Nursery Inspiration

I am not a big fan of matching furnishings or obsessively decorated rooms. For most of our married life we were poor, and therefore the matching, perfect new furniture was not an option for us. Now, I suppose it could be, but it's not really my style. I didn't match the napkins to the bridemaid's dresses at our wedding either - if you did, you might want to stop reading now. I like a comfortable house with simple, traditional furnishings. Except for the lucite lamps in the guest room. They're modern, but so light and airy that they are also feminine.

In particular, I think a nursery or child's room shouldn't be too perfect. It's a matter of self-preservation. You will not be able to keep the room looking like a magazine spread. Children make a mess. So a nursery should in a sense be pre-messed. This does not mean it should be a dump, just a place where 300 brightly colored books will not clash with the color scheme, where some plastic toys will not look like an abberation, where you can feel comfortable having juice consumed without heart failure.

A couple cute ideas from Pottery Barn Kids:

Such a cute branch mobile, and very easy to make. Some stuffed birds, a branch and some fishing line for hanging. The owls are cute too, and simple to sew from scraps.



Love the framed caterpillar.

Places like this always sell lots of storage, too, which is not necessarily a good idea. Storage breeds stuff. Get a couple of plastic bins for outgrown clothes if you plan to have another child, otherwise a small box for the few heirloom items should do it. Diapers and wipes can sit right out on the changing table, babies don't play with toys yet, and the rattles and pacifiers will just get "stored" in the sofa cushions anyway. A baby's most exciting toys are their feet, and they are, conveniently, permanantly attached.