We are sliding into third with the new bedrooms! Meaning the actual renovation part is nearly done and it is time for the fun part. The furnishing and decorating! I already showed you what I am going to try in Lucky’s big boy room, and now I am focusing on the baby’s room. I have never had the chance to do a nursery for any of my kids due to renting ugly places or moving at the end of pregnancy. Since this might be my last baby, I decided I wanted to do a nursery. However, since I am not a fan of foofoo baby stuff, it will be a very neutral nursery that can transition into a more grown up bedroom when the times comes.
Remember how hideous this room was when we moved in?
Fake wood paneling, track lighting that was not even hardwired, auxiliary heaters not hooked to the breaker box at all, sage green tile, and the not legal for a basement bedroom by two whole inches windows. This house was listed with this room defined as two bedrooms even though there was no wall between them, the windows were not legal egress, and missing a heat source minus the fire hazard screwed to the wall.
Don’t forget the closet, which was actually a wall of cabinets filled with spiders and rodent poop.
The new windows and several real walls to put up would not have been too spendy if it weren’t for the need to install HVAC. Heating vents and air returns are kid of a big deal in the cold of Minneapolis. I m happy to say, the windows are nice, the rooms are warm, and there are closets, albeit bare ones without a shelf or bar.
So, let’s have fun!
I am taking the black dresser from the old girl room and re-purposing it in this room after a blue paint job. We already have the Childcraft crib. The walls are painted in Mindful Grey by Sherwin Williams. The white corner shelf may or may not end up in this room. It depends on if it is needed in another room. I have had that corner shelf for over 10 years and it has been through many paint colors and apartments. I have the ceiling light fixture, waiting to be installed. I actually won those elephant decals in a giveaway on instagram, so I was going to use them in some canvas art. I will probably get the sheets and storage basket at Target. I don’t know about a rug. I kind of want one to protect the new carpet in the center of the room for a while, but I don’t want one with rubber backing. I will keep my eye out for a rag rug that will work, but it isn’t set in stone. I also would like some sort of brightly colored print to hang somewhere. Since the whole room will be white and grey, minus the bright blue dresser, I want something colorful in there besides the pies of toys that will no doubt migrate into the room soon enough.
Overall, it will definitely be a budget nursery since all of the furniture is being refurbished and re-purposed. I worry about white and light grey looking too bright and trendy, but this is a basement bedroom and the only window is underneath a deck. It is going to be a little dark and dreary no matter how bright I go. The carpet is also a lighter grey color. That is why I needed to paint that black dresser a bright blue. The baby room was at risk of looking like a medical exam room. I have a feeling it will still look a little blah until I move all of the mismatched baby gear in there. I am not picky at all about gender stuff, but I am thinking about getting rid of my bright pink rock-n-play and buying a neutral one to replace it. If I use the same pink stuff I used with my girls with this boy, I won’t be able to tell anyone apart in the pictures!