Sewing room to nursery: Decor
It’s been a long time since I wrote a sewing room to nursery post. Progress pretty much stopped once I had Angela because I was too busy caring for her to keep going on the transformation. She had a crib, a changing table and all the clothes and diapers she could ever need, so that was OK.
But now that she is almost 10 months old she is consistently sleeping through the night and starting to play independently, which means mom gets some free time back. And I’ve been using some of it to finally paint my husband’s childhood dresser so it can go in Angela’s room.
It’s been so long since I first got the itch to transform this dresser that I no longer have the before pictures. But you’ll have to trust me that it did not go with the nursery decor. We almost tossed it during one of our moves as a couple, but then my husband discovered he had signed his name on the side of the drawer 20 years ago, so it stayed with us.
Besides the sentimental reasons, there wasn’t much special about the dresser beside its massive storage. It had been painted a dark gray at some point, has dents in the wood and is just made from pine. But a few coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint gave it a new life.
I used Emperor’s Silk for the drawers and Paris Grey for the body. Both matched the colors in the Puppy Love quilt I created for Angela that the entire room is designed around. Since this was my first chalk paint project after taking a Chalk Paint 101 class, I kept it pretty simple. The paint just has a flat finish. There’s no distressing, no washes, two color techniques, stenciling or anything fancy. Just two colors that match the fabrics in the quilt painted on separate parts of the dresser.
I’m hoping that once I get around to making the crib skirt that the dresser will be tied in more to the decor instead of looking a little out of place next to the espresso stain on the crib.
And the super-cute baskets on top were made by my aunt to match the puppy quilt she made Angela that I take photos of her on each week to track her growth.
Bringing the dresser into the room meant rearranging a few items. The swing was put away and the rocking chair and book shelf moved to one corner to create a reading nook. We installed a shelf that doubles as a quilt hanger and have the Puppy Love quilt on display. Angela is still too young to sleep with a quilt, so this area will change again in a few months once she can actually use it.
The artwork was ordered from Wallfry, a shop on Esty that has tons of nursery decor and artwork that can be customized to fit your color scheme. The three dogs above the crib were chosen because they look like our three dogs, Ginger, Lady and Sophia. The colors in the artwork also match the colors in the quilt. The dog in this picture looks a little bit like Einstein, a cocker spaniel we had that passed away a couple years ago. He was my husband’s favorite.
We also bought blackout cellular shades from Lowes. They keep the room very dark when they’re closed, which is great for nap time. Plus they help block window drafts, keeping the room warm in the winter, and they’re cordless. That makes them safe and easy to hide behind the valance when we don’t want to see them. They were pretty pricey, but one was a mis-cut and was half off. So make sure you check and see if you can get any deals like that if you’re in the market for some.
There are still three tasks left to complete to make the nursery completely customized: make the crib skirts finish the fabric baskets for toy storage (which we desperately need) and reupholster the rocking chair. I’m going to have to clear a day and do that in one shot because that is an essential bedtime tool.
Make puppy crib quilt
Sew valances
Sew crib skirt
Make fabric baskets for the cube shelf that will double as toy box/book shelfPaint the nurseryGet new carpet
Recover the rocking chair cushionSet up the nursery
Love the chest and I think it goes just fine with the bed. Adds bright soft color for the baby. Covering the chair in that red would tie it together. Angela is a lucky little girl. Good job,
Stephanie,
Let me tell, I am full of it, full of great ideas, that is. Never throw a good wood dresser away. They are hard to come by, at yard sales and far to expensive to purchase a new wood dresser.
Think entryway, with a mirror above, baskets for keys, a phone charging station, at top, plus storage for gloves, scaves, on-the-go baby items, etc.
Dining room, for seasonal extras. Remove drawer fronts, add hinges to inside drawer front and top of drawer base, then add magnets at sides. Think about a closet (fabric!!!), pantry (juices, water,..), mud room (shoes or boots), garage ( baby jars filled with…). Big, deep drawers are great for batting, muslin, and quilt backing fabrics.
Reference the sewing table: you could add 3/8″ plywood (cut to size), for the inside bottom of each drawer. From the side, hammmer in small tacks. Particle board – cover with prepared joint compound (a small bucket is inexpensive and lasts for lots of projects), let dry, sand smooth and paint.
Dings and gouges can add character to old furniture pieces, but they can be repaired. Try Dunham’s wood putty (another long lasting product). Mix, apply, sand and paint…ta da!!!
Robin
Love ur work!