...because home doesn't happen overnight.

girl nursery 1

So many times I get asked, “What if Mabrey had been a boy? What would the nursery look like then?” I thought it would be fun to turn my answer into a mood board and share it with you. Here we go. The nursery. Boy edition.

boy nursery

First off, the room’s layout would remain the same. It just works so I wouldn’t mess with it. There are so many items in Mabrey’s nursery that I love and would work well in a baby boy’s room, too. I would definitely keep most of the larger, basic items. The crib, the changing table with baskets & bins, the mirror, the wall shelves, the rocking chair, the trunk under the window, the ceiling light, the rug, the woven shade, the deer head…all that would stay. (For the sake of keeping the mood board simple, I show only a few of these items above but all of them would remain in the room.) The majority of this stuff hails from Ikea. The rocker and woven shade are from Overstock. The trunk was a wedding gift. The rug is from West Elm. The deer head is from White Faux Taxidermy.

I am still head over heels for the wall color. It’s Benjamin Moore dark pewter and I would use it all over again. (That’s saying a lot as I have been known to paint a room three times before I land on the perfect hue.) It’s a deep, moody gray blue with green undertones. It makes the small room feel oh-so-cozy and is conducive to sleeping. And I like sleeping babies – boy or girl. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with boys and pink but I think it would be fun to add red-orange, mustard and green accents against the dark walls along with a lot of white for contrast.

On to the items I would change. The pattern on Mabrey’s curtains is pretty feminine. I would hang these at the window and closet instead. As for the DIY art above the crib, I would probably DIY a gradient wood stain for the same effect but a more masculine look. So it would go from a natural to rich wood tone. But since you guys don’t have this exact empty frame hanging around at your house, I also love the idea of DIYing a big wooden Ohio and painting a small heart or star in the location where my baby boy was born. (The Ohio in the mood board is an ornament but you get the idea.) I would pair all white bedding with a colorful quilt. I really like this vintage kantha. And I would bring in more color and pattern with pillows (here, here, here and here) and scatter them throughout the room in the crib, on the trunk and on the rocker. Two or three green rope baskets (eek! They sold out in between creating the mood board and writing this post but they’re from Target.) would corral toys and sit on the floor below the wall shelves. To bring a little more life to the open shelves, I’d add green boxes and framed nature photography.

All that’s left to add is a bouncing baby boy! Don’t get me wrong, I love my babygirl and her room. But sometimes it’s fun to re-imagine a room for someone else. Or is that just me?

P.S. – A few more shots of M’s room these days…

girl nursery 2

girl nursery 3

girl nursery 4

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

22 Comments

03.February.2014

I love the lamp you have on the changing table. Could you share the sorce where you got it?

03.February.2014

The lamp is a recent purchase. We needed more lighting in the room during this gloomy winter. It’s from West Elm.

03.February.2014

Love the wall color. Does this room get a lot of natural light? (i.e. what direction does the window face?) Just wondering so I can use this color in a future room somewhere; it’s so lovely in here.

03.February.2014

How tall is the shelf that her changing pad is on? It looks so nice, but a bit low? Does it work for you?

03.February.2014

Do you still think you would buy the same rocker? I’ve been researching stylish rockers lately and this one I love and can tell it wouldn’t be “super” comfy, but is it comfy enough? Would you sit and nurse in it or no?

03.February.2014

I nursed Mabrey at bedtime and several times during the night (she was an awful sleeper for the first 10 months) in this rocker. I’m petite and with a lumbar pillow, the chair was good for me but Mabrey was a quick eater. I never sat longer than 10-15 minutes at a time. It helped to have a floor pouf for propping up my feet. But for those hour-long nursing sessions? No, this wouldn’t work. We don’t really have room for anything bigger though. Her room isn’t even 10′ x 10′.

03.February.2014

It’s a little over 31″ high and hasn’t been a problem for me or my husband.

03.February.2014

Mabrey’s room faces south so, yes, it receives a ton of natural light which is why the darker color works. I really, really, REALLY wanted to paint our north-facing bedroom a dark color too but we were afraid it would be too dark.

03.February.2014

hi Dana. Can you give me the link to your blog that talks about your family room rug that you are currently using..? I’ve been searching your arches and can’t find it! Thanks !

03.February.2014

I’m just curious how old your daughter is, and if she attempts climbing out of her crib. My daughter is an angel when it comes to bed time and she is very content sleeping in her crib. She is almost 18 mos right now, and I hope to keep using her crib as long as possible. We have another on the way, and they will be sharing a room. So, I would love to know what kind of bed you will transition too (toddler?) when it’s time. Also, I’ve been searching pinterest for shared room ideas, and I have not seen one room containing both a toddler bed and crib that I like. I think it’s because I really prefer a balanced look. You have great taste, so what would you suggest?

03.February.2014

I love your idea of DIYing a big wooden Ohio. I just might have to try it! I also love the variety of textures going on in Mabrey’s room, such a pretty room!

what a fun post. I love the dark color and how it’s so subdued and not in your face baby. Mabrey is lucky to have such a sophisticated room

03.February.2014

Mabrey is 22 months old. She has never attempted to climb out of her crib. (knocks on wood) My boys were never crib climbers either. They both slept happily in their crib until 3 years old. Mabrey’s crib converts to a toddler bed so we’ll probably transition if necessary and then to a twin / daybed. With the boys, they were old enough when they transitioned that they went straight to a twin bed with no problems.

Hmmmm…I guess balancing a crib against a larger bed would always feel a little “off” in a shared room since cribs are smaller by nature. I really like this shared room which includes a crib and bed. I think it helps when the crib & bed are similar in style.

Congrats on baby #2!

03.February.2014
03.February.2014

Do you love the West Elm rug? I’ve been thinking about buying it, but am worried about excessive shedding. We own a similar looking rug currently that sheds so much (after a year!) that we don’t wear certain clothing in that room because we have to change clothes after we do! We are so ready to start over with a new rug, but don’t want to make the same shedding mistake twice.

03.February.2014

I was wondering where you got the crib linens, Ikea as well? Beautiful as always!

03.February.2014

Thank you, #3 actually! #1 is 7 and when he chewed up his crib as soon he got teeth, we were afraid he’d hurt himself, so we let him sleep with us, and he still does! Lesson learned, but I’ll knock on wood also. ;) The link doesnt work on my mobile device, but I’ll get on my computer and check it out in the morning. Thanks again, and I love her room!

04.February.2014

Thanks a bunch!!

04.February.2014

The rug is made of jute and chenille with a tight weave. It barely sheds. We have a 100% jute rug in our bedroom with a chunkier loop and it sheds a bit more but I would buy them both again.

04.February.2014

Congrats on #3! ;)

04.February.2014

Yay! I love it.

20.March.2017

Just curious — we have a cube shelf like you’re using for the changing table. We’d like to find some baskets like the ones you have on the top shelves (the white ones with the lines) — where did you get those? We actually have the same wood wicker ones that you have too — but those white baskets really seem to finish it off nicely!