We’re making room for baby! I could go on and on about how excited I am to design a Nantucket inspired nursery for our baby girl… But, I’ll share all of the details of finding joy in pregnancy after loss and immense fear for another post. THIS space is to share all of the details we have planned for creating a beautiful coastal nursery that will grow with our girl for years to come.
Why Nantucket?
It’s our second favorite place in the world. Number one being Charleston, South Carolina where we call home. We had to skip our annual ACK vacation due to pregnancy and Covid-19, so we’re just bringing the Grey Lady to us! My husband and I have big dreams to one day own property on the Island – oh what a day that will be!
What’s your timeline?
Well, thanks to the OneRoomChallenge – 8 weeks! I am due the end of July, but we are in a position where our daughter could arrive two months early. So, this time works just perfectly with getting her space ready and leaving time to prepare our hearts {aka nap, sleep, veg, play with Big Brother} before her arrival.
(Check out other participants of the OneRoomChallenge here!)
What have you done so far?
Nothing. Really. The nursery is taking the place of the former guest room/craft room/painting gallery/podcast merch storage/shipping center/catch-all. We’re in the process of rethinking storage and the attached closet to find a home for all of those other needs.
The only thing I’ve done so far is a lot of dreaming. Which is a VERY important first step.
What are your plans for the space?
I’m so glad you asked! Let me show you a little design board I put together.
We are reusing the crib with attached changing table, rocker, sailboat mobile and a small side table from our son’s nursery. We also have lamps and canvas blackout curtains/rod from our previous home.
Board and Battan
This is what will really transform the room! I’ve been dreaming of high board and battan with a ledge for as long as I can remember. I saw it in a little girl’s room of a model home when I was a teenager and have always loved it.
We’ve opted for 1×4 primed pine boards for all of the materials. The battans will be 5 foot tall on 20″ centers. We’ll be replacing the baseboard and trim around the doors as well. Everything will be painted a pretty white and leave the existing Repose Gray wall on top.
Cane Dresser DIY
I found an IKEA hack tutorial on Pinterest that I’ll be following very closely. I love everything about it!
Wood and Rope Footstool DIY
This project lives completely inside my head… but might be the one I’m most excited about! Stay tuned!
Art
The easiest part for us! I can’t wait to use photographs from our Nantucket trips in fun floating frames. And, since I love to paint, I’ll be doing a couple special pieces for my sweet baby girl.
Accessories
This is where the Nantucket aspect will really pop! I plan to add little elements that create the quintessential Nantucket we love – buoys, cedar shingles, hydrangeas, daffodils, lightship baskets, and whales – oh my! Sound like a lot? Nah, it’ll be very tasteful! The primary color palette will be a base of white, gray and light wood with accents of coral, navy and yellow. Oooh I can’t wait!
What do you plan to spend?
Welllll… I don’t know? A quick tally in my head and I truly believe we can accomplish everything for under $1000. Thankfully we already have the large pieces, so our biggest purchase will be board and battan materials.
And that’s it!
If my husband read all the way to this point he’s probably laughing out loud right now. That’s it??? I know, I know.. it’s a hefty list for a couple month. BUT! I have a good vision (that I can share with him so we’re on the same page) and we have a pretty good plan. Once he does the walls and paints, I’ll be set to have at it. Aside from a good bit of assistance with the heavy lifting 🙂
I truly believe the hardest part of the project will be helping Big Brother say goodbye to his bed and rocker as we move it into Little Sister’s room. Hoping the “new and shiny” will be enough appeal to ease the apprehension. Wish us luck!
I will post weekly updates with our to-dones and our upcoming to-dos. For regular #oneroomchallenge conversation, follow along on my Instagram @charlestonhomemaker where it’s always about making a happy home.
