Name: Baby Boy Allen (arriving soon!)
Location: Brookline, MA
Inspiration for our son's nursery came from my trips to Kenya as a child. I envisioned a sophisticated, safari-travel theme to enable an easier transition from a nursery to a toddler's room. Because we live in a condo, this room had to be multi-functional as both a nursery and guest bedroom.
To start the room, I found a spin on the classic Jenny Lind crib. The black crib, along with tan and white crib bedding from Etsy, created a crisp and clean esthetic with old world charm. To hang above the crib, I splurged on the gorgeous "My World" map from Petit Collage. The accent colors for the nursery came from the saturated tones of the map.
To continue the theme, I wanted to include pictures my friend and I took at on recent safari trip during graduate school. These pictures added real-life safari images, while providing me with a bit of nostalgia. The deep green tones in the pictures blend well with the sage green of the curtains, book shelf, and chandelier.
To accessorize the room, I found large burlap safari animals at Home Goods as well as a wooden lamp reminiscent of a camp stool. Another great addition to the room was an antique trophy cup given to us by my mother. I also used my antique African masks purchased in Kenya, to add visual interest to the wall across from the guest bed.
Overall, we couldn't be happier with the finished room. Now, it's time for our son to arrive!
Thanks, Jessica! Well done!
(Images: Jessica A.)
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Wow. I think this looks nice but it is absolutely not baby-friendly! How are you supposed to use that changing table with squirming, kicking legs knocking over all the accessories? And what about when baby starts pulling the masks off the wall and getting tangled up in all the decorations? I must be jaded with an 8-month old who is now into absolutely everything :)
That's exactly what I thought! It's a beautiful room, no doubt, but it couldn't be less practical. I'd love to see the state of the room again in a year, after a baby has actually lived in it!
Wow, wild!
I have to echo the other posters. You have some great ideas and the colors are wonderful. The low-key safari vibe is very cool. I also appreciate anyone who cane make a nursery out of an existing functional room!
But if you're planning on the baby spending time in here beyond sleeping or being changed, you may want to pare down on some of the accessories. A newborn wouldn't be squirmy enough for this room, but lookout in a few months! The changing area would have to be sparse if you don't want your little one grabbing and knocking over things on a constant basis. Books will be pulled out of the bookcase and pictures on low tables will be knocked down too. This can totally be a functional nursery in the beginning stages, but just keep in mind that you will probably have to make adjustments as the kid gets older and more active. Good luck!
Please make sure to mount that changing pad to the wall or table.
Love the Boston/Frenchie book ends! Where'd you get them???
I love the chandelier, the black crib and wooden mirror. Super cute. But as the mother of a new baby, the crib bumper and those ties are freaking me out.
I think this is one of the most sophisticated and charming nurseries I have ever seen. It is very difficult to be creative in such a small space. I have to disagree with a couple of the previous posts. I think most of the accessories are properly placed and that there is a nice open space for the little one to play. This is a room with character and endless points of interest for a child.
As a mother of a toddler I feel stressed just imaging how much quickly my child would destroy that room. If I was asked to change a diaper of any age baby there I'd grab the changing pad and throw it on the bed, too much for little arms and legs to knock over where it is. And yes, the bumper ties seem dangerous to me. But overall I really like the vibe, I'd just move everything higher if I was designing it.
But children have a way of teaching parents. My friend told me this story about having an eighteen month old and visiting her brother with a 5 month old. He had an alphabetized DVD collection which her son proceeded to dump. Her brother was furious. One month later his child was the one dumping it and he called to apologize ;-)
Beautiful, if not very practical. My 10.5 month old would LOVE that changing table...so many fun things to hurl across the room!
I'm not sure how well having a shared guest room/nursery will work out functionally. If your baby ends up sleeping in his room every night at some point, I fear you might be in for a rough time trying to get him to sleep in your room when guests come to stay. Our daughter co-slept for the first six months, and after transitioning her to her own room, it's now virtually impossible to get her to stay asleep for the night in our bed or in her travel crib in the same room as us.
However, that bed will be great for you during nights of broken sleep! Also, we love our Jenny Lind crib.
I hope the bookshelf is anchored.