When Ben and I started planning Lincoln’s nursery we found ourselves with, well, no plans at all! Not huge fans of traditional nursery designs and color schemes, we both could agree that we wanted a neutral-toned, calming room with light-colored accents that would send Lincoln straight to dreamland while we rocked him to sleep each night…plus neither of us wanted to re-paint the already taupe-colored walls. I know.
(PS is there anything more fresh than a baby in a white onesie?!)
At any rate, full of things we picked out from here and there, I think we’ve ended up with a very soothing and relaxing room that Lincoln can put his own touch on when he’s a bit older. Welcome to the nursery!
In one corner we’ve got the glider. If you remember, Ben and I went back and forth on this baby for MONTHS. I wanted something that glided, he wanted something that rocked, neither of us could decide if we wanted a chair that reclined… In the end we chose a glider/ottoman combo from Buy Buy Baby (so sorry I forget the name of it!) It glides like a dream and after a week or so the cushy padded seat started to settle and get more comfortable. I kind of wish it reclined a little, but it’s not a deal breaker. I’m happy with our purchase, and we were able to use their 20% off store coupon on it.
You may recognize the curtains from the kitchen in our old house. Drilled ’em in myself! Our new kitchen didn’t need curtains and the light blue, navy, and brown waves in the fabric design went perfectly with the rest of the room. I got them at IKEA a few years ago and I think they still stock them.
Above the rocker we hung a sweet print our friends Kristy and Jeff got us (locals it’s from Suite Dreams.) Again – the taupey-brown shade fit right in and I can imagine Lincoln and I reading it together each morning when he wakes up. : )
Across the way is a bookshelf I picked up from Target. The espresso finish matches the rest of the furniture and right now it holds Lincoln’s books, stuffed animals, and other odds and ends.
Oh hi!
Although he won’t be wearing shoes for many, many months, the little man already has quite the collection, from the shoes we used to surprise my family at the gender reveal (which I remember thinking there was no possible way a baby’s foot could fit inside because they were so little, and now that I realize how tiny his feet are they seem like oversized clown shoes!) his first pair of Air Jordans from our friend John, and even woven flip flops from our friend Lindsey. Squeal – too cute!
I loved, loved, loved reading as a child (seriously, loved) and I hope Lincoln does too. We’re slowly but surely building up his book collection. What are your favorite books to read to your babies? An assortment of loveys are all ready to go, too!
I know, I know – time for bed. I’m almost done!
Caddy corner to the bookshelf is the dresser/changing table. This is a dresser from Babi Italia’s Ashville line that I was gifted along with the crib I’m getting to next. This is a sturdy and beautifully-built piece that Lincoln will keep in his bedroom forever. Still trying to decide what to put above it. I’m thinking a giant map/mural of the world to pass my love of travel and exploring onto the little guy would look good.
We also have a Diaper Champ Deluxe which I like because it uses regular 13 gallon kitchen bags vs bags that you have to buy specifically to fit the diaper pail. Sometimes I wish it was a bit bigger, but then again, that’s probably by design!
On top of the dresser you’ve got the usual suspects – wipes, diapers, Vaseline, etc.
I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and raided the bin section for these guys, which have turned out to be so handy for holding everything from diapers and socks, to toys and bath time stuff. Use the 20% off coupons for each one and you’re golden.
Finally, zee main event – the crib! This is the Babi Italia Ashville Crib in espresso and Ben and I both just love it. It’s extremely sturdy and transitions into a toddler bed, day bed, and finally a full bed whenever he’s ready for it. So handy!
We usually keep this on the back of the crib, out of Lincoln’s reach, but I had to show you the farm animal quilt my friends at the Iowa Food and Family Project gave us when Lincoln was born. It is ADORABLE. I know L will love picking out each animal and making their individual sounds when he plays on it in the future.
Up above the crib is a set of prints I got from Etsy. Aren’t they great?? I love how the blue chevron in the third print matches the chevron in my favorite crib sheet. I heart chevron. : )
Lincoln does too!
Thanks for coming along on our tour!
Kristin from MN 09.05.2013
When my son was a baby, his favorites were Good Night Gorilla, Go Dog Go, Everyone’s Little by Ed Vere and my favorite will always be Love You Forever! Your nursery is so cute! I love the white trim in your house!
Laura 09.05.2013
Cute room!! Not sure if you know this or not, but Buy Buy Baby is owned by Bed Bath…you can use Bed Bath coupons at Buy Buy and Buy Buy Coupons at Bed Bath! Buy Buy Baby also take Babies R Us coupons! Love that store!
Rebekah 09.05.2013
Little Blue Truck and the ABC What I Can Be personalized book by I See Me are so sweet!
http://www.iseeme.com/abc-what-i-can-be-personalized-book.html
Love your nursery!
Jess A 09.05.2013
We love the Sandra Boynton books (Moo Baa Laa Laa is a favorite of Gwen’s)
Angela 09.05.2013
omigosh! he is just the cutest little thing!!
Nancy 09.05.2013
Never too soon to start reading to your little one. I agree that the Sandra Boynton books are good ones too.
Rachael 09.05.2013
I recommend any Kevin Henkes book. Chester’s Way, Chrysanthemum, Owen…I could go on and on. :)
Ali | Gimme Some Oven 09.05.2013
The nursery looks amazing, Kristin!!! :)
Margie 09.05.2013
Lovely nursery! I’m with you on the Diaper Champ. It seems so much easier and cheaper than the genie.
I read Guess How Much I Love You to my 13-month old son pretty much every day that I easily mesmerized it. Noah, my son, loves it. And, when he’s upset, I recite it and he calms down.
Ashlee @ A Step in the Right Direction 09.05.2013
We love reading Big Dog Little Dog & We have the Hallmark series “Mason” with the bear that talks too :) It looks great!
C. 09.05.2013
Beautiful nursery! I am at least a year or two away from planning one, but I completely agree with your ‘non-theme’ neutral ideas. Love me some chevron too :)
Alisha @ Alisha's Appetite 09.05.2013
awwwwww this tour makes me want to have a wittle baby :) So presh!
Elly 09.05.2013
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown is one of our favorites! I love the illustrations and my daughter loves saying all of the animal noises. I ditto the Sandra Boynton books (Moo, Baa, La La La is a fave), as well as the Llama Llama books. When Lincoln is older, Pete the Cat and Skippy Jon Jones are funny!
Kristin D 09.05.2013
Sandra Boynton… Not Boyington… Sorry!!!
Kristin D 09.05.2013
I CAN’T STOP (I’m so sorry… you’ve created a monster)!
We also have a couple Iowa-themed books that our kids love… Iowa ABC, Hello Herky!, and H is for Hawkeye (another ABC book)… all are cute and since we’re proud Iowans, too, highly recommended :) I SWEAR I’m gonna be done now… until an hour from now when I think of more books that make me happy and I have to share some more.
Kristin D 09.05.2013
I’m horribly obsessed with kids books…
It looks like you already have some of the “classic great” kids books – Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, and we have always loved the Baby Einstein animal book, those “feelers” are great ones!
1. I love you, Stinky Face (our daughters read this until it fell apart, it’s funny and cute and shows how unconditionally a mama loves her son… I had to get a new copy when we had a boy)
2. Anything by Sandra Boyington they all have a hidden teaching moment… Our faves: Happy Hippo, Angry Duck (emotions); But Not the Hippopotamus (making everyone feel included); Hippos Go Berzerk (counting); and Moo, Baa, LaLaLa (animal sounds)
3. Llama Llama books – all of them, but Llama Llama Mad At Mama is my favorite
4. The Little Blue Truck – another “teaching moment” book – all about helping each other and being nice to everyone
5. My Busy, Busy Day by Kelly Kim (red with a picture of a kid on the front)… It isn’t in print anymore, but I find them on eBay and buy them for every new little person in our life). It isn’t the most exciting book, but ALL little people have a strange adoration for books with pics of REAL kids in them.
Have fun – reading to littles has always been some of my favorite moments!!!
Carissa 09.06.2013
I second Little Blue Truck! It’s so much fun to read and has a great message. We also love Lola at the Library, Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti (an awesome equal parenting book from the 80s), lots of the Sandra Boynton board books, and when our girl was really little she liked the Jelly Cat fabric books. I received one as a gift and bought a couple more off Amazon. Thanks for sharing your nursery!
Caitlyn 09.10.2013
We love the Llama llama books in our family. My nephew is actually a little bit too old for them now (*sob*), but a new one just came out and I bought it for him anyway. :)
Caitlyn 09.10.2013
Also, check out the Skippy John Jones series. My nephew is equally enamored by them. The main character is a Siamese cat who thinks he is a Chihuahua. It really doesn’t get much better than that!
Katie 09.05.2013
Love the Pioneer bear! My dad works for Pioneer, and I grew up surrounded by Pioneer-braded objects. :)
Megan 09.05.2013
favorite book: I Love You Through and Through. I still read this multiple times a day/at bedtime. It helps teach emotions, body parts and we play along though the book making the different faces, and showing the different body parts.
http://www.amazon.com/Love-You-Through-And/dp/0439673631
58Teresa 09.05.2013
Favorite books of all time – Sam McBratney’s “Guess How Much I Love You” is full of sweet sweet sentiment – we and still say I love you to infinity and back,(because wise guys that they are, my 23 & 21 year olds had come up with “Well, I love you to infinity!”).
Eric Carle’s book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”(definitely get a cardboard one – so Lincoln can stick his fingers in the holes and chew on it, is full of primary colors and teaches counting, colors, fruit – and part of the life cycle of a butterfly.
I also really like “The Monster at the End of the Book” – by Sesame Street with Grover – who could not love Grover? It’s great for teaching about anxiety – in a fun way. (spoiler alert – Grover is the monster at the end of the book).
And I loved “On The Day You Were Born” – the hospital I had my youngest in sent us home with a copy, it is just so beautiful and expresses a universal love for the child you are reading it to.
We also had a “Better Homes & Garden” story book – don’t know if it’s in print, but one of the stories had words and pictures to read – so you would start a sentence, and then there would be a picture of a “little red hen” instead of the words “little red hen” – so before my kids could read, we would “read together” and they would say what the picture was. (did I explain that well enough?)
mmmm – I do hope you get to read to Lincoln every night before bed – even now – it was one of the best moments of our day/evening with our children, highly recommend it.
There are so many great books out there, but I’m signing off before I take up the rest of your comment section!
Amanda 09.05.2013
They’re called rebus stories, and being able to help read the story made me feel so smart as a kid! :)
Thank you for hosting this giveaway, Kristin!
Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers 09.05.2013
Everything is just adorable! We went with a similar wall color but white furniture. The darker color looks great with it too though!
Mindy 09.05.2013
We love books here too!! I had to many to send over here after my showers! My favorite to read to E right now is I love you So. I definitely cried reading to him the first time it is so sweet! Great nursery!