We’ve got a nursery update: two new pieces we bought, assembled, and are now planning to customize. After our earlier planning post, we imagined diving right into building two custom built-ins to flank the crib. But we realized we needed to decide how we wanted them to look first—base cabinets with doors and a bookcase top, lower cabinets with drawers, dressers topped with shelves and molding, or tall armoire-style units for each side of the wall?
After a lot of inspiration browsing and comparing sizes and styles across cabinetry and furniture sites, we settled on a long-term solution: solid wood drawers for the base, topped with a bookcase-like unit that we’ll build up to the ceiling and trim with molding. We picked up two sturdy dressers that seemed right for the job and assembled them, so for now the room looks like this:
Eventually we hope they’ll resemble this rendering—only less photoshopped and more real.
Before getting into the DIY work, I want to share something more personal: some of the insecurities I’ve felt about becoming a second-time dad, and how assembling these dressers helped me process them. Apologies for getting a little sentimental—can I blame pregnancy hormones?
I tend to be a harsh critic of my own parenting. I generally try hard, but there are always things I want to improve—being more patient with Clara, having more adventures with her, and giving her more undivided attention. That last one looms large as we prepare for baby number two: how will I divide attention between two kids when I sometimes feel like I’m not doing enough for just one?
Expecting Clara felt simpler. She arrived the same day I left my advertising job to blog full-time with Sherry, so we suddenly had more time to savor new parenthood. The blog was busy, but having two full-time contributors made our schedule feel more flexible. We moved at a slower project pace back then and juggled mood boards, reader projects, house features, and lighter posts, which left more room for slowing down and enjoying a new baby.
This time, the new baby will arrive during a much busier stretch: while we’re finishing a showhouse, photographing our second book, and wrapping up a secret project. I worry that he’ll meet a busier, more distracted version of us, and sometimes I feel like he’ll miss the slower welcome Clara had. I catch myself almost apologizing in advance for the differences.
But putting those Ikea dressers together helped ease some of that worry. After a long day I opened the first box, tired and unenthusiastic, and Clara walked in asking if she could help. That moment made me realize this baby’s experience will be different in meaningful ways—he’ll join a household where everyday tasks become family activities. He’ll grow up with a big sister who loves participating in projects and who will play with and look after him. Clara didn’t have that, and it will be a unique and special part of his childhood.
Clara and I had a lot of fun building together. Sometimes she played or sang nearby, but she also actively helped—finding pieces in the bags, matching parts, and even inserting dowels. Those shared moments are the kind of memories that matter, and it felt great to see her participating in creating her sibling’s space.
She was a proud helper, and I love that the nursery won’t just be made by his parents—Clara literally had a hand in it. That realization didn’t erase every anxiety I have about fatherhood 2.0, but it helped me stop comparing experiences and accept that differences aren’t necessarily negative.
Okay, enough about feelings. Let’s get back to the built-ins.
Most built-in projects I researched online used base cabinets from big-box stores, which often felt too kitchen-like or were made from particleboard at a steep price. Others used Ikea systems like BILLY or BESTA, which offer good options but are shallower than we wanted. We needed deeper storage that functioned like dresser drawers, giving easy access to bulky items. The FJELL dresser (21″ deep) seemed to fit the bill when we discovered it, and it felt even better in person.
Priced at $299 each, these dressers are more expensive than typical Ikea options, but they’re solid wood—not particleboard—and have appealing details like natural wood grain on the top and drawer fronts. That inspired us to plan on staining the tops. Since we’re investing time and money into building the tops and trimming them in, we prefer a sturdy piece that will hold up for years rather than replacing them after a short nursery phase.
We’ll probably paint everything except the dresser tops so the built tops will visually match the bases. We’re considering a non-white finish—maybe a medium gray or a muted green—but we’ll decide once the building and painting are done. For now the dressers have temporary string handles; the included hardware is actually very nice and will be added after painting to avoid removing it later.
We also chose these dressers for their width. While the crib placement makes the spacing look off-center in photos, we selected a size that leaves enough room between them to eventually fit a twin bed lengthwise or even a full or queen widthwise. It feels a bit like planning ahead, but we want the units to grow with the room beyond the nursery stage.
I’m hopeful my next update will be a “they’re done!” post, but realistically there’s a lot to do: building the tops, caulking, priming, painting, staining, and likely installing crown molding to match the built-ins. If you don’t hear about this project for a while, that’s probably what we’re working on. Maybe Clara, my little building assistant, will help speed things along.
She’s already pretty skilled with dowels and Allen wrenches…