Nelle's Nursery

It's funny to me how once Henry was born, his gender-neutral room suddenly looked like it was always meant to be a boy's room.  And ironically, when I posted a sneak peek of Nelle's room to Instagram a few weeks back someone commented "surely you knew you were having a girl this time?!"

Both times I just picked things I really liked without thinking much about gender.  

I guess my subconscious knew more than I thought.

Because once Nelle arrived...well, it totally looks like a girl's room.

I had started a secret Pinterest board (of course) before I was even pregnant this second time so once it was time to actually get started on Nelle's room, I had a pretty focused idea of what I wanted.  Lots of light, whites and greys, textures to add interest, a cowhide rug, a green stained dresser
and pops of color from a full wall of book shelves.

I originally begged (and begged and begged) Andrew to construct built-ins with a window seat on the north wall, but he held up against my arguments and eventually squashed the idea when he pointed out that we'd have to move a vent to make it work,
and it just. wasn't. going. to. happen.  

(I just couldn't let this idea die.  Until I had to.)

This will be better for us.  We can take the bookshelves with us whenever we decide to move (actually picture ledges from Ikea), and Henry is so entertained during diaper changes by picking books off of Nelle's shelves.  (Good thing he hasn't caught on that they are mostly his books just in a new home, with a few good classic and vintage finds from estate and garage sales last summer and fall.)

We moved the chair and ottoman from Henry's room into the nursery and made a new cozy reading/nursing corner
with another handmade quilt from my mom and another original painting from my super talented sister.

The sweetest.

The rug was an Amazon find - just couldn't beat the price for the size or the free Prime shipping,
and Handy Andy refinished the dresser with a dark green stain after I bought it off of Craig's List.

She looooves staring out the window during diaper changes.  

 Vintage piggy bank from Etsy.  Also Nelle's Christmas present.  
 Side table was a TJ Maxx find long ago.  I had just been waiting for the right room to put it in.

Rolling toy tub was a garage sale find and is currently being used for blankets.  
For the first couple of weeks Nelle was home, Henry thought it was his job to pull them all out and put them in her dirty clothes basket. 

Truth be told, I felt like I was settling on the Ikea curtains when I first bought them.  It was hard to find something "naturey" without going too boy or too girl, but since they've been hung and the rest of the room has been filled in, I've really loved both their simplicity 
and how they add a little whimsy.

The prettiest corner crib setup if I do say so myself. 


And probably the most serendipitous project of the room...
...the handmade mobile.

I constructed it from tissue paper not feeling very confident about the outcome, but it is just the loveliest little touch.  
It flutters with just the tiniest amount of air movement and pulls out the touches of gold I curated into Nelle's gallery wall.
  

I still want to layer in a few more pops of black and white to offset the color from the book covers, 
and I do need to figure out where to organize our small, but mighty collection of headbands.  

For now though, it's easily become my favorite room in our house.  Even at 2am.