Nursery

Now that you have a little bit more energy, it’s time to start planning out the nursery. You don’t want to leave it to last minute or when the fatigue starts hitting you hard again in the third trimester. SO good to even start brainstorming and narrowing down some choices.

Is there going to be a theme? Are there going to be certain colors? Gender neutral? Accent wall? Pinterest is a good place to start getting some inspiration. Or your favourite furniture stores like Restoration Hardware, Pottery barn etc.

Once you have a general idea of what direction you are going, you have to decide on the major pieces that are going to be in the room. Small decor and little pieces are always good not to rush and doesn’t necessarily have to be done before the baby arrives. You can keep adding pieces when baby arrives and it’s nice to save space for some filler additions.

The main pieces are going to include

• crib

• glider / rocking chair

• dresser/ change table

• focal point

Crib: Essential piece of furniture you are going to need for baby once he/she outgrows their bassinet. Getting a crib for your first baby is definitely one of those processes you get super excited/ anxious about and only insist on getting the absolute best for your baby. But realistically, as much as getting the first baby crib is exciting, practically you don’t want to invest too much into the crib itself. Of course if you and your spouse are very comfortable financially I applaud you to go spurge on that first crib - going to pottery barn or restoration hardware cribs or Ella + Elliot and getting one of those timeless pieces of furniture. Especially if you will use for other siblings. However, if you are on a budget, this is the one item you needn’t splurge. And trust me I was upset that I couldn't get the top of the line crib for my baby first time around, but was grateful for it later on. Firstly, your baby will only be sleeping in their crib for the first 2-3 years. You can get one of those convertible cribs, but honestly all it does it put the one side of the rail down and it ends up being a such a small toddler bed. And in the next few years your style will change and you may not even want that railing backdrop and want to get a proper twin/single bed for your child. Second, your baby will not take care of the crib. They will bite on it, bang it, chew it - and you can get those railing covers, but they can be taken off easily and doesn't cover the whole crib.

Charlotte’s Nursery

Neutral look as she was a surprise! Kept it simple and didn’t over decorate so we could add pieces later on. We hung plush animal heads on the left wall. Added the pink table and chest after.

I would instead invest on a better crib mattress and bedding to spruce the crib up. Some nice bedding you can find at home sense (if you go often enough), pottery barn kids (they have sales often) or crib sheets from Little unicorn or LouLou Lollipop. If you are like me, the simpler the crib design the better -very scandanivan modern style which is totally in. Also if you are planning to use for future children your style might change or you want something more versatile for both genders (keep the option open) so modern and simple would be your best bet. I got a simple white crib on sale from Sears. I spent more on the mattress than I did the crib itself. Better to invest in a nice hypoallergenic, natural mattress -comfort not an option since crib mattresses need to be stiff to prevent SIDS- and some nicer sheets from Home sense, Pottery barn kids etc.

Some other nice crib options which are not too pricey are the Paxx Crib at West Coast Kids for just over $200 an still good quality, simple modern design and non toxic so safe for your baby. If you want to splurge on something with better quality and overall design without breaking budget the Babyletto Hudson Convertible Crib is another popular options. It’s style is really modern and sleek with lots of cool colour options. Babyletto also has some other similarly priced option designs that are safe while being sleek in a modern nursery.

Gilder/rocking chair: Not essential, but makes life a lot easier. You are going to need somewhere to sit down when you comfort your baby in the middle of the night, need to feed them, help them go back to sleep etc. Of course you don’t HAVE to get a glider or rocking chair. You can get a fancy chaise lounger or whatever is your style. However that rocking motion on the glider will really be a life saver some nights when your baby won’t fall back asleep or you can’t keep walking around with them anymore. Trust me! I like the glider style better - it is like a modern rocking chair. Looks like a nicely fabricated easy-boy that is soft for you and baby. And later you can use it as a comfy seat in the basement etc. And also get something that is comfortable!!!! Looks second since it does need to somewhat match your decor. But comfort is key. You can easily spend $1000 on a glider, but if it isn’t comfortable you will resent it later on. My favourite glider was this one I got from a furniture warehouse on Gorham st Newmarket. It was the comfiest glider with rocking, recline and swivel options. The only thing was it was brown! I was looking for white or even grey. I ended up covering it with a white fabric, but it was never perfect. But was so comfy and affordable. Now they have a lot more affordable options for the glider look so I would say to take your time and look around. Things go on sale all the time! Check out any furniture warehouses near you. West coast kids always have one or two gliders on sale on their second floor on the Bayview location. Check out your local baby stores. You can check online however if you can’t try the chair itself in a local store or warehouse I would advise not to do it. My sister ordered a really nice looking one online that wasn’t cheap and once they got it it was super uncomfortable and they hated it. If it is in your budget Pottery barn has really nice classy ones that are crazy comfortable but of course for a price! Structube also has really nice modern looking glider (it still has the wooden classic look on the bottom) that is comfortable for the price you pay.

Dresser/change table: You can buy just a change table that has a top part open to put a change pad and shelves below to store stuff. I got this with Brooklyn since I was on a budget and couldn’t find any dressers I really liked. But honestly if I had to redo, I would have definitely invested in a dresser. Change table just becomes useless after a while and once they are old enough, you don’t even use it anymore. If you invest in a dresser and use the top at the beginning with a change pad set up on top. When they get a bit older and too long to fit on the pad, you can take off the change pad and now you have a nice dresser with some space to put some decor and special pieces. If you are on a budget, get a simple dresser from Ikea and buy some nicer knobs (House Sense, Antrhopologie, Home Depot, Wayfair) and honestly it looks really good. I did that with the second nursery. Or if not you can invest in a higher quality dresser from West coast kids, other baby stores or any regular furniture store.

Focal Point: Okay this isn’t actually necessary, but really nice to spurge a bit and that once piece in your child’s nursery and it sets the tone for the room as well as brings other decor ideas to it. Pick something that will mean a lot to you, something that can grow with them a bit and something you will splurge on for your baby’s nursery. For Brooklyn, I got this beautiful and timeless canopy piece to hang over the crib and then double later as a little play or reading nook. It is dusty rose color with these beautiful floral designs and still one of my favourite pieces in the girls rooms. We had to take it down for a bit when she started standing in her crib and pulling on it. But we later put it back up and made a reading nook with all these cushion in it and put some twinkle lights imbedded in the fabric on the top. For Charlotte, since I had to keep gender neutral, I ended up getting this big white dream catcher made with a birch tree branch in the middle. I got it from my hairdressers friend who had an online Etsy business. And since I ordered it directly through her and picked it up, I didn’t have to spend a crazy amount on it. It is such a beautiful piece and I sometimes even use it for birthday parties or other events as decor (like baby shower).

Another option or additional option is to have an accent wall. This can be done simply by painting one wall different color. Something sharp to draw attention like pink, navy etc. Another cheap alternative is getting decals. You don’t have to get an extensive one like the one below. But you can get some affordable and smaller decal pieces even custom (with name or message) on Etsy or Wayfair. FYI decals are not easy to put up if done properly. The one below took a full day easily!! So take that into account when picking one. A third option is a wallpaper wall. A little more expensive, but if only doing one wall it’s not bad at all.

Brooklyn’s Nursery

Enchanted Forest. Canopy over bed can be used as a play tent when they grow up:)

Other pieces (not necessary)

• side table

• lamp

• book shelf or cubby or chest

• photo frames

• rug

• light fixture

• curtains

All these pieces are not necessary, but are commonly found in nurseries.

Side table is useful to put beside your glider so you can put down your bottles, soothers or breast pump. You can find cute small side tables at Home sense.

Lamp is not necessary, but it does add some decor and functionality to the room. For story time or getting ready for bed especially if you don’t have light dimmers.

Book shelf or cubby again adds some functionality and decor to the room. Even though you may not be reading that many books when they are born, you will be reading to them soon enough. And they are plenty of board books and sensory books they can start using early on. Some people like to display them on floating shelves in the nursery. Or you can use a floor cubby to store them so they can easily grab when they are able to and also store toys as well as a chest. They are lots of different kinds of cubbies you can get that are very affordable. I like the wooden style open ones. They blend in nicer with the furniture and don’t make the room look so kidish if that makes sense. I like having some on the main floor too for toy storage. If you are lucky and go often enough, you can find them at home sense for good price. My friend also said she found some at Walmart as well. You can find them at Pottery barn and way fair - but they are pricier.

Photo frames are definitely not necessary, but if you are like me, you love photos around the house and at some point you will be filling the frames with family shots or cute baby photos. You can find really cute ones at Home sense or Walmart. If you want custom ones, I really like these ones on Etsy.

Rug depends on your home lay out. If you have hardwood or laminate in your bedroom, getting a really nice rug for the nursery can add so much zest, color and warmth to the room. I would recommend investing in one that will grow with them and won’t show every stain. If you have carpet, even adding a small faux fur rug by the crib adds some texture to the room.

Light fixture adds a lot to the room if you already don’t have a nice light fixture for your child’s room. You will be surprised at how much it makes a difference. My husband is an electrician so this is a must! And we splurged on all the kids light fixtures. If it’s a girl a little chandelier is so sweet. For Brooklyn I found this white and light pink chandelier with rustic wooden arms at some lighting store around Caledonia - still one of my favourites (was about 150$). When we moved, Brooklyn got a classic crystal chandelier passed down from great grandmother and Charlotte got hers. For baby boy, I found this antler chandelier on sale on wayfair and absolutely love it! For something more neutral, you could do a more rounded light fixture or Edison light bulb modern looking one. These basket like fixtures are also really in for nurseries.

Curtains add some warmth to the room and practicality. Get something that complements the rest of your room and it doesn’t have to be anything crazy - good solid colors still bring a lot of texture. Good to get some curtains with blackout or install a blackout pull down or blinds for the windows. Will help when trying to create a napping atmosphere midday.

For other decor on the walls or trinkets to go on dressers - I would say to take your time with it. There is so no rush and you don’t want to just buy something just to fill the room. You want to love it! Home sense is great if you are able to visit often. They have such pretty items for baby’s nursery or children’s room - and they have high turnover so there is always new stuff in. They have a 3o day return policy so remember you can always return it. Don’t ever leave something if you are not sure where it would go in the room etc since it will be gone when you come back. You can find smaller pieces at some baby stores (West Coast kids, Pottery barn etc) too or order stuff online from Etsy and customize. Up to you!

Tristan’s Nursery

I had dresser under floating shelf and crib on other side of room originally, but switched it after realizing he could hear us on the stairs (on other side of wall) and crib was so close to the door. Dresser is on other side with Charlotte’s dream catcher over top.

Some popular and ‘in’ ideas for nursery

• poufs - fur, knitted, moccasin - whatever your style, you can put by the glider where your feet can rest. Really for decoration though! If you plan adding a play tent, teepee or canopy later this can be repurposed for that.

• accent pillows - since you can’t really put in the crib, one on the glider adds a pop of color to it.

• large felt animals - I mean almost our size or kid size animals they can basically ride on - very in for decor and as toys later on.

• animal framed pictures - photos of animals or drawn animals - but not any background just the animal itself. Very in especially for neutral or boy nurseries

• rockers - sweet little animal rockers add decor element to the nursery. Even though they won’t use it for a while it will eventually become a toy for them.

• floating shelves - with some books or knick knacks. Serve some functionality as well as decor.

• accent wall - this can either be a different color or paint on one wall, nice wall paper, collage of frames or hanging pieces. Whatever is your style.

• large floor plants - been seeing alot of these in nurseries and you can easily find large fake plants for decent prices at Structube or Home sense. Adds warmth, style and greenery to the nursery.

Remember that less is more! Don’t over do it. I remember with Brooklyn’s nursery, I got way too excited and although it was beautiful, there was too much going on in it. The second time around, I did a more neutral and basic look with Charlotte and I ended up liking it a lot more! Tristan was a third kid so didn’t go to crazy with it and gave it more of little boy vibe. I splurged on his light fixture, nice rug both on Wayfair and a ecudane blanket with this beautiful tribal print I used to cover the brown glider and will be a blanket he can use forever (queen size). I reused one of my sisters old crib and girls mattress just bought him a new sheet. Same dresser I used for Charlotte just changed the knobs.

Nurseries these days don’t look super babyish. They are uber modern & clean with hints of color and baby. Which makes it easier to transition when they become little kids with personality.

Decal wall

For first baby did an enchanted forest theme with a decal wall