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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Keep scrolling for more images and room details…
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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!”

Keep scrolling for room resources…

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.

Kids have a lot of stuff. So the goal of this design is to keep things simple — and uncluttered!

I hope she likes it! Do you?

Before design this room, I spoke with Jessica and she told me that she had already purchased the Oeuf Perch Bunk Bed ($1,500) and the Oeuf Classic Crib ($940) — great choices! And her modern choice of furniture sent me on my way…

As a New York City dweller, I know all too well that small apartments in NY are much smaller than anywhere else — so I wanted to keep the space as simple as possible. Too many things on the walls of a small room can make it feel like it’s closing in on you. I selected three Vintage Modern Inspired 12″ Wooden Letters ($18 each) to place near the bed of each child — to personalize their space.

They’ll need some storage, as well as a changing area for baby — so I selected the inexpensive Ikea Expedit ($40). It’s cheap, modern and it’ll get the job done. A changing pad can be placed — and secured! — on the top, while bins containing diapering essentials and clothing changes (top two openings) and toys for the bigger kids (one for each) can be place on the bottom.

Chevron Zig Zag Curtains ($40 per panel) and a super retro-modern Artecnica Themis Mobile ($30) bring in some fun — with bold graphic patterns and lots of color. While a Baxton Studio Cradle Chair ($132) adds a modern place to sit, feed and bond. Add a soft rug, Ikea Flokati ($80), for everyone to enjoy some tummy time together!

1. Zig Zag Curtains ($40 per panel); 2. Artecnica Themis Mobile ($30); 3. Oeuf Classic Crib ($940); 4. Baxton Studio Cradle Chair ($132) 5. Vintage Modern Inspired 12″ Wooden Letters ($18 each) 6. Ikea Flokati ($80); 7. Ikea Expedit ($40); 8. Oeuf Perch Bunk Bed ($1,500).

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Child’s Name: Hazel
Child’s Age: 3.5 months
Location: South Carolina

What was your inspiration for the room?
I really wanted something bright and fun that wasn’t too girly.

Describe your decorating style.
My house is full of neutral walls with lots of bright, distressed wood furniture. I want it to feel comfortable and not have to worry about things getting dinged up. Refinishing thrift store furniture also allows me to update colors as my tastes change and our needs evolve. Working on a tight budget has become a game for me and allows me to splurge on the focal pieces.

Favorite Items:
The rug. It was my starting point for the room and is now our favorite place to play.

Advice for other mamas-to-be designing a nursery on a budget?
If you can’t find exactly what you want at the price that you want — make it! It gives your room a more custom look for a fraction of the price. When shopping for furniture pieces for the room, look for the size and shape that you need and then paint with colors that you love.

Room Resources:

Crib: IKEA
Rug: Dash and Albert {Click to buy}
Fabric accents (quilt, curtains, mobile, bumper): Handmade with Amy Butler Soul Blossoms fabric
Wall Decals: NouWall from etsy
Crib sheet and changing pad cover: Target
Curtains and breathable bumper: Updated with Amy Butler fabric.
Dresser and lamp: Repainted thrift store finds.
Name frames, mobile and bookshelves: DIY.

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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.