Since moving into our new home about nine months ago, we’ve tackled more house projects than I can count. We’ve replaced half the flooring, swapped out old doors and windows, moved a few walls, renovated the guest bathroom, installed AC, updated hardware and light fixtures, just to name a few, and learned so, so many new skills along the way.
While each change has helped transform this house into our home, my favorite project to date was designing this sweet wildflower-inspired nursery for our little gal. What started as an outdated, dark, and dingy office is now a bright and airy nursery that I can’t get enough of. Awash in soothing greens, blues, and creams, it’s a little bit nature-y, a little bit traditional, and oh so peaceful.
When designing the room, I knew I wanted to create a calming, soothing space while also bringing in a bit of playfulness with texture and pattern. I chose to pay homage to coastal California’s natural beauty with a theme loosely inspired by our state’s wildflowers and wildlife. Floral patterns, pops of color, coastal accents, and woodland animal details combine to create a space that feels at once sophisticated and fun.
After quite a bit of research, I decided to install picture-frame trim panels as the backbone of the design. I added wallpaper to the inside of each panel, creating an eye-catching statement wall without needing to cover the entire surface with bright paint or too much busy wallpaper.
After ordering more wallpaper samples than I care to admit, I finally settled on a beautiful peel-and-stick wildflower medley from Spoonflower. The delicate blossoms and clover remind me of a lush California meadow on a sunshine-filled spring day and make me smile every time I see it. The peel-and-stick paper was really easy to use and means that if baby girl ever wants to change up her room in the future, we can easily remove and replace with a different print.
With the wallpaper serving as the main pop of color and texture, I opted for more muted, neutral furniture with one exception. When I found a stunning blue dresser at a Serena & Lily Outlet sale, I knew it was the perfect piece for the nursery. It’s big enough to serve as our changing table and hold all of her diapering supplies, linens, and clothes, as well as my pumping and nursing supplies.
In addition to creating a beautiful space, I also wanted to be mindful of the materials we introduced into baby girl’s room. Although it’s impossible to avoid all chemicals and toxins, creating a low-toxin environment was very important to me. While some of the items in our nursery do contain plastics or MDF, for example, we tried to choose pieces that would allow us to reduce the overall chemical load, aiming for “better” not “perfect.”
We used Benjamin Moore Eco Spec paint on the walls since it has no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and zero emissions. Both our glider and crib (both bought second-hand!) are Greenguard Gold Certified, meaning the manufacturing process and the products themselves have been tested for over 10,000 chemicals and meet stringent VOC emissions standards. Our crib mattress is made from certified organic cotton, wool, and latex, and contains none of the harmful polyurethane foams, chemical adhesives, vinyl waterproofing, polyethylene, or flame retardant chemicals so commonly found in children’s furniture. Finally, we opted for a rug made from a wool blend in order to minimize our use of polyester, a fiber made from non-renewable fossil fuels and technically classified as a plastic.
When stocking up on smaller items like crib sheets, burp cloths, and baby clothes, I focused on primarily sourcing items made of organic cotton. Of course, cotton is not a perfect crop (it still requires water, energy inputs, land, etc.), but opting for organic cotton results in fewer pesticides and herbicides released into the environment, protects workers from harmful toxins, and ensures cleaner, safer textiles are touching baby’s sensitive new skin.
Designing and renovating baby girl’s nursery was truly a dream. As we settle into life with baby girl, we’re so grateful to have this beautiful space for her.
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