Modern, cozy and bright. Three words that perfectly describe this real yellow and gray nursery from Nadia, of House Thirty-Six, a Peruvian architect, interior design enthusiast and new mom.

Child’s Name: Giacomo
Child’s Age: 5 weeks old
Location: Tarrytown, New York
What was your inspiration for the room?

Even before becoming pregnant, I knew that when the time came I’d like a modern, fresh, sophisticated, not too baby-ish but cozy nursery. Neutral but with a touch of bold colors, patterns and cute accessories. The starting point was the white furniture we already had from my stepson: a crib, changing table, rocker and shelves. I spent a lot of time looking for inspiration around the web and soon I had some design ideas. I wanted modern striped walls, maybe some chalkboard paint, a cozy rug and colorful patterns. Some of these things changed along the way (instead of stripes, we did chevron) but we kept the essence of the design. Deciding on a color scheme was the hardest part. We had three color schemes in mind. We liked them all so I created mood boards and asked people for their opinions to help us decide. The winner mood board was the grey and yellow combination, with a giraffe theme. And I started to work around it.

Describe your decorating style.
It’s hard to describe my style since I think it is always evolving. I used to love very modern and contemporary. I was a fan of minimalism. However during the past years I’ve learn to appreciate the beauty and timelessness of classic. If I have to define my style I’d say is eclectic. I still like modern and clean but I also appreciate a classic piece of furniture, or a shabby chic accessory and I’m not afraid of mixing them all. At the end the result is very personal and original.

Favorite Items.
I love my baby’s room. It just makes me so happy every time I go in there. My husband’s baby blanket is one of my favorite things in the room, as well as all the handmade gifts my mom and aunt made for my baby. I also love the daybed since I can relax and hang out with my little one without leaving his room. Another thing I love is the little gallery wall I placed around the changing table area and the reading corner.

Any words of advice for expectant moms planning their nursery?
I’d day think outside the box, look for inspiration everywhere, the same as for resources, not just baby related stores or websites. Sometimes you can find new ways of using some everyday things. And work just with things (furniture, accessories, details) that you really, really love. Try to incorporate family heirlooms or handmade details if possible. That makes a space extra especial.

We didn’t have a strict budget for our nursery but we spent very little, since we already had all the baby furniture and re-used some other pieces that we had around the house. The only new thing we bought was the closet storage system and a few accessories. Most of the details and accessories were handmade, DIY projects and/or budget-friendly finds.

Finally be open minded and flexible about your ideas. We started with some specifics but along the way we changed, modified or adjusted them. And we are so happy with the final result!

Room Resources.

Paint: Natural Grey (UL260-11) and Yellow Corn (330B-5) by Behr, matte finish
Furniture: Sleigh Fixed Crib, Berkely Changing Table, Dream Rocker and Collectors Shelves by PBK
Hanging pendants: Solvinden –  Ikea $9.99 each
Night table: hands-me-down
Rug: Living Necessities Grey Rug – Overstock $39.99
Sheepskin rug: Rens – Ikea $24.99
Curtains: Matilda – Ikea $29.99
Window Valance: DIY
Crib Skirt: DIY
Fabric for Window Valance and Crib Skirt: Premier Stretch Fabric in Yellow Corn (3 yards)
Giant giraffe: Melissa & Doug, $79.99
Mirror: Homegoods $39.99
Lamp: Marshalls $24.99
Wrought-iron tricyle: thrift store find
Pillows: DIY
Fabric for pillows: Etsy, Ikea, JoAnn & Fabric.com {$8.99 /yard approx.}
Changing Pad cover: DIY
“Love lives Cozy Here” artwork: Grace Hester Designs {etsy}, $25.00
“Love” artwork: MadebyGirl, $10.00
“G is for Giraffe” artwork: DIY {printing by Vistaprint, $8.99}
Small artwork in gallery wall: DIY and free downloads from here and here.
Cloth doll: Handmade by Mom
Cloth giraffe: DIY
Mobile: DIY, giraffe and elephant coat hangers to make mobile – JoAnn $20.00
Over sized letter “G”: DIY, Wood letter – JoAnn $5.99; Rub ‘n Buff in Silver – Michaels $5.99
Crib blanket: RH Baby & Child {no longer available}
Closet Storage System: Antonious – Ikea $ 230.00 approx.

For more details and pictures, visit Nadia’s blog House Thirty-Six.