Real Nursery: Fabric Art Inspired Baby Nursery

With a degree in Interior Design, Jessie knows that a nursery calls for more fabric than most rooms. As soon as she found out she was expecting, she began planning her baby’s nursery. “Then we counted down the days until we found out the gender to move forward with one.”

Although Jessie started designing early on, her process went until she welcomed daughter Zoey. “The most important thing for us, and something that most parents forget, was to design a room that will evolve with your child. Yes, themes and cartoon characters may be adorable now but it’s really going to break the bank when you have to redecorate year after year.” With all the DIY projects involved in creating this gorgeous room, it is sure to grow with baby Zoey. “The framed fabric and dresser-changing table were both done by us. Many other items throughout the room are handmade, but from family, friends, or Etsy. We also added new flooring and the beadboard ourselves.”

One of her best buys was the dresser. Originally meant to be bookcase, Jessie flipped it on its side and added some legs, drawers and new knobs, turning it into a dresser. “I’ve seen others around the web flip the bookcase onto its side and used as a low bookcase. It only made sense to add legs and make it a functional height! I love the white furniture on white backdrop. So light and airy for a little girl.”

Jessie advises to choose things you love. “At the end of the day a piece that genuinely makes you happy is far better than one that only “works” with the rest of the design.” For instance, Jessie plans on passing on her ‘weird obsessions with sock monkeys’ on to Zoey. Other decor items, like using a galvanized tub for a toy box were a spur of the moment idea. “The best kind of idea,” Jessie said. “We were walking through Lowes and I caught a glimpse. I’m not one to turn down galvanized storage.” The colors in this love  print from MadeByGirl were just made for Zoey’s room and the large zinc letter Z adds the perfect amount of edge!

With so much natural light in the room, curtains became a point of interest in design. “The curtains were made by Etsy seller Jayna over at RockyTop Design. They’re the Barnacle Net fabric from Spoonflower, part of Heather Dutton’s Adrift collection. This is where we started for inspiration.”

One of the design rules Jessie says to follow is to have at least one homemade item. “Your baby will thank you later!” For Jessie her favorite homemade feature is the nursery wall art. The fabric was her inspiration for the entire design of the room so what better way to honor it than framing? “I had seen fabric used before as wall art, just never framed. With thrift frames at such great prices and a little spray paint it was a no-brainer. Plus, most places offer free or discounted samples of fabric that are the perfect size! I think it’s a timeless way to to add art to any child’s room that will grow with them. The framed fabric is my favorite part of the nursery. Especially now as Zoey is getting older she loves looking at it while on her changing table. Such a fun project!”