Big Boy Room Mood Board

I'm still hesitant to call Avery's new room a big boy room, since my baby is well a baby. But we figure when we move back in our home, the timeline still undecided (maybe December?) Avery will be a year and a half. So Hasani and I had to have the crib vs. the toddler bed vs. a twin bed discussion and what made most sense. In the end it really doesn't make sense to buy another crib or toddler bed, that he would soon out grow. Tabari was in a twin bed before the age of 3. 
So we have decided we'll buy a twin bed frame and use side rails on one side of the bed. The other side of the bed will be up against the wall. 

Even though we have no move back home timeline, I still thought it would be a good idea to put together some ideas for his new room. I'm really drawn to the colors of avacado pear, orange, pale blue and grey. I just love how those colors look in his room which gets lots of natural sunlight. I've also used the same colors for my baby shower invites & party (here), his first birthday invites & party (here) and his nursery (here) Yup those colors gets lots of love in our home when it comes to Avery. So it makes perfect sense to use them again, I'm already loving that the colors have grown with him thus far. For Avery's new room design, my goal is to add a play spot in his room, reading / coloring area and above all create a well organized happy room that he'll love & want to play in. I fully anticipate him playing all over the house, but creating his own spherical spot in his room makes me happy. Here's the mood board I put together for his room. 

1. A few days ago, I mentioned I was working on a gallery wall above his crib before the fire. I plan to create a new gallery wall is his room. So far I have the cute Alphabet print, which was a gift from Etsy seller Yulia of Giraffes and Stuff. She was sweet enough to send a print our way for Avery's nursery after she heard what happened, thank you again! I'm also digging this cute print from the Land of Nod. I think his gallery wall will be a mixture of artwork and my own little creations for him (framed gift wrap etc) I'm also loving this print, via Etsy sell Handz. I used to love my viewfinder when I was little, I'm sure my mom still has mine somewhere.

2. I want to add some bookcases to his room, for books, toys and baskets. Just the thought of making arranging a cute kids bookcases makes me smile. I'm on the fence, not sure if we'll get a pair of short bookcases of a pair of tall ones. Ideally I'd find a pair of bookcases with bottom cabinets on Craigslist that just need a little love. Cute bookends that can be played with will be a must for his bookcase, I anticipate lots of books and toys all over his floor. The Skip Hop Zoo Bookends, had me at hello and the colors are perfect for his room! I plan on using a few baskets for his stuffed animals and misc toys, I like these colorful ones from the Land of Nod. For his twin bed, I really like the modern clean lines of West Elm's bed frames, this one is my favorite. 

3. I love all things Melissa & Doug they have the cutest retro wood toys and huge plush animals, I'm leaning towards getting the Dalmatian or Giraffe for his room, big soft animals are must in his room (Don't be fooled by my picture, in real life the Dalmatian is huge) I love kids tables and chairs in bedrooms, they perfect spot to draw, play and 'read' books at. My mom has this little yellow pre-school chair and Avery loves to sit at when he's at her house. Adding chairs and a table will be perfect addition to his room. I really like these modern feeling dark walnut kids chairs I found on Target.com (they are almost twins of the pricey Land of Nod version) I loved the price $29.99 on clearance for two, so I bought them. I can't wait until they arrive!! I adore this Land of Nod table it fits so well in small spaces, and I love how the legs are off-set :)

4. Lastly one my favorites things to shop for fabric! I had Annia drapes in Avery's nursery from Ikea, but I they no longer sell that color Avocado Pear, boo! I'm considering sewing new drapes in the same color I used in his nursery or mixing it up sewing patterned drapes. I love both of the fabrics found on Tonic Living, just need to order swatches and see if they'll work. His bedding is still up in the air, but i'm in love with these sheets from the Land of Nod, love'em! Here's a closer look at the patterned fabric I'm considering for his drapes. If I don't use it as drapes, maybe I'll sew a throw out of it? Or sew a duvet? The possibilities are endless! This time around I plan on lining his drapes with blackout liner, this mom wants to sleep in just a little on weekends :)

It feels so good it get my ideas on paper, yeah know what I mean, lol. Nothing is set in stone except his chairs and the artwork we already have. I'm really looking forward to working on his room and my tweens room. What do you think of my ideas so far?

Are you working on any room update around your house? What's your favorite part bringing in cute accessories or fabric shopping? 

PS: Don't forget to enter the Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway!! 

CLH Featured on Baby Lifestyles!

Avery's nursery has been featured on Baby Lifestyles Magazine in their Real Nursery section. Baby Lifestyles is a new online Magazine and Website that shares inspiring nurseries and ideas with their readers, we are so excited to be apart of it! Please check out the Interview here. Below is a screen shot of the feature from my computer screen.

Please let me know what you think of the article :) I'll be back on Thursday to share another DIY project I just completed.

Finally the Nursery Reveal!!

The moment we've { ok me } has finally come, our little guy's nursery is finally done! It feels so good to have have his room completed. Even if its a whole 2 1/2 months after his arrival, but hey that's ok. I planned on having Avery's nursery completed during the two weekends before his scheduled due date 6 /18, but he arrived early on 6 /3 and due to my surprise C - Section working on his nursery, progress happened here and there. Before sharing the afters, here's a reminder of his room before it turned into a nursery. The once just held misc. junk. After finding out we were expecting we cleaned out the room and started with a blank slate.

We painted the room a soft grey Silver Drop by Behr color matched to Olympic paint and refinished the hardwood floors Early American in April before really starting on the nursery. We also made the baseboards taller, by adding extra molding to the existing baseboards.

The room now has been truly transformed into a serene yet playful place for the Little guy. I fell in love with the color I call Artichoke Pear, after falling in love with the color in this nursery. We both loved the classic look of the Jenny Lind cribs and decided to go with white for a clean look { our older son also had a Jenny Lind Crib } We replaced the boob light fixture pretty drum shade light fixture found on Overstock, and installed a dimmer shade to make late night diaper changing and feedings easier. This is the view from the hallway when you enter the nursery.

I found the perfect bedding at Target a design from Dwell Studios and DIYed a long crib skirt with Artichoke Pear and White Pattern. I created the artwork above Avery's crib and framed them in Ikea Ribba frames. I like how the three large frames balance the crib nicely.

I bought the dresser for a steal at our local Salvation Army { only $ 50 bucks } and replaced the old brass pulls and knobs with polished chrome pulls and white and polished chrome knobs. I painted the dresser delicate white, which is my favorite white of all time. I love that this vintage dresser has SO much storage a total of nine drawers! Plenty of room to store Avery's diapers, wipes, onesies, blankets, and much more. To save on space the dresser top doubles as a changing table { we simply attached the changing pad to the top of the dresser } For a pop of color, I used green tray that holds two clear containers, one full of baby q-tips the other baby stuff { nasal aspirators, nail clippers, pacifier thermometers }

I built two deep ledges { the same style as our entryway ledges } to hold Avery's toys, pictures, books and toys. The two stuffed giraffes I sewed for Avery act as bookends. The framed giraffe print, is actually a card I found at Raley's grocery store, I wrote a little note inside for Avery.

I placed the little wood magazine rack that Mr. CLH sprayed painted avocado next the dresser as you walk in the room. Behind the bedroom door, I framed another card. I found a little owl card while shopping at Barnes & Nobles. I loved the little card so much I knew it would be perfect in Avery's nursery. I framed the little card and also framed the envelope { placed behind the card } It's the cutest little owl ever.

I didn't want any 'dead space' in the nursery, so this little corner in between the crib and dresser became the perfect play nook for Avery's toys. I placed Avery's toys in a colorful woven basket.

To maximize space in this small space, I placed the chair diagonally in front of Avery's closet. We were looking for an affordable chair option that didn't lack in style or comfort, and we were thrilled when came across one from Cost Plus World Market. Instead of buying the matching ottoman, I found one at a thrift store of $ 10 bucks. I upholstered the ottoman using fab the Waverly Cross Section fabric. I love kicking my feet up and relaxing while nursing Avery.

Here's the breakdown what we spent transforming this once empty room into our little guy's nursery. I also included a quick source list of the main elements in Avery's nursery.

Jenny Lind Crib $ 99.99 { on clearance from Sears }

Serta Nightstar Crib Mattress $ 99.00

Curtains Ikea Ania $ 49.99

Black Iron Curtain Rod Target $ 12.99

Light Fixture Overstock $ 100.00

Dwell Studio Crib Bedding via Target $ 37.99 { Sheet & Bumper pad }

DIY Crib Skirt Fabric $ 16.99

Luxe Chair & Chair Cover World Market $ 222.49

Vintage Dresser $ 50 { Thrifted }

Dresser Hardware via Hardware Hut $ 35

DIY Ledges $ 8

Magazine Rack & Spray Paint $ 7 { Thrifted }

Vintage Ottoman $ 10 { Thrifted }

Grey Cross Section Fabric via Fabric.com $ 11

Changing Pad from Sears $ 15

Terry Cloth Changing Pad Cover, Ross $ 4

Woven Basket for Toy Storage, Target $ 7 { on clearance }

Green Tray West Elm $ 22

Large Ikea Ribba Frames $ 45 { $ 14.99 each }

I rounded the total up, we spent $ 853 bucks, which is great!! We found many deals using coupons, shopping online, shopping thrift stores and a ton of DIY projects { crib skirt, refinishing the dresser, upholstering the ottoman etc } I had a blast working on Avery's nursery. Creating a special space for for our little boy to play, learn and grow in makes me so happy. Whenever I walk in Avery's room, I smile. For now we consider Avery's room completed, but we still plan on adding a rug to his room very soon. I've been on the hunt and most likely will go with Flor carpet tiles next time they have sale. I'll update changes we make in his nursery over time. I hope you all enjoyed Avery's nursery!!

What do you think?

Project Nursery: Dresser is Done

The dresser saga in Avery's nursery has finally come to a close, with the second dresser we purchased is done! The first dresser turned out to be far to much work { we are on a time crunch people! lol } too much damaged veneer.. Then I come across an amazing vintage dresser for $ 100 bucks, but only paid $ 50 bucks thanks to a 50% off sale at our local Salvation Army. I'm really glad I came across this dresser, it turned out to be a great buy. It's a super solid piece all wood construction on the inside with dove tail drawers.


* Thrift Store Furniture Shopping Tip: Confirm all drawers open smooth and close perfect. Nothing sucks more than a stuck drawer.

I painted the dresser Delicate White Satin { this finish complemented the crib better } by Olympic Paint and used the same painting steps I did on our dresser here. I replaced all the old hardware with shiny polished Nicol. I LOVE how polsihed crom shines against a white dresser. I found the pulls at the Hardware Hut online for $ 4.19 each. I bought the knobs at our local HD Home Supply, I liked the mix of chrome and white { faux } porcelain.

After the dresser was completed and before all the drawers were put away, Mr. CLH hung two deep ledges above the dresser. I built ledges very similar to the ones on our entryway except made these ones much deeper. I wanted them nice and deep to hold a wide range of Avery's baby stuff, from books to piggy banks etc. Mr. CLH drilled the ledges into the studs, to ensure an extra strong hold.

Here's the dresser after!

I lined the inside of his drawers with srcap booking paper in colorful funky prints.

I'm a happy camper, not much left to do :) Just put away Avery's baby gear in his dresser. This dresser as so much storage its insane. I also need to fill up the shelves. So the next time you see the nursery it will be done :)

Follow Along: As we create a nursery for our baby boy due in June 2011 (He arrived early on 6/3/11) From the beginning; Nursery Bare Bones, Paint Makes the Difference, Bye Bye Boob Light &Hemming & Hawing, Crib Notes, To Rock or Not To Rock? Nursery Artwork, Vintage Ottoman, Nursery Dresser Saga

They Arrived

The pulls I ordered for Avery's dresser arrived. I'm in love with them and glad we went with the square more modern-ish looking pulls over the classic looking ones ( click here for a reminder ) The pulls have a nice polished finished and are a nice weight.

I'll have before and afters of the dresser very soon. 

Project Nursery: Vintage Ottoman Upholstery Finished!

Remember the vintage ottoman I bought for $10 bucks from a thrift store for the nursery, well its finished. So glad to finish this challenging { to me } upholstery project. Here's a reminder of how the ottoman looked when I brought it home. Size wise the ottoman is a perfect fit for the chair, but the fabric was very dated. Even thought the fabric is NMS { not my style } I like the piping detail on the cushion and on the bottom of the ottoman. I also liked the feet on the ottoman had a great shape but were a little banged up and the color matched our hardwood floors a little to much.

Feel free to scroll ahead for the reveal, below is my how to. Click here for the 'How To' on removing the dated fabric and and sewing the bottom portion on the ottoman. This is how the ottoman looked the last time you saw it.

I removed the fabric from the cushion the same way I removed the bottom fabric on the ottoman. I used the old fabric as my template for cutting out my new fabric. I wanted some contrast with the print, so I made my own piping using cording I bought at Joann's and dark grey fabric. The I placed the piping in the middle of the side piece and top portion of the fabric. After sewing the top piece of the ottoman, I placed it on top of the cushion to check for sizing making sure I was sewing a good fit. Take your time sewing the corners when adding piping, to get a nice round look. Do you see the blue painters tape peaking out?Well the old inside cushion corners were started to weaken without the old fabric, so I placed the tape on them to keep them in place. Yeah, Macgyver theme totally played in my mind while did this. Feel free to rock out while you read this post :)

Next I sewed on the grey piping to the bottom sides of my box cushion, I found it was easy to sew on the piping before sewing on the bottom piece. Make sure you use lots and lots of pins while sewing a cushion with piping, it really helps keep everything in its place. I loved how the piping turned out.

I turned the cushion inside out and then sewed the bottom piece to the top of the box. Basically its like sewing  a box pillow. I left a large opening to I could easily place the cushion inside the cover. I pinned the cushion closed and sewed it closed, hiding the stitches in the seams of the piping. 

After the cushion was completed, I finished working on the bottom portion of the ottoman. I decided to spray paint the feet on the ottoman, oil rubbed bronze. The feet on the ottoman wouldn't screw off, so I covered the ottoman with newspaper and took the ottoman outside to spray paint the feet. I love how the feet turned out and they match nicely with the dark feet on the chair.

Next I put the fabric back on the bottom of the ottoman and then stapled the fabric to the bottom of the base. I started stapling in the center pulling the fabric tight. Next I stapled the piping on the bottom of the ottoman. At each corner I trimmed the pipping then used fabric glue to secure the edges.

To attach the cushion the the base of the ottoman, I used fabric glue. After the fabric glue dried, I sewed the cushion to the base fabric. I really love how this re-upholstery project turned out! I love how the grey piping really makes the ottoman look finished. The vintage ottoman looks so good in the nursery and in front of the chair. I also like how good this pattern looks with the other patterns in the room, they all go together.

The nursery is almost done, I only have a few more things to do before its completed. It feels so good to be at the finish line a full 2 months after our little guy arrived! :) Remember he did arrive 2 weeks early :)

What do you think of the vintage ottoman redo?

Follow Along: As we create a nursery for our baby boy due in June 2011 (He arrived early on 6/3/11) From the beginning; Nursery Bare Bones, Paint Makes the Difference, Bye Bye Boob Light &Hemming & Hawing, Crib Notes, To Rock or Not To Rock? Nursery Artwork, Vintage Ottoman, Nursery Dresser