Nursery Reveal
Will is five months old and I am just now showing you his nursery. THE SHAME. Please forgive me. I know not what I do. Please forgive me. I’ll never stop lovin’ you. Totally made up some of the words to the song. And yes, I am a crooner. But the point is clear: I am a loser for not finishing earlier. But now that it is FINISHED (yeah! virtual bootie shake!) I am super pleased to share with you the littlest Bower’s room. So without further ado…our nursery:
You may recall that we were going for a cabin-in-the-woods-meets-modern theme. And every cabin needs log walls, right? Well, instead of chopping down some trees and attaching them to our drywall, we decided that the best way to make it look woodsy without actually harming any woods would be to recycle palletwood and make an rustic accent wall.
You can read all about how we created the accent wall here. I love the texture and rough masculinity it brings to the room. And it perfectly ties in our different wood hues from our furniture and our over-the-bed-sign. Also over the bed is a deer head. At first, I wanted to create a deer mount from paper mache…but after a little brainstorming (and several nightmares where I had near death experiences with giant pools of glue and disappearing life rafts made of newspaper), I realized that there is a simpler solution.
I ordered a faux deer head from ebay and spraypainted it (I’ll show you a before & after sometime soon). Dontcha just love the modern look to it? Especially in contrast to that rough wall…I hate to admit it but I am droolin’ over a deer. Plus, there is no possible way that I could have made a deer that looked that good (while still making me feel that it was secure enough to hang over our babies bed!).
The crib was a craigslist find and even though Will has yet to christen it with his nightly presence (he still sleeps in a pack n play and cosleeps) we know that it will last through all our children. The bedding is actually just a simple white crib sheet and a homemade bedskirt which hides storage bins holding clothing. We also have a few throw pillows in the crib for now…until Will makes the transition which will probably happen when he turns 14 
Over the bed we wanted to a personalized sign…something that would make a large statement (pun intended) and also be something Will would think is cool in fifteen years. Our solution was to make a simple sign out of 1×8′s and handpaint “Watson Creek” with some leftover sample paint. How is this personal? Well, it just so happens that Watson Creek is the place where I did my maternity photos and is a branch of the Yellow River (which runs behind my parent’s house).
After I stained the wood and painted the words, the sign only required a bit of wearing-in. A little sandpaper and a good beating was all it took to make this sucker look worn and old.
Under the window, we stuck a leather ottoman for extra storage and for additional seating. It actually works perfectly for Jeremy to have a seat while I read to Will or nurse him in our rocker.
Next to the crib, on the back wall we have our changing station. The dresser is actually a buffet from Walmart. It works great now as a place to switch out Will’s diapers and later, we will use it as a television console.
Above the changing station we have a round mirror from Ikea that Will LOVES looking at while we wipe his bum. It’s like he’s showing off the goods to that other baby. Cheeky little buggar. And the changing pad got a quick makeover with an easy drawstring style cover that matches our crib skirt (the fabric is from Ikea for those asking).
Above the mirror I created a modern-lodge themed art wall. The gallery of art and photos is perfect for pointing to Will and saying DEER…OWL….and WOOD. And of course, my favorite piece is the twist on the “I’ll love you forever” book. You can read more about the gallery wall here.
The buffet itself is perfect for storing all of our necessary baby gear. It’s amazing how much stuff comes with such a little baby. And I love compartmentalizing all the accessories for easy cleaning, dressing and feeding.
I would be remiss to not show you our little trashcan. I got it at Goodwill for really cheap and I love how the texture is just like the woodsy accent wall. Since we are cloth diapering it really cuts down on the amount of trash we accumulate so really a little trashcan is all we need. Innnit cute?
On the other side of the room is our rocking chair, shelves and wardrobe. This is also a good shot of the light. The pendant light is the crowning jewel in this space. After much debate, I finally decided that I wanted a giant drum shade to make a statement. But I also wanted it to be simple and versatile enough to be used in another space later. This chandelier answered my lighting prayers.
The shelves are actually one of my favorite things in the room because they can be totally personalized. Not only are they ideal for display and storage, but I feel that they can grow with Will as his style changes…like when he is four and collects bugs…this would be the perfect place to put their dead carcasses.
On the top shelf we have this piece of art that my friend Brook painted for me for my birthday. I was thrilled to see it (she actually gave it to me immediately after Will was delivered!) and the owl is something I will cherish for a long time.
On the left side of the owl is a fabric covered W I picked up in the clearance section of HomeGoods the week I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t know it was a boy at the time but I loved the design and obviously we would have a boy named Will at some point (yes we would have kept trying until we had a boy) so I went ahead and spent the $3. Next to that is a little silver hued tin bucket with some stick crayons. I actually picked up these crayons in Peru when I was 24. That was before I met Jeremy. I just knew in my heart that one day I would have a little boy and I NEEDED these woodsy art supplies for him.
Flanking the other side is a little stack of books that were gifts from friends and family topped with a concrete owl I found in Goodwill. Originally it was black…obviously I am addicted to white spraypaint.
The bottom shelf has a framed photography piece as a backdrop to a stack of books (from the collection of Jeremy & mine as children). I actually took the photo and it is stones that were found in Watson Creek. On top of the books is a wooden box (which was a gift box snagged from my old work after the christmas goodies were eaten) that I stuffed full of mini cardboard books – a handmedown from Cousin Cole. Will’s closest cousin also gave him the two ceramic owls as a gift…he told me he picked em because they have nice eyes. Isn’t that the cutest?
The other side has a couple frames and a wooden Goodwill owl as well as a silver teddybear bank. The bank was actually my brother’s as a child so it really is very special to me to have a little bit of him in Will’s room.
Under the shelves was the perfect spot to place momma’s perch…the rocking chair. It actually is an old Lazyboy armchair rocker that desperately needed a makeover. So with a bolt of white linen, a bit of upholstery foam and a whole lotta staples, I was able to recover the entire chair just in time for Will’s birth. Good thing too because I used this chair every couple hours breastfeeding.
Oh and you see that blanket hanging on the back? Yup…that’s actually belonged to Jeremy – his initials are WJB just like Will’s.
And the sidetable next to the chair is the perfect place to put a glass of water and Lansinoh – plus my favorite mommy books and our burpclothes.
Yes, that is a beanie baby owl. Can I get a HOOHOO
The last piece in this room is the wardrobe. I had help making over the cedar beast way back in December and now it is used to hold Will’s clothing. Granted…we never repaired the missing trim piece that goes over the right foot…whoopsie!
The hanging owl was actually a gift from my boyfriend’s mom…it was handmade by an artisan in Chattanooga. That makes our owl count NINE
The inside of the cabinet is the perfect size for Will’s clothing. Obviously his clothes are just for three to six months at a time so we constantly rotate the outgrown ones out and the next size in. We also found two baskets that were the perfect size for sliding in under the hanging rod to contain the onesies and sleepers.
Lastly we have the details from the top of the wardrobe. The globe was at Goodwill for $5…and I love it. I love globes. If I ever had another little boy…I might decorate his room with globes. Every kid deserves the whole world Oh and those little cd boxes? They hold the cards that we received in congratulations of Will’s birth as well as little knick-knacks that didn’t make it into his baby book.
Are you glad that I finally showed you the finished room? Geez Katie it took long enough. Still so sorry about that. But you know…life with a baby can be kinda crazy…and since decorating is a constant evolution – this room was continually changing.
So now that it is done, do you think I nailed the cabin-meets-modern theme? Or was it really off the mark? I love it. I love it so much…and I know that is what counts. Hopefully Will loves it too. He does smile when he is in there. But that could be just gas.
love the room! I’m so glad you finally posted the reveal. I’ve been waiting for it. You did a great job. And I can’t wait to see more about the deer head since I heart the ceramic one online, but this is probably so much cheaper! I never would of thought of it.
oooooh! I love your nursery!!!! Wonderful job! I actually just posted pics of my baby girl’s nursery on my blog yesterday. I was feeling pretty guilty with her just turning 6 months and I had not fully completed it. And, I still have more ideas, but this is good for now. Check it out! http://www.kcwilsons.wordpress.com
The room looks soooo great!! I’m really loving the Owl theme!!
Quick question – I know you cloth diaper and we are planning on going the same route with our little guy or gal and I was wondering what you use for the dirty diapers – I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what would work with the nursery and not make it look (and smell!) like a dump! Thanks!!
Hi Carla,
We actually use a giant jar (that has a lid)…and we keep it downstairs. I think we might get one of these cute white bins from Ikea though now that Will’s poo smells way worse.
XO – kb
Hey Katie, beautiful nursery! I’m in love!
I thought I’d ask why you’ve never given a tutorial on upholstering? Maybe you have and I missed it somewhere, but that is something I desperately need to know how to do and I can’t seem to find ANY information on the web anywhere. It’s like some big trade secret they don’t want you to know ’cause it would put them outta business…well that actually kinda makes since, but I don’t care! I wanna know! (stomps foot)
Hope you do a tutorial on it soon or lead me to where you already have one. Any books or other info on the subject would also be great…did you learn that from someone or are you self taught?
Much love to you and your adorable fam!
-Jamie
Hi Jamie,
I haven’t done a tutorial on upholstering because each chair is SOOO very different. Honestly, I was taught by my mother on how to do a simple cushion…and then one day I decided that upholstery can’t be that hard so in college I bought a chair and made a slipcover for it. Then I decided that fastening the fabric directly to the chair would be easier…so I snagged a couple chairs at a steep discount ($5 a piece) and started underneath by removing the black fabric and then taking notes as I removed each layer. I just used the same material (such as tack strips) and new fabric when I put everything back on in reverse order with a staple gun. I ended up with the two green chairs in our living room
Sorry I don’t have more help for ya, although…I do have a funny awkward video for ya on upholstery : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQx5mDwvOdU&feature=related
XO – kb
Buhahaha, Histerical video! Feels like my life sometimes..
Also, holy heck! Where did all those upholstery videos come from! I searched so hard with no luck and then Wham! all those videos right there! Thank you Katie Bower! haha
I love what you’ve done and would like to see a tutorial for the chair recovering project. It’s a really great job!
Love the whole room. I too am addicted to white spray paint. My mom now just says, “you are going to paint that white, right?” I once did a rustic boys room but was for an older boy, so had an 8ft fence for the headboard. One of my favorite rooms:) Enjoy the baby!
You nailed it. I really wasn’t feeling the woodsy-vibe when you first decided to do it, but I have to admit the place looks amazing! I love all the personal touches, and the “owl” print- so great.
You are one talented Chica. Every last detail was perfect put together. I love that Will will be able to grow with this room and that all the items brought into the room were done for that purpose. Love it!!
The day you posted this I went to Goodwill and found 2 owl figures and something someone cross-stitched of an owl. I didn’t buy it but I did consider it.
I love Will’s room. Great job!
I love it too — love it!
I want this for MY room.
Katie, you did such a fabulous job on Will’s room!
The gallery wall is my favorite. I looove the “Owl Love You Forever” print ~ too cute!
I’m sure your little guy will enjoy this room for many years to come. God bless
ok, i’m such a nerd. i accidentally posted this under your making memories post first…
very nice! i was just about to make a nursery reveal request in your post for today, but something told me to scroll down a bit. glad i did. i totally understand about it taking a long time to finish. my daughter is 6 months old and i’m still not quite done with my vision for her nursery.
I love this nursery!! Makes me want to have a baby all over again, but I’m 42 and that’s just not going to happen.
Could you tell me exactly what kind of paint or stain you used to make the wood on the large sign look old? I’ve been trying that and it’s just not working for me. Also where did you get the pendant light in Will’s room? Love reading your blog!
I think this is the coolest nursery I have ever seen. I love it.
I know I saw this last week, but I think the nursery is amazing. If fac,t I have been looking forward to seeing this room complete for a while. I have an owl theme in our nursery too…but totally different too. It is neat to see all the great artwork…that is what I’m going to take from you. I have been feeling that the wall above our crib needed a little something. I haven’t taken finished picutres yet, but I have still not slip covered our chair or put up all the artwork. Our baby was due last Friday so now I guess I will see what I can get done before he arrives. But thank you for sharing it looks wonderful in there!
Saw this today and immediately thought of you and Will (and I mean that in the least stalkery way) but how can you pass up a cute white ceramic owl bank for his room when it’s only $8?
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=80&startValue=401&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=17436411&parentid=A_DECORATE&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority&navCount=308&navAction=jump&color=&pushId=A_DECORATE&popId=APARTMENT&prepushId=&selectedProductSize=&isSoldOut=
Katie – I’m late to the party, but this nursery is amazing. Honestly, one of the best I’ve seen. Perfectly comfortable for a little one, but mature enough to grow up. Gender-appropriate, but not too theme-y. Just perfect, in my opinion.
Hi!, Love this nursery!
Wondering what the wall color is? I’d love to use it in my bedroom.
Also, thanks for the tip to spray paint a deer head with white, totally makes it rustic/modern!
Hi Emily,
The wall color is Comes the Dawn by Olympic…I think
XO – kb
I LOVE this room! I too am obsessed with owls. Will is so lucky to have such a creative mama!
Very nice post!
I love the nursery, especially the owls! I found this owl at Goodwill on Friday and thought immediately that would fit right into Baby Will’s room.
http://ktrefinishingschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/goodwill-finds.html
Since you are the queen of spray paint (at least when it comes to ceramic and plastic animals) I thought I would ask you: Do you think I should I paint it white or a cheery yellow?
I vote WHITE Kaity…not because a yellow couldn’t be fab…because it totally could. But only because white is a little more versatile
xo – kb
B-e-a-utiful!
I love your son’s nursery! I am interested in doing something like that for my son. Can you please provide instuctions on how you made that sign? Did you use the pallets for that sign as well?
Thanks!
Megan
We just took scrap 1×6′s and used flat brackets to put them together. Then I stained them using Walnut stain and freehand painted the letters. After that, I sand the whole thing with a gritty sandpaper till it looked worn. Then we screwed them directly into the studs. It was really not rocket science. I’m sure anyone can do this project
xo – kb
I LOVE the nursery!!! I have one question though – you said the changing pad cover is a simple drawstring style cover. Since it’s made out of the same fabric as your homemade crib skirt, I’m assuming this means you made it?? If so, can you give a liiiiittle bit more detail on how exactly you made it?? I plan on making the crib skirt for my own little bean’s nursery, and I LOVE the idea of also making a changing pad cover to match! I’m not very sew-savvy though (plan on using no-sew hem tape using the YHL tutorial), but I would be willing to sew for this until I figure it out! With a little guidance if you have any…
Thanks for any tips – I love your blog!!
One of the best nurseries I’ve seen in a while!!
What is the best way to go about the wood wall? Are they structural slats or wood slats attached to the existing wall? I would imagine they are attached. If they are how did you attach them?
Thank you so much for the great nursery!
Jason
3613
Hi Jason,
Here’s the post where I described how we prepped the walls for the slats….and then here is the post where we showed how to attach the slats to the wall.
xo – kb
This is outrageous! And amazing. Just wow.
Love this nursery! You did a great job!
Side note: I totally bought the exact wooden crayons for my baby boy, Wynn, a few months ago from a table vendor at the Charleston Market in Charleston, SC!
You’ve done an excellent job. what a wonderful space! I featured you today on my blog
http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2011/02/nursery-inspiration-from-around.html
One of my favorite children’s board books is “Owl Babies” by Martin Waddell. I used to read this book to my children when I’d go off to work or leave them at preschool. It would make a great addition to your woodsy themed room!
http://www.amazon.com/Owl-Babies-Martin-Waddell/dp/1564029654
Seriously… uhmm rugged masculinity for an infant? Way to squash any possibility of your baby discovering how to make a personality for himself. Let me ask you something. What if your child grows up effeminate? Or gay even? Will you be so disappointed you wasted all your hard work trying to make him a room that forces him to be aware of his gender? You’re talented, that much is obvious. But it’s a baby for Christ’s sake.
Hi Jenny –
Perfectly legitimate questions you have…and as a reply I can only say this…Lord knows that I hope his room decor doesn’t determine his personality. If nursery decorating does determine personalities or sexual preferences, then we better expect a heck of a lot of baby boys to grow up to be sailors, act like jungle creatures, and have a thing for Winnie the Pooh. He is definitely a baby boy…and I think that one day he will care about what his room looks like….but it isn’t today. I will say this – I will force him to be aware of his gender though – that much is definitely true. And that won’t change whether his room is blue or pink or every color in the rainbow. Thanks for your concern though…and hopefully you’ll stay tuned to see all the other ways I plan to squash Will’s personality
xo – kb
A friend is doing a hunting lodge nursery and I was searching for this reveal to send to her, it’s my all time fav boy nursery. I was reading through the comments and I love stumbling across this comment so many months later after your son actually had a pink room and you considered fixing it with rainbow mood boards. Now the newest posts with the rainbow sticker art and rainbow shower curtain in the “kiddo bathroom.”
Our lives inform our decorating choices not the other way around!
You’re super graceful KB. Keep it up.
I saw you on Nate Berkus and I think the pallet wall is amazing! I am planning on doing this in my dining room. I love that you spray painted a deer head! I am ordering mine from Z gallery. I cannot believe the crazy woman that said you are stifling his baby personality. What a b…. ! I love your response though. Way to be the bigger person. I would have told her to suck it
Anyhow, I think it’s an amazing idea and you executed it perfectly! Very nice job!
Kari
I just had to leave a comment! I stumbled upon your blog from a friend’s -who led me to another – and then to yours (crazy internet world=). I am an Interior Designer by profession and of course had to tell you that I absolutely LOVE your sweet boy’s nursery! What a fantastic job! It’s simply beautiful in a rustic but sweet way! It’s also great that it’s def. a space that he can grow up in – even if he does tweak it from time to time as he grows. Great job momma – I’m sure you have inspired many with the space! (ps- i too and a def BIG goodwill shopper who LOVES to revamp great finds that others wouldn’t look at twice! must say i usually tend to paint things black which i see is funny in contrast to your white- i just love it!)
-Sommer
Omg love it and Def loving that wood feature wall. love newest reader xo
I love EVERY single thing about this room! YOu really really nailed it!
This is totally awesome! One of my favorite nurseries ever!
How Cool! I love this and pinned it recently to my board on Pinterest. Then I was sitting at my computer watching Nate Berkus, and there you were showing off the nursery! Congrats!!! Your son is absolutely adorable!!!
amazing. absolutely amazing.
Katie Bower, I want to be your best friend. I feel like we would get along so well! I just read your entire birth story and loved it. Although I did not have to get a c-section, it seems we have a very similar mindset and some similar circumstances… I was a week overdue and scheduled to be induced and HATING that I was going to have to be put on pitocin. I went in the night before they were scheduled to induce me just to be checked-in to my room and monitored, and Asher decided to come on his own! Anyway.. loved your story, love Will’s nursery!
Beautiful! It’s nice to see an modern approach to Nursery design. This completely breaks the mold of what you think of as a traditional baby boys room. I love it! The accent wall definitely makes the space. It’s always nice to take something old and ready for the trash pile and bring new life to it. Kudos!
What an adorable room. You did an amazing job and did something so out of the ordinary when creating your little man’s room. Love it.
Can you please email me and let me know what color
You used on the walls for the baby room?
[email protected]
Thanks!
I LOVE this! I just made our big “Bun in the Oven” pregnancy announcement on my blog this week {http://cookincowgirl.blogspot.com/2012/07/bun-in-oven.html} so I am actively looking for nursery ideas . I love this so much for a little boy.
It just makes me smile!
Well done on your beautiful nursery!!
This is amazing! I love the rustic accents. I am definitely going to try the wood pallet wall. You have inspired me to try this with our home
Great ideas!
My husband and I came across a pic of this nursey the other day.
He is a terrible “jinx”-er .
He jinxed me by saying “it be ok if you had to move in tomorrow” and it happened.
then he told me “wait til it goes on sale” for the engagement ring and then it went on sale the next week…
then the other night we were at a friends who is expecting a baby’s house and she was showing us a nursey app and my husband clicked it and then he made the comment “well there isn’t a deer head” (hes an avid hunter)
and then he clicked the next button on the app and this showed up…i wonder what that meant as a sign!
My husband and I came across a pic of this nursey the other day.
He is a terrible “jinx”-er .
He jinxed me by saying “it be ok if you had to move in tomorrow” and it happened.
then he told me “wait til it goes on sale” for the engagement ring and then it went on sale the next week…
then the other night we were at a friends who is expecting a baby’s house and she was showing us a nursey app and my husband clicked it and then he made the comment “well there isn’t a deer head” (hes an avid hunter)
and then he clicked the next button on the app and this showed up…i wonder what that meant as a sign!
I really love this room. The wood wall looks amazing great idea will take some inspiration from this.
I love the room! What brand and paint color is that?
It’s Olympic’s Comes the Dawn.
xo – kb