Child’s Name: Kynlee Jamison Child’s Age: 6 Months Location: Cincinnati, OH What was your inspiration for the room? I think there are almost too many inspirational rooms and photos out there, so it was hard for me to decide which direction I wanted to go with her room. I am really inspired by rooms that are light and bright but still feel warm and inviting. I love organic, natural items that are fun and trendy as well as functional. And who doesn’t love a good DIY project to make it very personal? I tried to make it a reflection of us while just having fun with it! I have no design training or history whatsoever and just did my best to create something unique and special for our little one.

Describe your decorating style. Eclectic, vintage modern Favorite items in the room. Pallet Shelves, Re-purposed dresser, Rustic Aqua Side Table and all of the special items that were made by my husband and I or passed down from family.

Any advice for mamas-to-be decorating a nursery? Make a plan and a budget! Even if you end up ignoring both it’s a great way to start and be on the same page with your spouse or significant other (or even just yourself). Don’t stress or put unrealistic expectations on yourself—just do what you can when you can. Also, try to find something special from a family member to add in to the room — something that will be unique to your child’s nursery. It’s a fun way to involve the family and to fill the nursery with heritage, instead of just stuff. And have fun!

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Room Resources.

Paint: Gray Morning by Valspar
Dresser: Craigslist score for $10! Re-painted white, added mustard knobs from Anthropologie
Chaise Lounge: IKEA EKTORP ($300)
Aqua Rustic Side Table: Hobby Lobby
Bird Print (above dresser): Etsy shop Paperklip
Moose Print (above dresser): Urban Outfitters
Curtains: Antoinette Damask Curtains ($29) from Urban Outfitters
Wallpaper (behind crib): Yellow Jacobean Floral from Allen & Roth (at Lowes)
Vintage Deer Hook: Urban Outfitters
Mirror: From my mom (used to hang in our house when I was a child!)
Pallet Shelves: Handmade by the papa-to-be. He didn’t even use a tutorial! I showed him a picture as inspiration and he just made them how he wanted!
Mini-Rocker Chair: This was my husband’s from when he was a child.
Mini-Crib: Target — I would not have picked this crib, to be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that it was the only mini-crib that would fit in the opening in the room. However, I am happy with the quality.
Crib Skirt: It’s actually a blanket from IKEA
Shelf: My husband got it from an old building from the 1800′s. It contained lead paint so we had to scrape it and cover it multiple times with polyurethane to meet regulations. Thankfully it’s out of reach of baby so it’s not something I worry about her touching or chewing on!

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Would you like to see your nursery  featured on Chic & Cheap Nursery? Shoot us an email with a few images of your room to contact [at] chiccheapnursery [dot] com.

Child’s Name: Still a secret
Child’s Age: Due April 2012
Location: New York City

What was your inspiration for the room?
Knowing how chaotic life can be with newborn twins, I wanted a room that would be peaceful and relaxing. We brought in a subtle woodland theme with the wall decals and cute woodland plush creatures (bunnies, owls, birds, and a little fox). Given that we live in Brooklyn with a view of Manhattan, a big freeway, and general urban sprawl right outside the girls’ window, it was nice to bring a touch of serenity and nature into this room.

Describe your decorating style.
Our entire apartment is very contemporary and skews a bit masculine (lots of steel, aluminum, dark wood, glass, and grey colors) so for the nursery, I wanted a true retreat from the “grown-up zone”. Everything in the nursery is soft, cushy, and very feminine – it was my chance to indulge in all things girly.

Only one crib?
Yes indeed! The girls will be sharing a crib until they’re about 3-4 months (or whenever they start rolling on top of one another), then we have an identical crib in storage (and identical linens) that we’re bringing out. Another advantage of getting the budget-friendly Ikea crib!

Favorite items in the room.
We simply adore the loveseat for our nursery, and prefer it to a glider for many reasons. The loveseat not only accommodates overnight guests (it’s a full-sized pull-out), but also gives both my husband and I a place to sit and hang out in this room. When the babies come, it’ll be perfect for nursing twins, and as they get older, a loveseat is the only way to cuddle with both girls and read them stories at the same time!

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Room Resources.

Crib: Ikea Hensvik
Changing Table: Ikea Gulliver
Loveseat: Room and Board Ian in Desmond Arctic fabric (easy-to-clean microfiber)
Bedding: Quilt and washed satin crib skirt from Restoration Hardware
Changing pad cover: Pottery Barn Baby
Changing table baskets: Badger Basket
Wall Decal: from Etsy seller NouWall — which were embellished with some poppy flower stickers.
Bunny Fishing Stars Print: Etsy seller Trafalgar’s Square
Fuzzy throw on loveseat: Z Gallerie
Rug: Overstock.com
Wall Shelves: Creative Connectors Wooden Shelving Kit
Ceramic Owl nightlight: Land of Nod
Paint colors: Martha Stewart Cement Grey and Behr Gentle Rain
Stuffed Animals: Bunny – Bunnies by the Bay; Bird Pillow – Land of Nod; Fox – Etsy seller SleepyKing

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Would you like to see your nursery  featured on Chic & Cheap Nursery? Shoot us an email with a few images of your room to contact [at] chiccheapnursery [dot] com.

Child’s Name: River
Child’s Age: 3 Months
Location: Corpus Christi, TX

In mama’s own words…
What I love most about River’s room is all of the unique, hand-crafted items. There is nothing generic or store bought about his room. One of the first items we purchased for River’s room was the squirrel pillow. We got it at a really neat shop in Colorado called Wandering Daisy — from there the forest theme and color scheme continued.

At first, I couldn’t decide between birch tree decals or a decal with a tree and blowing leaves for the wall behind the crib. It was a tough decision but I’m so glad we went with the birch trees. The framed letterpress items hanging above the changing table are all quotes from “Where The Wild Things Are” which was my husband’s favorite book as a child.

The changing table is one of my favorite items in his room. We got the IKEA Expedit storage unit — with drawer inserts, sold separately — and bought legs (they’re in the kitchen department) to make it a little higher. I found cute knobs at Anthropologie for a more sophisticated look. The two shelves on either side are also from IKEA. I have loved having the extra shelf space while changing River. I usually have something in my hands —  like his blanket, pacifier, or a new outfit — and it has been great to have a space to temporarily set those items. Hanging on the left of the changing table is the diaper stacker I made using this pattern — and to the right is the washable diaper pale for the dirty diapers.

One of the challenges with his room were the amazing built-in book shelves. I was so thankful for the space but I didn’t want to fill all of the shelves with books. I filled the lower shelves with toys for easy accessibility when River is older. I sewed curtains in order to hide less visually appealing items, such as a breast pump, my husband’s medical books and our DVDs. I’m so glad I decided to do this because we really needed the storage space for those items but I didn’t want them to be visible in the baby’s room. I mean, most children don’t want to read out of a medical text book for their bedtime story!

Child’s Name: Steffen
Child’s Age: 3 Months
Location: Lancaster, KY

What was your inspiration for the room?
Before we knew we were having a boy, I tossed a lot of ideas around. I knew I wanted to focus on the color and over all feel — and not stick to a specific theme! I wanted something that could grow through the years. As soon as we found out we were having a boy, I knew what direction I wanted to go. The only request my husband had was that I not make it girly — he wasn’t sold on  the tissue pom-poms. Inspiration came from this blog, as well as Pinterest and the other blogs I follow (I’m a little obsessed). Almost everything was either DIY, a gift from friends and family, repurposed from the local thrift store, or a special family hand-me-down. I knew I wanted to mix a lot of personal items, with a lot of vintage repurposed items, and a few new things here and there.

Describe your decorating style. I would say my style is eclectic and personal. I love mixing new with old. Nothing makes me happier than finding an old wooden crate or mason jar at the local thrift store. I love displaying personal items…pictures, letters, seashells from a recent vacation, hand-me-down furniture, artwork from friends and family (even the youngest ones), etc. I’m not crazy about things matching too much. I want to be able to add to it over time. A new throw pillow here, a new frame there. I love mixing colors and patterns, but also love the clean look of an all white room (or a classic baby blue and white room like Steffen’s). Being a photographer, photographs are, of course, my favorite item to decorate with.

What are your favorite items in the room?
What a hard question! I love the classic crib. I love the chair that came from my parents house (which I’ve wanted for years). I love the dressers that were my husband’s and his Dad’s before him. I love the white frame wall gallery that will be added to as time goes on and already showcases artwork from friends and family, as well as DIY items and a thrift store find. I love love all our maternity pictures (taken by the fabulous Stacey Woods Photography and a couple by my wonderful hubby). I love the chalkboard made by my best friend and added to a vintage frame (also found from the thrift store). I love the Blabla doll and the Sophie Giraffe and the cute little golden lion that were all gifts from friends. I love the cheap wooden crates (can you guess…from the local junk store) that I searched for just the perfect ones to use as book shelves. Can I say everything’s my favorite?
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Any advice for mamas-to-be preparing their nursery? Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money to have your dream nursery. If you’re like me, you’ve been dreaming of this for a long time and want it to be perfect. You can definitely do that with a very small budget. Think outside the box. Don’t be afraid of thrifting. Look at shower decorations as a possible room decoration (I was lucky that my best friend knew about most of the projects I wanted to do and did them for me as a shower decoration). Be sure to look online where there are tons of DIY project!
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Room Resources.

Child’s Name: Abraham
Child’s Age: 13 months
Location: Minneapolis, MN

What was your inspiration for the room?
The nursery is at the northwest corner of our house, so it was always a little bit dark. We wanted it to be bright and cheerful, and we wanted a room that could grow with our son, so we painted the walls white and introduced pops of color with the toys, art, and textiles we chose. We figured that it would be easier to replace the bedding and other accessories, rather than completely redecorate the room, to keep up with his current interests as he gets older.

Describe your decorating style.
Vintage Modern – We like bright spaces and clean lines, and often mix old pieces with new.

Favorite items in the room.
I think the sheep mobile is my favorite thing in the nursery. Abe loves it too. We also love all the handmade blankets, artwork, and other gifts our friends made for Abe. They’re a nice reminder of the people we love.

Advice for other mamas-to-be designing a nursery.
Make something special for your baby! (Pinterest and Etsy are great sources for inspiration.) Even if you’re not very crafty, it’s totally worth the time and effort spent trying something new. You’ll never regret having a piece that you can show to your little one and say “I made that for you!”

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Room Resources.

Paint Color: Benjamin Moore China White
Crib: Kendall Fixed Gate Crib from Pottery Barn Kids ($400)
Sheets and Crib Skirt: Dwell Studio for Target
Crib Quilt: I made the crib quilt from a vintage sheet that belonged to my grandmother.
Sheep Mobile: I designed and made this sheep mobile when I was about 6 months pregnant. It was a fun little project!
Ring Stacker: I made this from a pattern by Heather Bailey.
Bookshelf: Target
Vintage Metal Locker Bins: Flea market
Blocks: I made these using a tutorial from Martha Stewart.
Vintage Toys: eBay, flea markets
Knit Bird & Nest: Handmade, gift from friend, pattern by Susan B. Anderson
Knit Frog: The first thing I ever knitted that wasn’t a scarf or a blanket! Pattern by Susan B. Anderson.
Quilt on Chair: Handmade, gift from a friend
Crochet Blanket: Handmade, gift from a friend
Yellow Toy Bin: Target
Vintage Toy Box: From my childhood home
Dresser: My husband and I refinished my old dresser. We scored the vintage glass hardware on Craigslist!
Artwork: Giraffe - Rollover Designs on Etsy ; Rhinos - Avalisa; Chair with Balloon - L.B. Stewart, Snorkel Scrapbook Paper - Cosmo Cricket; Solar System Growth Chart - eeBoo; Birth Announcement – photographed and designed by Michelle
Picture Frames: Ikea
Pirate Robot: Oh Dier
Shelves: Ikea
Wall Lamp: Ikea
Baby Book: Rag & Bone
Other Toys: Manhattan Toy, Plan Toys, Viking Toys, Haba
Rug: Ikea

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Would you like to see your nursery creation featured here on Chic & Cheap Nursery? Shoot us an email with a few images of your room to contact [at] chiccheapnursery [dot] com.