I was totally stoked to decorate the nursery. Like, started dreaming about it before I even peed on a stick & quite possibly before my husband even knew that I was bitten by the baby bug. I spent hours drooling over Pottery Barn Kids & stalking friends’ baby registries. I researched items & learned about the “best” furniture out there & even thought up color schemes.
So when we learned that Harrison was a boy, I immediately bought the Baby Boats bedding I had been eyeing for months. The day it arrived on the front step, I wrapped the quilt around me & did a little jig. I adored it. Doug & I searched for the perfect shade of navy blue for the top part of the nursery (you can read all about that disaster here).I assembled storage bins & hung the sailboat mobile above the second-hand glider we bought from a good friend. I found a light house & nautical lanterns & even his curtains had a nautical feel as the “sails.”
That summer in a tiny coastal town in North Carolina, I hunted for the perfect lamp in all the little stores. Finally, I found the perfect one – nautical but not cheesy or expected. Doug & I found shells on the beaches of Emerald Isle & we wrote his name & the year & slid them into the lamp. Each year, we’ve added to the collection with a date marked on top of the shell. I loved his room but in hindsight, I wish I had spent more time finding treasures than following a theme. The paint color was changed within 18 months & we never used the quilt. As Harrison’s personality grew & we discovered what he liked, it started reflecting in his room – a picture of a school bus, drawn by my graphic designer. Hooks that held his jackets behind the door. Books in a basket by his bed & Curious George sheets. Black-out curtains. Everything in his room has a purpose, even if it just makes me or him incredibly happy.
His room still “flows,” I think & I love it even more than when it was a put-together theme. Next time, I’ll ditch the theme & just go with what makes me happy.
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Couldn’t agree more about themed nurseries. Our first had a theme, but as he got bigger it seemed so baby and not little boy. I wish I had thought more about how he would grow into it. With our second, I picked colors that I loved and could see her enjoying for years to come with accessories that could transition as she grew.
You had me with “shells from Emerald Isle” That is quite possibly the most beautiful beach I’ve ever experienced and I long to go back one day!!!
Hey BA! Question…Do you remember the paint color you used in your second photo? I love it!!
Yes! It’s Clear Pond by Behr. It’s that primer/paint in one that is WONDERFUL. They sell it at Home Depot. We used it again in Harry’s new room at the new house & still love it.