Inspiration to Reality

The baby nursery was the first room in our house that we had actually decorated ourselves. All of the other rooms in our house are kind of thrown together with an eclectic mix of old and new. I was so excited to have a blank canvas to do with what I wanted. My vision for the room was to make it fun and bright without looking too juvenile. I didn't want to have to paint again in 2-3 years when our son's interests change and he has a sense of what he wants in his own space. I also wanted to save a buck or two by finding good deals at the antique malls and sales at department stores. For those who don't have children, baby furniture is so over priced! The quality is usually pretty terrible and it's hard to find pieces that don't look like everything else you've seen. I was also willing to make other items for the room to add a more personal touch.
After scouring the internet, I found my inspiration (shown above) and tried to repeat that for less than $1000. We were lucky and many items were gifted to us by friends (in the form of gift cards) and family (a few of our big ticket items). Obviously, the inspiration photo is of much better quality but here it is and I hope you love it just as much as we do!

Letters from Kohl's on sale for about $3.50 a piece. The dresser was purchased from a local antique mall for $40. Supplies to refinish (2 cans of paint stripper, sand paper, 1 can of spray paint and 1 quart white paint) cost $50. Combined, the total for the dresser was $90, compared to an estimated $300 average for a new dresser that is not very stylish or attractive. Navy blue storage cubby from Target, $10.

The orange frame was purchased from a garage sale for $5, quilting looms $.99 and $1.50. Other frames vary in price from $2 to $10. Letter E, made by me and inspired by pinterest, cost $5. Fabric scraps less than a dollar each. Entire project cost approximately $40 and we continue to add new items as time goes by. I used baby pictures of myself, my husband, our fathers (due to having a baby boy whose middle name is after them), 3-D ultrasound photo of baby and other decorative items used throughout the baby's nursery. White frames are hard to find!

The chair is a Pottery Barn Kids knockoff from Walmart priced at $250, compared to $599. This was a gift from my mother. She also made all of the pillows and the window valance for the room. We painted the room ourselves, with a little help from a great friend and our parents; the total cost for this project was $50.

Lamp, $16.99 from Target. Side table was refinished oak nesting table from my mom, spray paint cost under $5. Fabric used to make valance and pillows cost $3.99 a yard. We purchased one yard of each. Crib skirt was made by my grandmother, fabric $4.99 a yard (purchsed 2 1/2 yards) and pattern $1.50. To dress up the crib skirt, ribbon was sewn to the bottom in the same colors that we used throughout the room. 4 spools of ribbon and 3 spools of thread $13. The bassinet has been handed down through three generations and was gifted to us by my mom. Large navy blue storage cubby from Target was $12.

The modern style crib was purchased from babiesRus for $309.99, with the mattress costing $69.99. This was a gift from my husband's parents. White lanterns were recycled from our wedding. My mom was given the changing table from a neighbor that originally had an oak finish. I spray painted it white with 4 cans of spray paint at $7 each. Total project cost $28.00. The hamper and baskets were a splurge but a few of the items were gifted by a good friend. Each from Target, the hamper was priced at $49.00 and baskets priced at $15.99 each. The navy blue Crate and Barrel rug was also a garage sale purchase priced at $5.

I really don't think this picture does it any justice, but you get the idea. Where is Toni Price when you need her?