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Arts & Crafts

A Subtly Space-Themed Nursery

By Mavis Butterfield on - 62 Comments

This is a Guest Post by the super amazing One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Mel whom we’ve all gotten to know over the years in the comment section and through her wonderful guest posts. 

Mel had a baby over the summer and is now sharing pictures of the nursery she has worked so hard to create. 

And all I can say is WOW! Well done Mel! 🙂 

Here is her latest post:


Well, my son is 4 months old, but I finally got a chance to put together an update about his nursery!

When we bought our house in 2014, I intentionally did not decorate our guest room (or let it get co-
opted as an office or filled with junk) in case we ever wanted to use it as a nursery.

We also very rarely had guests (unless you count the 24 chicks we raised in there a few years ago—long story), so the room more or
less went unused.

So, when I set the goal of converting the space to a nursery earlier this year, I was starting
with a blank slate: builders’ white walls, builders’ carpet, a guest bed, and a few odds and ends.

I’m not really sure how the theme or color scheme came to be, but I decided to go with a subtle space theme (so it can be changed later) in navy, gray, and teal, and I tried to look for ways that our baby could grow into the room without us having to change much.

Since the room doesn’t get much natural light, I began by painting three walls a bright gray (Icicle by Sherwin Williams, which we also have in our basement) and just one wall teal (Fore and Aft by Sherwin Williams) as an accent.

The teal looks very blue in photos, but it’s actually more green in person, and I think I would have gone with the same colors for a girl as well.

Since the gray is such a great neutral, if our son ever wants a different color scheme, I will likely only have to re-paint the accent wall. I also went with scrubbable paint (and later we installed waterproof flooring), so all the surfaces in the room should be both easy to clean and quite durable.

(Sidenote: our house is FULL of random antiques like that spinning wheel that I don’t really want but can’t get rid of since they are heirlooms. The spinning wheel now resides in the other guest room).

 The room is a good size, but it’s a little awkward because both the door and closet are on the same wall in opposite corners, and then there’s a window on the opposite wall.

The triangle created by those features makes furniture placement a little tricky, and it really eats into the floor space because of the doors having to swing open. To work around that, I made the accent wall a library wall with narrow book ledges so we wouldn’t need a freestanding bookcase (down the line these could serve as photo ledges or hold other items for an older kid).

I did have a little trouble getting the door not to hit the ledges (I bought a longer doorstop) and keeping the doorknob from getting caught on the bottom ledge (removing the carpet actually realigned the door a little and corrected that), but it worked out.

I realize the shelves are too high for a kid to reach, but the books are roughly divided by age, and I keep a stack of the ones currently in rotation on the floor for story time.

As a fun accent, I added a decal of a mouse reading a newspaper on the baseboard under the book ledges (shown above with the original carpet before the floors were redone).

And the reading area also got a navy rocking chair which is big enough for us to rock the baby but also small enough to probably stay put for several years.

I made a slipcover for the pillow that came with the rocker in a neat teal alphabet fabric (although why I didn’t line said slipcover in waterproof fabric, I will never know). I went with a brushed nickel floor lamp behind the chair because the sort of industrial look of the metal made it feel more space-themed while still being neutral and useful for many years.

I put a similar but smaller floor lamp over by the changing table to assist with late night diaper changes, and both lamps have floor step buttons to turn them on and off, which is a feature I’ve really come to value while carrying a baby around in the dark at night.

Above the chair and lamp is the mobile I made, which was the first thing the baby seemed to really notice in the room, and I often find him gazing at it. The original storage bench I ordered to go under the book ledge ended up being the wrong size, so I opted for several of barrel-type storage tables.

They work great as end tables now, but down the line they will also add additional storage for stuffed animals and whatever else.

To further maximize space, I removed the closet door and replaced it with curtains that match the oneson the window so that we would gain back the floor space needed for the door to open and close. This swap allowed me to go with a crib with a changing table built in to save even more space (he has already outgrown that table, as I knew he would, but it’s still useful to hold the diapering supplies).

The curtains have a silver design that sort of looks like comets or shooting stars, but it’s really just lines and dots, so they suggest a sort of space-like vibe but can likely be reused even if we change the theme later.

Inside the closet I used a low cube organizer with plastic bins and chalkboard sticker labels to hold toys, a humidifier, crib sheets, photoshoot props (I’ve done monthly photos and some seasonal ones), and blankets. I can easily change out the contents of the bins and the labels as needed for an older kid.

On top of the organizer, I have white bins for laundry and outgrown clothes. I may have to switch to a single larger basket at some point for laundry, but otherwise I think the concept will work well for many years. The top shelf holds more white bins for clothing in future sizes and extra diapers.

Above the crib I added decals of stars and a moon, some 3D paper stars, and a print of polar bears stargazing. The decals peel right off, so if we ever rearrange the room or want to refresh the theme as he grows, we can easily relocate or remove them.

My original plan for the dresser was to get one that would fit under the window so that when our son is a toddler he would be able to reach all his drawers and use the top as a play surface, but IKEA did not want to cooperate with that plan, so I could never actually purchase a dresser that fit that goal.

In the short term, this actually probably worked out for the best due to some minor furniture rearranging we’ve done since and because we use the top of the dresser to hold bottle supplies.

But I’m still bitter about IKEA (though grateful to everyone who commented offering to help us track down the specific piece I originally wanted!).


I used tension drawer dividers and a label maker to organize the dresser drawers by size and different types of items.

Above the dresser, I hung this framed print of space-themed ice creams I found at Crate and Barrel. The print is FAR cheaper if you buy it elsewhere on the internet and frame it yourself, but I was not in the mood, so I just ordered it framed.

I’m not sure what medium the print is, but it looks like crayon, so it feels both child-friendly and whimsical but also clean and modern.

The final wall in the room has a folding bed for me so that I can room share with him for a while (we have a very elderly dog who stopped being able to do stairs about the time the baby arrived and needs to go outside several times a night, so my husband has been sleeping on a second folding bed downstairs with her).

When I move out of the room, I will replace the bed with toy storage (shelves, bins, etc.). Above the bed, we have more book ledges, which we’re currently using to hold some keepsakes and other items (including some astronaut sculptures and an Apollo 13 art canvas), but down the line they could hold books or photos.

Just underneath the ledge, we installed a magnetic strip, which echoes the metal accents throughout the rest of the room. Right now, it just holds bunting I got off Etsy, but I imagine it will hold finger paintings and elementary school artwork when he’s younger and then also serve as a place to put up posters (without damaging the walls!) when he goes through that phase as a teen.

This photo looks a little jumbled and smudgy because it was taken shortly after the new floors went in, so I was still getting everything put back together and cleaned up.


They weren’t really part of the nursery itself, but I did sew some baby booties and a matching quilt in the same colors as the room (the fabric looks a little minty in photos, but it’s more teal). The booties didn’t even fit him until he was 2 months old!

That’s about it!

We’ve had to make some minor adjustments here and there due to some unforeseen changes to how we needed to use the room, but it has still worked great.

We have not baby-proofed yet, so that will be the next step now that things are in a more stable configuration, and eventually I may get a real rug for the floor, but we currently use a variety of play mats for tummy time, so we haven’t needed one. The nursery is currently the nicest room in our house, and I really love how it has turned out.

Our baby also seems to really love it; he actually asks to be carried up to his crib each night, and he has play time and story time up
here every day, and I hope it will continue to grow with him.

~Mel

 

More Guest Posts By Mel

A Freezer Meal Menu Plan for Four Month’s Worth of Meals

Big List of Freezer Meal Recipes and Freezer Meal Cooking Tips

DIY Polymer Clay Christmas Ornament Ideas and Tutorial

How to Make Fabric Gift Bags

Mini Sewing Room Makeover

DIY Lemonade Concentrate

Super Simple Summer Tomato Pasta

Experience Joining a CSA and Eating More Vegetables 

Making Apple Cider with a Presspple Cider

Mel’s Under The Sea Bathroom

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Comments

  2. Tracey says

    It turned out great! You were so thoughtful with your planning – it’s sure to be a room he can grow up in. Congratulations!

    Reply

  4. J in OH-IO says

    Mel-
    It looks fabulous!!! Your thoughtfulness in everything you did to make this room for your child is wonderful! Such a well planned room to grow into and I really liked the metal strip under the ledge for future artwork and teen posters! Way to go! Thank you for sharing! Congrats!

    Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, J! The metal strip is one of my favorite parts. We don’t have much wall space elsewhere due to windows and an open-concept design, so I’m really excited to have carved out a space for any artwork.

      Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Margo! My favorite part of the stars is the top edge where they stop–that was as high as I could reach on our step stool, so that’s where the stars stop!

      Reply

  6. Lisa says

    Looks amazing! We are remodeling a small/awkward room too and these are some good ideas. May I ask what flooring you used?

    Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks! It’s luxury vinyl plank. I forget the color, but I think the brand is Shaw. I originally wanted dark floors, but we went light to try to better match some other flooring in our house, and I’m glad we did because it really brightened it up.

      Reply

  7. Tammy says

    The room is adorable! I love all the details!

    For the door stop, if you still need a different solution: there are actually doorstops you can insert into the hinge of the door. This allows you to adjust where the door comes to a stop. We have one in our main bathroom, and it works really well.

    Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Tammy! That’s a great idea about the built in stop. The door is almost flush to the wall, so it might be too tight, but I’ll have to look into that!

      Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Annette! And yes! My husband was carrying him around the house one evening to calm him, and we realized he stopped crying as he approached the nursery. It turns out that when he rubs his eyes around 7:00, it’s his way of asking to go to his crib. (He’s currently waking more than 10 times a night due to sleep regression, so that’s a separate issue, but actually going to bed the first time works well).

      Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Donna! I really hope it lasts as well as I think it will. I want it to eventually reflect his interests, so I’m sure we’ll do some updates, but I’m hoping they’ll be quick swaps instead of a major overhaul.

      Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Lissa! I think Mavis might have one more post in the works from me, but we’ll see! It’s so fun to share ideas here.

      Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Jules! I love the mouse as well. He did get damaged when the new floors went in, but luckily he was only a couple dollars and easy to replace.

      Reply

    • Cindy says

      Wow what a room for a baby boy to grow into and see all the fun things he has to play with. Love the book wall, mouse decal is so awesome, the handmade items, rocking chair are about being a mom. Mel you did a great job on everything. Congratulations to two very proud parents welcoming a baby boy.

      Reply

  15. PSUCHIC06 says

    Beautiful! And very well thought out!

    LOVE the mouse on the wall…Kids have such imaginations…he will have fun!

    That flooring is awesome! As is the wall color…not a huge change but definitely brighter/happier!

    Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks! I love the gray walls because it’s just enough gray to add some depth without making the room dark, but my friend tried to use it in a brighter room, and it ended up looking white! So funny how the color changes with the room.

      Reply

  18. Janet says

    Mel, Congratulations on your baby boy!! You did a beautiful job on his nursery, you are very creative!! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

  22. Lori SA says

    Lovely! What a well thought out and comfortable space you have created. I like the shelves (and magnet bar)- such a good use of tight spaces. Congratulations on becoming a mother!

    Reply

  23. sandyf says

    Besides the adorable room and the talent you have-I have to love that your husband sleeps downstairs to care for your elderly dog. That made my heart smile. You both are such lovely people. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Sandy! If you really want to melt, we recently had to take a stray cat we care for to the vet for an injury, and she spent 4 days recovering in our other upstairs guest room. She’s skittish around us, but LOVES our dog, so my husband carried the 60 lb dog up and down the stairs to visit her while she recovered.

      Reply

  27. Kim says

    Happy new baby, Mel. The room is a labor of love, so very well thought out and beautiful.
    My favorite part is the book ledge. So eye catching and fun to change out. May your little fellow grow to LOVE reading throughout his entire life.
    Happy adventures in parenting!

    Reply

    • Mel says

      Thanks, Kim! So far so good on loving to read. He’s 4 months old and already turns the pages of books we read and holds them open for me.

      Reply

  28. Melonie K. says

    Having a parent bed is GENIUS! I fell asleep in a chair or on the floor of my kids’ nurseries an uncountable number of times, waking up to a crick in my neck or back. Wish I’d have thought to do something like this!

    I love the little mouse and all the other fun touches. I’m sure your little guy will enjoy this room for many years. And so peaceful, no wonder he is already asking to be carried to bed at night!

    Reply

    • Mel says

      The bed has worked really well so far! Sharing a room is recommended, but our master bedroom didn’t have room for a crib, so I decided to add a bed in his room. It has a real mattress but also folds up, so we might keep it handy in case we need to sleep in there again later (maybe if he’s not feeling well). And it’s nice that the wall will be available for toy storage once the bed leaves.

      Reply

  30. Judy says

    Wow, that is such a beautiful room and one that can be used for years with just a few modifications. Great job Mel! Can I ask where you got the mouse decal? I would love to order that for my granddaughter.

    Reply

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