Baby’s Room { Initial Concept & Inspiration }

When thinking about how I might like to decorate the Halfpence’s room, my first method of funneling inspiration is to think about what comforted and stoked my imagination as a kid.

1. The Stars/Night Sky

Night lights and projector lamps are fairly common in nurseries. However, seeing as how 1) most are cheesy and juvenile and 2) I don’t want this room to scream “baby,” I’ve been looking for alternatives. I would absolutely love to find a black Moroccan lamp that could serve as a “star projector” at night. I saw one in a recent issue of Travel + Leisure (see below) that I am totally obsessing over, but I have not been able to source one online. I will continue to hunt, but if any of you know of a great place to find these lamps, please let me know! My only requirement is that it’s somewhat modern and 100% dark/metal (no colored stained glass elements). I am open to any style, however–floor, sconce, hanging, etc.

Isn’t this gorgeous? I can just imagine flipping this light on to nurse or singing to the baby. (Photo Credit: Travel + Leisure)

A modern alternative to the kiddie projector lamps found on the market is the J Schatz egg lamp. Joanna over at Cup of Jo blogged about the lamp a few weeks ago and Ohdeedoh has also sung its praises. I’m loving the bright, sunny colors like yellow and orange!

2. Music

A sleek-looking, easy-to-use music system is an essential for the room. I’m tempted, for nostalgia’s sake, to buy a turntable, but I will likely end up with an iPod system that I can use with my iPhone. While staying in Hawaii, I used the Tivoli iSongbook that was at the condo. It’s awesome, but so expensive ($400), so I’ll be looking for a far less pricey alternative. I’m also open to a CD player, as I’ve learned that going 100% digital really isn’t for me (I lost my entire iTunes library when my hard drive died). My dad has already made the Halfpence lots of mixes, and I have albums from Putumayo Kids on my must-have list.

I am also adding this Tall Cow card to the mix I already own. Because the best thing about music is dancing :-)

Dance!

On the hotlist for the Halfpence’s music collection?

• The While Album, The Beatles
• Quiet Is the New Loud, Kings of Convenience
• Vacation, The Go-Go’s
• The Very Best of Cesaria Evora
• 5:55, Charlotte Gainsbourg
• After the Goldrush, Neil Young
• Amplified Heart, EBTG
• Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert
• K & D Sessions, Kruder & Dorfmeister
• Blossom Dearie, Blossom Dearie
• Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder
• Sunrise Projector, Tycho

3. Art Supplies

Aside from my beloved Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker (which, amazingly, you can still buy), Barbies and a few stuffed animals, my favorite toys were art supplies. Up until my teens, my grandma always made sure that my Christmas stocking was filled with colored pens and pencils.

While infants aren’t known for their dashing artistic skills, there are certainly some activities I can start early with the baby. He can learn how to handle a paintbrush (so soft on the skin!), begin to recognize and recall colors and fiddle around with basic puzzles.

I ordered this Haba arranging game, perfect for learning patterns; a “bouquet” of new paintbrushes in a jar would look great on a shelf or credenza, just waiting to be used by an age-appropriate Halfpence.

And how totally awesome are these color-wheel-like giclée prints by Dig The Earth? They make me wonder what the baby’s favorite color will be.

4. Forts

Is there anything better than a fort? Even as an adult, I still love them. Since forts won’t be a consideration for some time, I’ll stick to their typical foundation–a crib/bed, linens and pillows. I have done a solid amount of research on cribs, and found a few that I absolutely love. Of course, most are cost-prohibitive, so unless I can find one for a song on Craigslist, I’ll most likely go with an IKEA style. They’re clean and modern-looking, reviewed as safe and budget-friendly.

That said, I will share my finds :-)

My hands-down favorite is the classic crib by Oeuf (their Sparrow design is also to-die-for). The design is absolutely stunning, but it retails for around $900 (not counting the conversion kit). A decent replacement would be this espresso and white crib that’s currently offered at Overstock.com for just south of $300. Wal-Mart sells an interpretation of the Oeuf classic, the Baby Mod Olivia, which I like. However, it would pain me physically to make a purchase (a $300 one, at that) from Wal-Mart…something I’ve avoided all my life. The DaVinci Emily crib ($230) is consistently well-reviewed and I love that it can eventually convert into a full-sized bed. However, I am not crazy about the more traditional, curved design. For something different, I love the Stokke Sleepi crib, which retails for $800. I especially love how it converts into a toddler bed and eventually chairs. But, again, it’s out of my budget (and Todd doesn’t like it). Which brings us to IKEA and the Leksvik crib. The design is clean, it’s convertible to a twin bed, and it’s $160. Their Gulliver crib, which has all the same features as the Leksvik, is even cleaner looking, and just $100.

The Oeuf classic and IKEA Gulliver are shown below. I think we’ll be going with the latter!

As for fabrics, I have a few requirements. Bed linens should be comfortable/soft, unfussy (no motifs or icons) and somewhat modern-looking. I want an assortment of pillows and blankets that lend texture and color to the room. Faux-fur throws are quickly becoming a decor cliché, but I love them all the same! This Babycare style is perfect, although I may settle on a cheaper version.

5. Reading

Between our respective families, there’s no doubt that the baby will receive a crap-load of books. Which is fabulous, because Todd and I love to read and will undoubtedly be reading to the baby often. In, fact, I plan on starting Danny, the Champion of the World (reading to my belly) fairly soon. I don’t have many memories of my parents reading to me (although photographic evidence proves they often did), but I do remember escaping into books as I became older. This is why I have no favorite “kid” books. When people gush about Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, I generally give them blank stares. I simply can’t remember books before I dove into Dahl (my very favorite).

I’ve mentioned that I purchased the baby This Is London while visiting Ashland back in April. Every other book from the series is on my wish list!

From a decorating perspective, I don’t like the look of “featured” books in a home (it’s not a bookstore, after all) or forward-facing books, like you would see in pocket shelving. I’m simple; keep them spined or stacked. While I don’t always care for organizing grown up books by color, I think the method lends itself nicely to a kid’s room. The Halfpence will probably identify books by shape and color before title, anyhow.

A chair is necessity for a baby’s room (in my opinion), transitioning from a spot for nursing and sleeping into seat for lounging and reading. This is the piece of furniture I am struggling with the most and have researched exhaustively. Rocker or standard? Slick and modern or cushy and comfortable? Splurge or budget? The debate rages on…

Other considerations…

• Mobile. I’d like to strike a balance between something the baby actually likes and engages with, and something that looks nice. I am loving the bright colors and modern design of this elephant mobile. Also on my radar, the beautiful paper mobiles (shown below) from Frazier & Wing. However, a mobile is also something I am pretty comfortable making myself.

• Changing Table. I will not be buying a traditional changing table; instead I’ll opt for a normal dresser with a changing station hack on top. However, I am also loving the idea of a crib-top station, like the one offered by Oeuf, or a changing tray, like Bam’s bamboo version.
• Table. I’d love to find a small, modern tulip-style table but I do also plan on creating a make-shift table using vintage trunks and suitcases.

Here is my initial concept for the room:

Tagged as: Baby Stuff, Decorating, Design, Shopping, Style