Before & After: Building a Baby-Friendly Space, Basically From Scratch
Life comes at you fast. Lisa had been considering this room for a makeover when she found out she was pregnant and suddenly on a whole new unexpected timeline. After gutting the room they got to work adding classic elements to the structure of the room so it was more in line with the rest of the house as well as, you know, getting it ready for a baby.
From Lisa: This room had been on our radar for a while, but finding out I was pregnant really kick-started the makeover (because who doesn’t decide to start a significant renovation project while they’re pregnant?).
This project took the full 9 months. We got surprised two and a half weeks early with our little peanut but still had things about 90% done.
We had to start by pretty much gutting the entire room—ceiling tiles, paneling, trim — all had to go. Then we drywalled the entire thing with help from my dad and brother-in-law. My dad also helped route custom door and window casings that matched the rest of our house. The one nice thing about starting completely from scratch is that it is a lot easier to paint the walls and trim before installing the trim!
I love how bright and airy the “after” is! My goal was a cheerful, gender-neutral space that wasn’t overly “baby-ish.” I’m also so happy that the room finally matches the style of the rest of the house!
The only thing that bugs me a little bit about the room is that the alphabet wall is just a smidge too high. I’m still weighing the pros and cons of the effort it would take to move it all down…
Lisa’s words of wisdom: Drywalling a ceiling isn’t too hard, but absolutely rent a drywall lift! For drywall you also need a combination of perfectionism and grunt labor and if this means two teams of people, so be it. Just know your skills.
Thank you, Lisa! You can see more on Lisa’s blog, Flat Pack Vintage.