Nursery Design

I’ve been contemplating nursery ideas pretty much since I found out I was pregnant — it’s only natural, right? Decorating our home is a fun hobby (and I consider decorating on a budget as a special challenge), so I’ve been Pinterest-ing left and right for stylish nursery ideas. I didn’t want to settle on anything, though, until we found out the sex of the baby. Now that we know it’s a BOY (hooray!), I’ve got lots of ideas to work with! Here are two that seem to be the top-runners:

Blue & White Nautical Nursery

Navy Plaid Nursery

The biggest determining factors are really cost and color. The top mood board is primarily Pottery Barn furniture and decor (=pricey!); and the bottom board is all Target and World Market items (about half the price). I love the look and feel of both boards, and both cribs are convertible so the goal would be that they last many years! The other questions is color: do I want white wood or dark wood? White definitely feels very suited to a nursery, and I love the light, bright feel of it. But I also feel like it might show more wear and tear. The dark wood feels more “boy-friendly” to me (and I especially love that pop of color with the little red nightstand). Both have a somewhat nautical theme going on (ships, anchors, sealife, etc.), which is a nod to DH’s love of deep-sea fishing, pirates and ocean life.

I’m also learning a lot about what’s considered “safe” in the world of baby products. Low VOC paints, BPA-free products, all-natural fabrics — we’ve come a long way from lead-based paint on cribs! But why don’t we care so much about this stuff for adults? I mean, babies turn into adults too, right? Of course I know it can be more harmful to a developing little immune system, but it’s certainly making me more aware of the harmful chemicals or products that could be lurking in my own home at this very second! Scary! Best book purchase on the subject so far has been Baby Bargains, plenty of reviews and straight-up advice about which products are best and which to skip!

So, I guess I’m taking votes at this point: which nursery style do you prefer?