I am so excited to finally show you Ava's nursery!
What is now the nursery was originally Lee's office. Once we cleared everything out, we were left with a standard 4-wall bedroom with 2 windows and builder-beige walls (although the room does have a nice big walk-in closet). Since the room was so normal and humdrum, I knew I wanted to add some sort of architectural interest. We went over lots of options (an accent wall with whitewashed wood planks, beadboard, etc.) but finally settled on board and batten and crown molding.
A few befores/durings:
Lee installed the board and batten and crown molding in a weekend. The board and batten seemed to be pretty easy to install, but it was the 2-3 coats of white paint needed that tried his patience. And crown molding is ALWAYS a nightmare. But it got done and I think it adds so much to the room.
So let's dive right in shall we??
As you know, I decided on gray and baby pink for the color scheme. It was really important to me to get the pinks correct, as they can vary widely. The biggest splurges in the room (besides the furniture) were the bedding and curtains, and that was mostly because Serena & Lily and RH Baby & Child got the pinks *just right* and I wasn't able to find anything anywhere else that was as perfect.
Since the curtains were a splurge, there was no way I could afford 4 panels, so I was determined to get by with 2 instead. The panels are HUGE -- 50 inches wide, and our windows are only 37 inches wide, so I knew one panel could easily cover the whole window when closed. At first I thought I wanted to have a tailor slice the panels down the middle so I'd have two panels for each window, but the thought of cutting into them terrified me. Once they arrived, we tried the side-swept look and I actually liked it even better. They are lined with blackout lining, so hopefully it will be nice and dark to make for some good sleeping!
So blessed with talented friends who made Ava this homemade blanket and quilt. The shadow box on the right is Lee's baby spoons and fork (and baby pic!).
This little chair has been handed down for years in Lee's family. Since his nephew Brett was the last to own it, it was bright red with teddy bear/sports fabric. The crib bedding came in a really nice fabric bag (same fabric as the crib sheet) so I used that to reupholster the seat and Lee painted it gray with leftover wall paint. So this was a nice zero dollar project!
A pretty light fixture was really important to me. This chandelier by Ikea was such a great price that I tasked my aunt who lives in Charlotte to buy it for me and bring it when she came to visit (thanks Lori!). When we took down the old boob light that was in the room, it left a ring on the ceiling, so Lee eventually ended up having to repaint the whole ceiling. He was not happy, but I think it was well worth it!
Of course, no room is ever "finished." Some of the tweaks that might come down the road are:
- A lamp (probably a floor lamp near the glider). This will likely be a necessity for nighttime feedings.
- I'd love to change out the knobs on the dresser, but haven't found the right ones at the right price. I'm thinking clear glass knobs, but since I'll need 6, that rules out the ones that are $10-15 a pop. Home Depot and Lowe's have some reasonable options, but they're plastic instead of glass and therefore feel pretty cheap.
- I thought originally that I wanted an area rug in here, but now I'm thinking maybe it doesn't need it? If I happened to run across the perfect one though...
- I'll probably eventually put something on the blank wall over the dresser. Maybe some shelves or more artwork.
I am so happy with how the room turned out, and hope Ava will love it too!
Source list:
- Gray paint: Porpoise by Behr
- Chandelier: Ikea Kristaller chandelier
- Crib: Pottery Barn Kids Kendall crib in Simply White
- Bedding: Colette collection from Serena & Lily
- Sleep Sheep: Pottery Barn Kids
- Hamper: Pottery Barn Kids
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow print in custom colors: Etsy seller sugarfresh
- Don't Worry print: Etsy seller rawartletterpress
- White frames: Target
- Diaper pail: Ubbi pail in gray
- Ava coat hanger: gift
- Dresser: Bonavita Peyton
- Wire basket: Container Store
- Changing pad cover: Carter's pink dot from Babies 'R' Us
- Glider: Best Chairs Quinn glider (color: Pumice)
- Ottoman: white Moroccan pouf from Overstock.com
- Pink giraffe stroller blanket: Pottery Barn Kids
- Curtains: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child, lined cotton canvas panels in Petal
- Curtain rods and rings: Martha Stewart for Home Depot
- Curtain holdbacks: Bed Bath & Beyond
- Monogram: Medium (14") wooden monogram from Etsy seller charminglittlenest
- Bookcase: Target
- To The Moon frame and monogrammed brush/comb set: gifts
- Pink galvanized pail: Pottery Barn kids
- Closet dividers: Sugarbooger children's closet dividers from Amazon
**UPDATE**
I've received lots of emails and comments regarding the board and batten, so I wanted to provide a little more information.
The room is approximately 11' x 11'. The boards (horizontal pieces) are 1x6's and the battens (vertical pieces) are 1x3's. The battens are approximately 16.5 inches apart. The total height is 59", from the floor to the top of the board, including our original baseboards. We decided to keep the original baseboards, and angled the bottom of the battens slightly so the transition to the baseboard wouldn't be too abrupt. We used a nail gun to nail the pieces in places, caulked the nail holes and sanded them, caulked around the sides of the boards and battens, and then painted everything (including our original beige walls) with white semigloss paint. (Please note: when I say "we," I mean "my husband.")
We referenced several different board and batten blog tutorials to come up with a plan that worked for our room. If you need more information, google "board and batten DIY" and you'll find lots of step-by-step tutorials. Hope this helps!
