids. Right now we just have a couple of photos up there along with some of my dad’s badges from his Navy days. I like to incorporate a few items from family members into each of the kids’ rooms. The wooden elephants on top of the bookcase belonged to my husband when he was a baby 🙂

I love this storage ottoman. It’s the Highland Dunes Cayuga Storage Ottoman. The chair is from Crate & Barrel; we bought it nine years ago when we first moved in together. It’s not the most comfortable but it gets the job done for bedtime stories and nursing.

The picture on the wall behind the chair is another special piece; my mother-in-law made it when my husband was little and it hung in his bedroom.

The picture next to the window on this side was made by my mother. She had a real talent for anything crafty and I love incorporating these pieces of hers into our house as little reminders of her. The little chair is from Pottery Barn Kids. We gave it to our son for his first birthday. And that thing on the floor behind it is a draft-blocker. For some reason, our son’s closet is like 20 degrees colder than the rest of the room and since it was STILL SNOWING here yesterday, we still need the draft-blocker in place.

The dresser was an All Modern purchase. It was on sale for under $300 and given that, I’d say it was a good buy. A few of the drawers are kind of wonky; you can see it on the right side in particular. It wasn’t annoying enough to return it, although it bugs me more now as I look at it in photos vs. in person.

The set of three art prints are from Target, as is the globe. The basket holds diapering supplies. We debated getting a changing table with each kid, and both times decided it wasn’t necessary. I just change him on the floor in his room and it’s never been an issue.

This room is comfortable, relaxed, and 100% kid-friendly without being overly childish. We may move him into a different (larger) bedroom when he’s a bit older, but this room absolutely could grow with him if he wants to stay put. Our little guy is happy here and that’s the most important thing.