giraffe - Chic & Cheap Nursery™

Modern, Cozy and Bright Nursery | Featured Real Room

July 19, 2011

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.

Gray and Yellow Baby Room - Chevron Wall

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.

modern neutral yellow nursery ideas mood board

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.

gender neutral nursery gray yellow

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.

neutral gray zig zag wall baby room

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!

modern neutral nursery

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.

Drew Elizabeth’s Boho Chic Nursery {Featured Real Room}

April 18, 2011

Kelsey is the owner and creative mind behind Daisies of Our Lives, a floral design company {you can also check out her blog Daisy Dreaming}. Her daughter Drew’s modern nursery was inspired by a picture in a magazine from years ago but what makes this room extra special are all the personal touches!

modern simplicity girl nursery

Child’s Name: Drew Elizabeth

Child’s Age: 8 months

Location: San Diego, CA

What was your inspiration for the room?

Years and years ago I had flagged a page in Domino magazine that featured a nursery I fell in love with. I wasn’t even pregnant yet with my son, Micah, but I always kept this picture because I saw it more as a girl’s space. What inspired me the most was definitely the vintage wallpaper giraffe. Once I decided on the pink pattern for the giraffe, I knew I wanted to accent the room with a lot of other colors that didn’t scream girlie-girl.

Modern Bohemian Nursery for Baby Girl

How would you describe your decorating style?

Modern Bohemian.

What are your favorite items in the room?

The miniature wire doll bed on the bookshelf is my favorite element in the room. My dad hand-made that for me as a surprise, which we now sell on Etsy. I also just love the Squirrel lady print and the butterfly fabric on the cornices.

oeuf bookshelf modern girl simple

Since Drew’s middle name, Elizabeth, was chosen in honor of my favorite literary heroine Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice, I have several copies of the book on the shelf including the beautifully cloth bound edition by Penguin Classics.

the cutest baby girl room decorating ideas

Any advice to share with C&CN readers designing their nurseries on a small budget?

My personal taste is to avoid a theme or being too matchy-matchy. Invest is great personality pieces that give visual interest in the room like a great throw, artwork, or vintage/antique pieces. The room was so fun for me because I had so many personal touches in there. Start early enough on the room so that you have time to really find all the perfect pieces at places like Etsy, Ebay and Craigslist.