Leave Your Heart in San Francisco With This Urban Nursery

Nursery room challenge: How do you inject your personal style without painting the walls or doing anything permanent to the room? This was the obstacle facing Amanda and her husband as they moved from a rental only three months before baby Westley’s due date. “We wanted a modern nursery with an urban edge, and with the help of my brother, an aspiring interior designer came up with just that.” While surfing the web, I was most drawn to kids rooms that were bold, graphic, and colorful and she translated this idea perfectly for her son’s room.

Since they were having a boy, blue was a natural accent color, but they wanted something “punchy” too. They chose strong colors of black and orange as an ode to their beloved San Francisco Giants, and accented it with a bright aqua blue.

Most of the items were purchased from big box stores and with a little creativity were able to achieve a custom look. By using a simple yet bold font, they achieved a cohesive graffiti look throughout the entire room. “My husband is a huge sneaker collector and we wanted to find a way to include his personal style into the room as well. The words we chose describe my husband’s urban street wear style. We customized two simple Ikea dressers using sheets of black vinyl wall decals. We chose a simple, bold font and cut out each letter by hand.”

By bringing in color through bold artwork, textiles, and accessories while keeping the furniture clean and simple, they achieved their goal. Their urban style and love of the bay area was brought in through various DIY projects which include painted chevron curtains, a customized Ikea dresser, and a mural of the San Francisco skyline.

Their biggest indulgence was the Melissa and Doug Giraffe. ”In most cases, I would not consider spending $100 for a giant stuffed animal.  However, my husband found the giraffe on Amazon for way less and bought it as a surprise for me.” How sweet!

Amanda’s favorite item in the room is the paint chip mural, which features all of Amanda’s favorite Bay Area landmarks and makes a great focal point in the nursery. The idea for it came from DIY paint chip art Amanda had seen on Pinterest. “My brother and I brainstormed a list of landmarks to include and he sketched a basic design.  Then we were off to all the local home improvement stores to pick up the paint chips. He meticulously cut out each shape by hand before attaching to a large sheet of plywood. Measuring over two feet tall and almost five feet wide, it took my brother weeks to assemble and is truly a labor of love. It brings in just the right amount of whimsy for this modern nursery. Best part of all, the paint chips were free!”

“I love how the nursery is as much of a reflection of my husband and I as it is a special place for our baby.  Many of the design elements throughout the room represent our own adult interests and hobbies in a fun and whimsical way.” Thanks for sharing Westley’s amazing nursery with us Amanda!

Crib – Baby Mod Dylan mini crib from Walmart.com
Crib sheet – Sheetworld via Amazon.com
Pillows – handmade by brother
Paint chip mural and frame – handmade by brother
Glider and ottoman – Craigslist (reupholstered with fabric from Joann)
Afghan – crocheted by mommy
Peanut Family – crocheted by mommy
Giraffe – Amazon.com
Wall ledges – Ikea
Yarn lamps – DIY, light kit from Pier 1 Imports
Dressers – 2 Ikea MALM 3-drawer dressers
Curtains and rod – Target
Changing pad – Baby Smart Cooshee Changer
Shelving Unit – Ikea EXPEDIT
Boy Oh Boy Artwork – handmade by brother, frame from Ikea
ABC prints – designed by brother, printed at Costco, frames from Michaels

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