When I found out we were having a girl, I knew I had to take advantage of the fact that I was finally going to be able to do a room for a little girl. I have really loved doing nurseries for the boys, and then doing their big rooms, too. But I was anxious to put some pink someplace. I really do love me some pink–I show my hair as evidence of that.
I also knew, however, that we’re on a tight budget and I really couldn’t justify throwing out all of my baby things and starting over. I also didn’t want to run out and buy a whole bunch of new things, because I can barely walk around the house without waddling and hobbling, let alone around a store. I challenged myself to make a nursery that was obviously feminine but that still utilized the things I already had. I figured that keeping the same furniture and the same rug would keep the cost pretty low. But to make it that much harder on myself, I told myself that I wouldn’t repaint the walls, either.
That last stipulation was a struggle, let me tell you. I am not sure what color I would have repainted, but I did consider the leftover deep green from our bedroom at one point out of desperation. I wanted the room to look completely different for a low cost, and paint would have been the easiest way to do that. I had told myself, however, that I’d keep the walls the same, so I stuck to that plan. So, everything else evolved over time, but the wall color persisted.
This was the first incarnation of the room: it was really bright and modern. I decided to paint the crib and dresser and dye the chair. The walls stayed the same, but the rest of the room was accented with maroon, red, and pink. I still really like this design. It would make a fun room.
Then I brought home an antique quilt that’s been in my family for generations. It was made by Elvie Kate’s namesake’s namesake, so I knew I had to use it in her room. Unfortunately for design #1, the quilt is anything but bright, bold and modern. Next to the reds and pinks, it just looked dingy. What can I say? It’s old.
So I revamped the look of the room again. I brought home an extra antique rocking chair from my parents’ house to use in the room. I still planned on painting the crib and the dresser and keeping the rug, but I toned everything else way down.