Name: Copeland (9 months)
Location: North Carolina
Perfect timing: I found out I was pregnant and was also introduced to Pinterest. I birthed Copeland, and Pinterest birthed his nursery. I found almost all of the inspiration for his room there. I started with gray walls, and then color just started to flow.
The room is not all that big, so I tried to save floor space by using a dresser for a changing table, and created the bookshelf wall as decoration and a functional space that was not a bulky piece of furniture. This room was a mixture of DIY, Craigslist, and items made by friends/family. The dresser, chair, and footstool came from Craigslist, the pennant banner and quilt were made by a close friend, the curtains/bumper/bookshelf wall were made by my parents, and there are many of mine and my husband's childhood things hanging around as well.
My husband and I are musicians, so the music side of us made its way in there, too. The chalkboard wall is my favorite. The middle frame message changes here and there, and once he is old enough for a big boy bed, the wall will be his headboard (what kid wouldn't want to draw on their headboard?). The details of the room are eclectic, but fit together like a puzzle. I love that we were able to do it on a dime and still come up with a room that Copeland can enjoy now and later.
Thanks Amanda! Readers, find Amanda's photography work here.
(Images: Amanda Michele Photography)
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Where is the crib from?
Very nice and carefully put together. I like that it seems like it would transition well as he gets older.
ION when I have kids I plan on naming them Bob, or Sally...just to be different and buck the trend!
I love it! So sweet, but not overly so.
It's nice but I don't think it as colorful...pops, punches (whatever the pc word is now) of color maybe. I think it's way too grey.
Great nursery and I love that paint color. Whats the name and brand?
I love grey but the color (or lack of color) just seems too cynical for an infant. He has his whole adulthood to embrace the coolness of grey.
I do love the mirror and it was once in my house. Great color - I think my ex painted it copper but blue seems more appropriate for the plasticity of it's shape.
The rug is great. As you may know high contrast is great for an infant's eye development.
Colorful?
I love that yellow chair!
I too think that this is a bit sad for a child. It's a lovely room for an adult, but the shades of grey (perhaps it's just my monitor?) and the bars of the crib, repeated in the black and white stripes of the rug, seem penitential rather than joyful...
DaVinci Baby Jenny Lind Crib in White-- the best! http://www.davincibaby.com/products/jenny-lind-3-in-1-crib
where's the rug from?
You people just reach for anything to nag parents about don't you?
I NEED to know the name of the wall color. Please share!
I like the colors and the way they complement each other.
Very serene overall - which is really appropriate for a child's bedroom.
Beautiful job - you can help me plan a room any day.
Enjoy your son - they grow up way too quickly. (Blink and they are 27 like my girl.)
People are criticizing the color of this room so much, however people make infant rooms so overstimulating these days just because they see things on pinterest and they look cute. This room is classic and stimulating in the right ways. It is colorful, as the color pops off of the walls, with the contrasting black and white rug. The chair is yellow, there's pops of blue and red all over in the mobile, the frames, the books, the mirror. Why yes, the color of the walls are gray, I think the color popping is much more flattering and calming than shoving a baby in a circus room.
This room is gorgeous! Don't listen to the naysayers. Its perfect. Don't change a thing.
I like it!
Great not to see pastel or primary overload. I'm interested in the rug too.
Where do I start? ... I LOVE this nursery! The thing that caught my eye the most was the shelves on the wall for his books. I love that they went from floor the ceiling. I may have to steal that idea ;).
About the color...i love it. I think its appealing and he will grow with the room and be able to incorporate his own sense of style throuh accent colors as he grows! My little boys room is dark brown with the accent walls painted in four different colored squares all around.
Finakly, I love the mirror.
Okay, I am done groveling. :)
Great. He can totally grow up in this room. You won't have to paint until he moves out!!
There are so many great ideas in this room! I LOVE the chalk board wall! Living in CA, I've felt very challenged to find something for above my little man's crib that is safe (earthquake safe). I think I may have to steal this idea! When putting together his room, I originally tried to go with a similar grey, but the natural light in my house didn't seem to allow for such a dark color...so glad to see it work beautifully here. I've seen it done well in other baby rooms, as well. I think grey is perfectly fine for babies, children and adults, alike. Great rug, too! My husband and I have always debated rugs over carpet....Here it looks great. Thoughts on rugs over carpet...anyone?
The room is marvelous. Don't listen to the nick pickers. It's nice to see a boy's room without a sport's theme. Very well done!
@KRGR1428 - AMEN.
It's crispy, clean and classy. I like it.
@Village, it is "nit pickers" not "nick pickers" nor is it "nickers pickers" which I ofter do. Not to nit pick...
I'd be interested in seeing these parents' concept of a non-colorful nursery.
I think describing this room as colorful is overstating it pretty heavily, but I don't really think there is anything wrong with the room, itself.
I mainly wonder, though: the book display shelves that are becoming so popular, while really awesome to look at... why do people stack them so high? It looks good I guess, and it would make sense if the higher shelves had decorations rather than books, but if *I* can barely reach a lot of them, then how is my kid gonna be able to get to them? I mean, I get that the room will undergo significant change as the kid outgrows like half of it's furniture and starts actually being able to use the rest, so maybe they will get switched out in a year or two. It just seems like it makes more sense to design in a way where your child will be able to easily access the books when they are old enough to want to read for themselves. I read A LOT growing up, though, so maybe it is just me. At any rate, if this kid is anything like baby Holler, it is going to be pissed at you keeping it's books out of reach.
Hi!
Thank you for all the kind comments. Some of you asked about a few things in the room.
Paint color: City Storm by Valspar
Chevron rug: Wayfair.com
DaVinci Baby Jenny Lind Crib in White - Amazon
I guess I should've titled the room "Copeland's Gray Nursery with Various Colors Here and There", but that doesn't really flow, ya know? Seriously, though, the term "colorful" was referring more to the variety of colors as opposed to the two or three color nurseries out there. There are probably 15 different colors in the pennant banner and quilt, books, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. My choice to use gray was to be a backdrop to color - but I can see where it may look too gray, especially in pictures. He does love his room, though! Every morning he wakes up happy and talking in his crib, and as soon as I get him up, he touches the mobile, strums the guitar (as much as a 9 month old can), and bangs on his piano. He loves reading books in the chair, and always looks in his mirror and smiles/talks when I have him on the changing table. He seems to have fun in there (and sleeps well - 11 hours straight at night!) To me, that makes his room a success! He's a great kid, and it was fun to put his room together. Can't wait for the next one!
I love everything about this nursery!! Good job! All the colours go great together, and really pop on the dark grey walls. It looks like a fun and cozy place to hang out, both for parents and baby!
Hi! where did you get the small table lamp that is on the dresser? I like the size! thx
How to escape the wrath of the AT Bumper Patrol: offend the AT Colour Patrol?
Babies prefer calm spaces... some of the nurseries featured are fit-inducing. I actually think calling this nursery colourful is perfectly apt. Love all the little splashes of different colours, and how bright the room seems.
Also, @apenrose handled the naysayers very well!
Oh, you've also escaped the wrath of the AT Pictures Hanging Over Bed patrol - crazy!
@hinmelb Thank you!
@lauk80 - The lamp is from Target. I have seen them there just as recently as last week - I believe they are $19.99. They have a few different colors to choose from, too.
If I were a parent who followed design magazine pictures in designing, and included features that were known as big risks to children's health, safety, and yes, life, that I had not known about, I would appreciate if someone pointed them out to me. There are parents out there who are devastated who say "if only I had known x presented a risk to my child." AT does not do anyone any favors by deleting informational posts about risks in pictures. Think of them as educating many readers who are unaware of risks, who are happy to learn about them. It is an irresponsible editing policy, whatever the folks who mock such posts say. People scoffed at smoking information, motorcycle helmet information, wearing seatbelts, etc. for a long time, too, but people got educated and things changed...for the better, wouldn't you say?
Hello!
To all who may be considering any of the ideas in these photos, I will let you know what we did to keep our son safe on the things that appear questionable. Officially I will say: please educate yourself and consider everything while making decisions for your little ones.
Bumper: If you choose to use a bumper, tuck that thing in TIGHTLY to the crib. My mother made the bumper, and made it hefty so that I could tuck it in very tightly to the crib. It is actually difficult for me to pull up, so I know my little guy is unable to pull it up and get his head under it. The ties are also tied tightly - double knotted, and are too short to pose a strangle risk. Since these pictures were taken, the little one started crawling, and the bumper has been moved so far down into the sides of the crib that it almost looks like a crib skirt. It sits about 2 inches above the mattress all the way around, so I am confident that he will not be able to pull it up and get his head caught under it.
Frames: They are nailed into the wall, then reinforced with Velcro strips all the way around the to keep the weight evenly distributed. We don't live in an area where there are earthquakes, so I do not worry about the frames falling.
Another tip is to constantly check and re-check anything your baby comes into contact with. I often check the bumper and pull on the frames a bit to test them out. This really goes for everything, thouugh. Toys that could have tags ready to fall off, or little parts that look loose, etc.
Happy Designing!
@textiles... I believe @apenrose just proved why it's OTT constantly having a go at parents on AT for choices you don't agree with. You don't know the story of a family from a photo, and a parent would have to be living under a rock to not know about basic nursery safety.
I really love this room!