the adventures of "baby k": DIY Nursery

For those of you who know me, this may come as a surprise: I have been having such a difficult time being decisive about this baby. I haven't nailed down a name (Matt and I are constantly updating our "short list") and up until the "Nursery D-Day," I had changed my mind about ten times regarding the theme/decor/colors of Baby K's room. I'm sure it irritated Matt, who wanted to start planning his role in the reno; but it irritated me even more. I felt so much pressure to have the perfect room, that making a decision was overwhelming. There were a couple screens that it needed to fit into: 1) I wanted it to be transitional to a girl room, so we don't have to wipe the slate clean the next go-'round 2) It had to be a little fun and whimsical 3) I wanted it to flow with the remainder of our home.

So, with some help--the room is now in a state of "almost there." The paint is on the wall, the big pieces are in, and I am very so very happy with the results.

My little sis, Katie, and her boyfriend, Stephen, sacrificed their weekend to come up from Los Angeles and assist. And we couldn't have done it without them. They flew in on Friday night and we went out for dinner, but the place we chose was having a Mariachi concert. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation at the same time as a mariachi band is playing??? Between the mariachis and the "ay-yay-yay-yay-yay's" coming from the audience, we couldn't really carry on much of a fluid conversation.

By the time we got home, Katie had started plotting the POA (my term for "plan of action") and our to-do list. I may have caught her a little off-guard, when I told her that I still had NO IDEA what I wanted to do in the room. In an act of sibling reversal, Katie took on my usual--planner/bossy/know it all role, and whipped me into gear. By midnight we had a shopping list, layout and color scheme.

So below is the start to finish timeline of the nursery thus far. I will post final pics once all the decor and finishing touches are in place. We started off with a blank slate: beige walls and white carpet.

Matt and Stephen honed in on their precision skills with the molding. We decided to lift the molding higher than a traditional chair rail heigth. And above the molding, the wall is painted a soft creme which ties in with the creme bedding.

Katie, our family's resident artist, created a free-hand mural that filled my screen for fun and whimsical. We decided to add a monkey--no it is not a jungle theme, so please refrain from purchasing any jungle stuffed animals--to contribute to the fun element of the room.

The furniture is a Kratz creation. At a local boutique, I fell in love with a antiqued French crib and dresser; but the set had a boutique level price tag attached and Matt and I decided that we could replicate the look and save the $3,500 for Baby K's college. We bought the white birch branch at Smith and Hawken before it went out of business. Along with the mural, it is my favorite part of the room. I think that the room has a great juxtaposition between luxurious and earthy elements.