Baby’s New Room Reveal

Growing up, I happily shared a bedroom with my older sister. When I had kids, I wanted them to share a room, too — or at least while they were little. I imagined them reading books with flashlights after bedtime and having to yell at them to go to sleep.

They would respond in fits of muffled giggles and conspire on new ways to have fun together without getting in trouble. I hoped the close quarters would foster a sense of camaraderie and sibling love that would persevere long after we, their parents, were gone.

It was a sweet thought.

The reality is that my son has one volume (loud!), and as a sleep-deprived mom, I could not risk disrupting the baby’s sleep schedule. So when we bought our house last year, the kids each got a room of his/her own.

Our sweet little girl, however, inherited her big brother’s crib (that was like new because he hardly slept in it), his old changing table and a squeaky rocking chair. I bought her new sheets, but she predominately got the second-child-second-hand treatment. There were no pictures on the walls, no fancy lighting, no new nursery for the new baby. She had a basic room where she slept and got her diapers changed.

Now that she is growing into a lovely little girl, she is more than ready for a room that reflects this next stage of her life. Welcome to baby’s new room!

The first thing we did was install a board and batten accent wall. The classic wainscoting gives the room such beautiful character that will endure even as she grows into a teenager.

We built a taller-than-traditional wall, which left the perfect space above to highlight a few of her newborn photos. They were taken by an incredibly talented photographer, Michelle of Oeil Photography and are so near and dear to my heart, especially now that my newborn days are over. I love being able to see these sweet moments at a glance.

The chair rail we used to cap the board and batten has a bit of a lip, so I can set choice knick knacks along the top. I love incorporating diy decor for a more personal touch.

I guess I have a thing for accent walls because I color-blocked the opposite wall in Sherman-Williams Mellow Coral, Creamy White and Repose Gray. To know me is to know I’m not into girly, pink things. To know my daughter, however, is to know she absolutely adores it. We compromised with a touch of pink to balance the grays and whites.

Are you wondering how we got such clean, crisp, straight lines? One word: FrogTape. Seriously, that stuff is worth the investment. You can learn more about how to paint straight lines from our experience painting stripes in the laundry closet. We are pros now.

A section of the color-blocked wall worked well to mount the shelving unit we built to store and display books, toys and stuffed animals.

The bookshelf currently houses this pin board I made by covering cork with one of her receiving blankets. Did you know you can receive a welcome note for your little bundle of joy from the President and First Lady?

I just sent a birth announcement to this address:

The White House
Greetings Office, Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C. 20500

(Looks like you can do it online now, too, for a variety of occasions.)

I then received this sweet greeting that I can add to her baby book. I hope she’ll aspire for greatness when she’s older.

And one of my favorite features of her new room is her toddler bed. Lovingly built by her dad, the bed was made by repurposing parts of the changing table.

I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence (no sanding necessary) and sealed it with the clear wax. I love the pop of color it adds to the room.

To complete the girlish charm, we added a mini chandelier and a pink ombre butterfly mobile. I made the mobile with scrapbook paper after being inspired by this one from Pottery Barn Kids. I’ll post a how-to tutorial soon, but it’s also available for purchase in the shop.

So what do you think? Isn’t it lovely?

Mind you, not all the ideas for her room are finished. I still need to properly dress the window and her bed, frame and display a few more photos and artwork, replace the squeaky rocking chair and refurbish a second-hand dresser. Quite frankly, it could be months (years, even) before I get it perfect… if ever.

But isn’t that some of the fun? Decorating doesn’t have to be wildly expensive or done all at once, in my opinion. It’s fun to find and create things that add value and beauty to our home, bit by bit and as time and budget permit.

In the meantime, this little girl’s perfectly happy with her new room. (Except now she wants it in purple!)

For more creative ideas and inspiration, I invite you to visit Shutterfly’s collection of 75 Delightful Girls’ Bedroom Ideas. You’ll see Baby’s New Room featured on the site as well!

SOURCE LIST

toddler bed:  built by her dad by repurposing the changing table; painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence and sealed with Annie Sloan Soft Wax in Clear

mini chandelier:  Tadpoles three bulbs in white diamond; also available in four bulbs and more colors

wall-mounted bookshelves:  Restoration Hardware look for less — check out the diy tutorial

butterfly mobile:  handmade and available in my shop

board and batten accent wall:  less than $100 over a weekend — read the diy tutorial

8×10″ parenthesis frames:  Michael’s pinewood frame painted in Sherman-Williams Mellow Coral

pink ombre butterfly wall art: Colleen Karis Designs; no longer available from T J Maxx/Home Goods