Pink is now officially out of the question for the nursery which means it’s down to teal or orange, or both. Orange is taking the lead by far and I think I’m likin’ it. My initial mockup for a quilt idea included some fabrics that I don’t think are going to work for a little boy. (OH YEAH IT’S A BOY AND I’M SO EXCITED!!) Instead, I like the idea of simplifying the look by using only two different patterned fabrics. I’m not sure how the fabrics look in person but online, I likey. Here are my two choices:

I know I can buy $8 crib sheets at Target, but it’s our first child and I’m a fiend for custom design so I’m all about spending the extra money to buy these fabrics below to make my own sheets. It will still be $10 cheaper than buying comparable designer fabric sheets I’ve seen/liked for $30 a piece. So I guess what I’m saying is, I’m splurging for $20 custom crib sheets dang it. Oh by the way, we’re not doing those silly crib accoutrements like bumpers or pillows. Not necessary. Can’t believe these baby companies try to take you for all you’re worth with these insane $250 crib “bedding sets”. Nonsense.  We just need a crib, mattress (and pad) and fitted crib sheets. So I’m splurgin’ on the sheets.

I’ve got it narrowed down to a couple of extra “wild card” fabrics that I like but don’t necessarily have a use for. Maybe the fabric book slings? Dave isn’t really feeling those and since we both like the original book ledges, I might not end up making them. No biggie. But this olive green “Who’s Hoot” fabric by Michael Miller is too cute not to use somewhere.

I also continue to love this Alexander Henry “Spotted Owl” fabric but is it to frou-frou for a boy? Maybe it can be for something mommy-related like a SLING. Yiieah.

Fitted Crib Sheets
Now that I’ve been convinced that making a fitted crib sheet should be a piece of cake, I’ve been sorting through a bunch of fabric options that I’ve found and liked online. I think I’ve decided on the olive/chartreuse color family and I really like the five patterns below. I don’t think I’m going to purchase pre-made crib sheets at all since it will be at least $10 cheaper to make my own AND I’ll get exactly the fabric/color that I want.

Fabric Window Valances
Here is the fabric that I’m considering for the window valances. The stripes will run horizontally along the width of the window and the image shown represents the approximate height of the valances according to the scale of 12″. I may do more like 14″, we’ll see.

Blanket
I am wanting to make an inexpensive and easy blanket that will be what our baby will use to play on the floor with, cuddle with, and maybe later sleep in his/her crib with.I want the front side to be in some sort of pattern and the back side to be a softy, comfy fabric called “Minky“. Here are a couple of fabric options I like. I think I want to go with the olive-y green option because it will show less dirt. Plus, it matches the crib sheets and green patches in the rug. This should be a super cheap project so I just can’t pass it up.

Homemade Quilt
I have always wanted to make a quilt and figured that I would eventually get around to it once I had my own child. Coincidentally, I am actually going to have quite a few 8 inch squares of fabric leftover from the crib sheet project so it only makes sense to turn those scraps into a quilt project. I don’t know how useful this will actually be since I’m making that soft baby blanket and since neither the blanket nor the quilt will actually be used for sleeping in the crib. It would still be a fun project to tackle. I might be a lunatic for putting this together, but here’s a little mockup of what a quilt might look like made from those 8 inch fabric scraps plus a few more selections of fabric. It’s kind of….wild, but for someone who’s a maniac for patterned fabric, it’s also kind of perfect.

Oh. My. Gosh. I just found another excuse to BUY MORE FABRIC. I do not know how I am only just seeing these Fabric Books Slings now but, yeah, this is so happening in OUR nursery. No doubt. Forget about the picture ledge/book shelves. These could not be any easier to make and I get to indulge in yet more fabric projects, my favorite kind. Plus, this keeps the books more securely in place while still being easily recognizable and accessible for little hands. I will probably do a row of 3 or 4 of these slings and maybe even a deeper shelf just above the top sling like in the picture below. See people?? I don’t come up with this stuff on my own, I see, I replicate. Thank you, internet.

Image from Melanie Bauer via Penny Carnival.

Check out this cute Owl “ABC” Poster from Gingiber’s Etsy Shop.

The time has come to start thinking about the nursery! The. Nursery.For a BABY! What the…? Baby?? Yes.

I’ve had a lot of ideas for several years now about what I would want our nursery to look like and what items I thought would be a necessity. Now that I’m 5 months pregnant and we’re expecting our own child in October, I have to say that my feelings about the nursery are pretty much the same. I don’t want it to look overtly baby but I don’t mind a little bit of cuteness and whimsy. I definitely cannot handle baby blue or baby pink.

Here are the (loose) nursery plans so far: ( I have no idea why the images are not centered like I told them to be.)

Color Scheme
The color scheme is white, charcoal gray, and chartreuse. This is based entirely off of a radical rug I bought from Urban Outfitters while shopping with my sister-in-law a few months ago.

Area Rug
The rug has a patchwork design made up of 1 1/2 to 2 inch rough rectangles in off white and various shades of gray with a few patches of chartreuse thrown in. This rug is amazing because it is the perfect size at 5 x 9, is 100% wool, is plush and cushiony for the baby, is modern yet kind of freaky looking, is totally not nursery-typical, and was a major steal at $60. It’s actually three 3 x 5 rugs that were on clearance for $19.99 each. They will simply need to be attached together from the back with industrial carpet tape. I don’t know about you, but a large plush WOOL rug for $60 is kinda unheard of. We were going to settle for something in the $250 range from FLOR, like the rest of the rooms in our house. But….I’ll take this one instead.

Accent Colors
I’d like to add another accent color to compliment the chartreuse. I thought I wanted orange to be that accent color but it’s been pretty hard to match orange to this particular chartreuse that is in the rug. As much as I don’t like the typical baby pink and blue shades I am not opposed to differentiating with a more feminine or more masculine color. Here are some ideas:

I actually really like the deep pink/cerise jewel tone with the gray and chartreuse. It would only be in a few small accents around the room but I think it’d be cute/modern/bold. Of course chartreuse and peacock teal are a no-brainer. Good for boy OR girl I think. I’ll probably throw in something orange anyways which should go with either of the two accent colors. Here’s a crazy fabric that I actually like and think would be good in a girl’s room, possibly as a pillow or cushion.

Wall Colors
The nursery walls are painted white, yes WHITE. Except for the crib wall which is painted a dark charcoal-almost-black color that also happens to be on a wall in our bedroom. (It’s Ralph Lauren’s “Smoked Glass” and I LOOOOOVE it.)

Windows
The window coverings are also white in the form of wide wooden blinds flanked by simple white curtains from Ikea. (White curtains can be bleached, I’m not crazy.) I will be constructing some sort of valance or cornice to finish off the windows. I’m considering some different fabric options for these but they will most likely be some shade of gray. Can’t decide if it’ll be light gray or something bold and patterned. Oooooh, or stripes!

Furniture
The furniture currently consists of two floor-to-ceiling birch bookcases and a maple Nelson bench that more or less matches in color with the birch from the other pieces. Crazy story with the Nelson bench, we received it on accident and due to the circumstances (loooong story) it ended up being a freebie!! I will be making either a long bench cushion or 3 individual cushions, definitely in a dark color so that baby dirt won’t show up. I’m thinking a dark gray wool tweed. Alternatively, Ikea has these great pillow covers that happen to be an identical match to the chartreuse in the rug so I may use those for cushions instead. We will store plastic toy bins underneath the bench. There won’t be a changing table (horrors!) OR a dresser (you’re kidding right??). Instead, we’ll use one of those over-the-crib changing stations and store more than just clothing in a white Ikea Expedit book shelf with a few door inserts. Additionally, Mommy will have to clear some space in the dresser that hides in the nursery closet. The closet is also covered by a wall of white (bleachable) curtains hung from curtain track. I’m choosing not to imagine what trouble a little one could get into with that. I’ll think about that later….

Crib
The crib is most likely going to be a cheap-o option from Ikea. A $140 birch crib, to be exact. My first choice is a $700 crib (also birch) that is laughably not an option. My second choice might be something similarly modern in design from Walmart at $400. But at only two years of use I think the $140 option will suit just fine. Don’t quote me on that but for now that’s the direction we’re leaning.

Still researching on a crib mattress. For crib sheets, I’ve found a few that I like:
http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/coc/coc7022-834-item.html
http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/glj/glj43711-item.html
http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/glj/glj43710-item.html
http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/glj/glj43311-item.html

I will probably find a fabric I like and at least TRY to make my own crib sheet as well.

Wall Decor
I can’t decide what to do with the wall above the crib. It’s apparently a cardinal sin to hang shelving above a crib but since I don’t think I’ll necessarily need shelving there, I suppose it’s alright. The crib will be right next to an open shelf on the bookcase where diapers and other necessities will be very accessible. My first inclination for the crib wall is to hang 3 large, identical mirrors with ornate frames that I would paint the charcoal-black wall color. I like the idea of reflecting the light from the window directly opposite the mirrors which would really make the room seem that much bigger. Another idea is to find a very large and graphical wall decal from Etsy to adhere on the entire wall behind the crib. Depending on what I can sleuth up with the mirrors, the price could be about the same for either option. I also really really like this fabric that I could wrap around a canvas and hang above the crib. http://www.stjudes.co.uk/treehouse.htm

Library
There’s a small little spit of a wall that is about 2 feet wide and juts out into the room about 12 inches. For this we’re going to buy 3 or 4 picture ledges that will serve as front-facing “book shelves” for our kid’s library of books. (We’ll place books on the ledges instead of pictures, obviously.) True, the baby will probably pull all the books down on top of himself but….he’ll learn. The rest of the books will go on other shelves in the room but these will be for his favorite, most accessed books.

Nursing Chair
I’ve had the several year long dream that I wanted, needed, HAD-to-have an Eames Shell Rocker for the nursery. Sadly, this dream is not going to come true. Not because of it’s fairly wackadoo price tag but because it simply isn’t all that comfortable. Granted, I’ve only sat in the plastic version from DWR but I imagine the classic fiberglass version is equally as uncomfortable. But oh how it makes me sad. Instead we’ll probably settle for the ever ubiquitous Poang Chair from Ikea. Yes yes, THAT chair. I will have to spend some time in to see how I like it for myself and nursing but I’m pretty sure it’s going to work. I can’t handle those hideous monstrosities/gliders/rocking chairs from Baby’s R’ Us and I definitely can’t handle spending $900+ on the not-hideous versions. The it-will-work-just-fine-and-is-much-cheaper option AND matching ottoman from Ikea has a new finish that I haven’t seen in person and I’m sure I’ll be able to make a slip cover for the cushion. Problem solved. I think. If the Poang doesn’t end up being comfy, I’ll have to start from square one again.

More ideas to come later…..