Expectant mom Tracy and her husband are expecting their first child and wanted to create a serene, modern room that wasn’t too childish; one that could grow with their little one. The inspiration for this gray nursery came from the birch tree decals — and they chose a light bluish-gray paint for the walls to complement the white decals. The unique art work and heirloom toys and furniture add a layer of heritage to this new baby’s space.
Child’s Name: Grayson
Child’s Age: Due on St. Patrick’s Day
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
What was your inspiration for the room?
Birch tree decals.
Describe your decorating style.
Modern, clean with a touch of coziness and nostalgia.
Favorite items in the room.
My favorite part has to be the baby animal photos purchased on sale at theanimalprintshop.com; they are just adorable! I also love the Oeuf Sparrow crib and the Klaussner rocker & ottoman.
Tell us about your DIY projects and repurposed items.
The dresser is an old This End Up dresser that was in my childhood bedroom which we updated by painting it gray and replacing the knobs. The wooden toys also have some history to them — they were my brother’s toys growing up.
Any words of wisdom or advice you would like to share with our readers that you may have learned while putting together your nursery?
I was told by many mom friends to spend money on a nice rocker and crib so the majority of my budget went towards those items. I saved money by reusing old furniture (the dresser and side table) and furnishings (the drapes and lamps), as well as budget friendly solutions from IKEA, and Overstock.com. I think you also get the most bang for your buck on wall treatments like the decals since they provide such a large focal point. I also made sure to shop around and wait for sales on items that I coveted. For example, overstock.com often runs coupons on top of sale prices; BuyBuyBaby does as well. The animalprintshop ran a special when you bought four prints you got one free. This room was a work in progress for quite a while waiting for the best prices.
Wall Color: Olympic Thin Ice
Crib: Oeuf Sparrow Crib – Gray ($730) from Amazon.com
Rug: Jungle Sheepskin Ivory Rug – 3′ x 5′ ($71) from Overstock.com
Crib Bedding: Gio Aqua Fitted Crib Sheet ($40) by DwellStudio
Ceiling Lamp: IKEA Knappa Pendant Lamp ($30)
Bookcase: IKEA Expedit Bookcase ($70)
Glider and Ottoman: Klaussner Lacey Glider ($400) and Ottoman ($200) in Slate
Curtains: Geo Leaf panel from West Elm. No longer available. Check out the Ikat Ogee Linen panel for a similar look.
Decals: Forest Birch Tree Decals from Etsy seller Art Wall Project
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About Nicole Abbott-Peretz
Hi! I love the room. It’s so simple but has a lot of character. I love the wooden toys – Where did you get them from?
@April, These toys used to belong to the mama-to-be’s brother when he was growing up.
@April, thanks so much for your sweet comments! The wooden toys that I have were created by Richard Nease and he still makes toys all these years later! I looked him up and it looks like you can check out his stuff on http://www.southernhighlandguild.org/pages/members/member-gallery.php?id=8069
Cool! Thank you! My son is 4 moths old now and I hope to finish his nursery son. HAHA! ;)
Beautiful room! Where are the curtains from?
@Claudia, They’re from West Elm. It’s the Geo Leaf panel, but it’s no longer available. Check out the Ikat Ogee Linen panel for a similar look.
http://www.westelm.com/products/ikat-ogee-linen-window-panel-r917/?pkey=e|ikat%2Bogee|1|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Spring%202012%20D3%20Billboards-_-
I love this room! Everything goes together so nicely and is very calming. I am expecting a girl this time. If I were having another boy, this would be my favorite!
What a gorgeous room! Well done!
Just a question regarding the knappa lamp. Do you find that you bump your head when walking under it? Or do you have high ceilings? I’m wanting to put the knappa in my daughter’s nursery but am worried it will be too low (I have 2.4m high ceilings).
@fatin, Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! I have an 8′ high ceiling in that room so the same as your 2.4m ceilings and we do not have a problem bumping our heads. I am 5’5″ and my husband is 5’10.” The Knappa ceiling pendant can also being adjusted to whatever height you like.
Hi, i was just wondering if you used the Lt. Grey color for the trees or if you used white?
Hi, i was just wondering if you used the Lt. Grey color for the Birch tree decals or if you used white?
@Cindy, The color is white for the birch tree decals. I wanted a little contrast since I used such a light grayish blue on the walls
Hi. LOVE this room, actually copying a few ideas for our own nursery, especially the beautiful little baby animal prints.
Just wondering where you purchased your grey storage cubes inside the expedit bookcase??
Been looking everywhere and can’t find any!
Thanks
@Katie Lou, Thanks so much! Two of the felt storage cubes I found at TJMaxx, if you look closely those two have handles. I could never find two more at TJMaxx so I ordered the other two felt storage bins on westelm.com.
@Tracy, Thanks for stopping by to answer Katie’s question!
Gorgeous Room! What color paint did you use on the dresser?
@Jane, The paint I used on the dresser is called Cloudburst and is a My Color inspired by Pantone paint and sold at Lowe’s. It was a great paint to use, low VOC and great coverage, just make sure you sand really well before applying.
Hi, where did you get the stuffed elephant on top of the ikea bookcase? I love it!
@Jennifer, the elephant is ikea as well.
Such a great room! Where did you get the gray felt storage bins in the bookcase?
Love the pictures on the wall. What size are the pictures and what size frames did you use?