Last weekend I rearranged Clara’s nursery—again—and several of you noticed and asked for an update, so here it is. It wasn’t a full renovation, just a few simple swaps, but for a while the room looked like it had been turned upside down:
Clara was in there “helping Mommy dec-rate.” According to her, “decorate” has only two syllables. You can’t see her in this shot because she wasn’t tall enough to peek over the changing pad—she was busy “juggling” cloth diapers and singing Katy Perry’s “Firework.” No joke.
For fun, here’s a shot from the last time I rearranged everything:
It looks similar, except now she’s dressed for summer.
Here’s a clear rundown of the new layout so the shuffle makes sense (or at least explains what moved where):
- The crib that used to sit on the wall facing the door was moved to the far wall across the room.
- The dresser that was on that far wall moved to the spot where the crib used to be.
- The chair and side table stayed roughly in the same place.
- The floor lamp that used to be behind the chair was moved into the kitchen, where it brightens our sitting nook by the fireplace.
- Clara’s hamper was tucked into the spot the lamp once occupied—more on that below.
I like that you no longer walk right into the side of the crib now that it’s back on the wall I originally intended for it. When we moved in we stuck the crib in a corner, then shifted it closer to the door; now it’s finally back where it feels like it belongs. The dresser is about half as deep, so the entry feels more open again.
That little “C” on the door was a clearance find from Anthropologie a month or two ago—$6. Whenever we pass it, Clara proudly says, “C for Clara.”
Behind the reading chair sits Clara’s hamper. She loves pulling clothes out and scattering them, so placing the hamper slightly out of the main play zone helps—sometimes. Other times it turns into an obstacle-course challenge for her.
Finally having the crib on that back wall feels like a small victory. For safety, the frames above the crib are out of reach and the crib itself is pulled about 18 inches from the wall. Everything is anchored securely—screws and anchors or nails depending on studs—and reinforced with heavy-duty removable adhesive strips so nothing will fall, even in an unlikely event. Call it cautious first-time-mom behavior, but it helps me sleep at night.
Here’s the corner opposite the green mirror and chair:
This next shot is meant to show a few things: the crib is pulled away from the wall (about 18″, though photos can make it look less), we still have some blank walls that need art, and Clara’s closet remains one of my favorite little hideaways in the house—I still hang out in there admiring the potato-stamped walls.
One of my favorite furniture makeovers in the room is Clara’s $20 Craigslist dresser. It’s held up to toys being tossed at it and all kinds of wear, but it keeps going.
It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Every post needs a detail shot of a stuffed alligator:
I love the handmade touches in the room, like the bookshelves John made and the mobile I put together—those personal elements are my favorite.
Here’s the mobile up close:
Another favorite feature is the art wall—so many sentimental pieces that make me a little misty. I’ll share more about what hangs there another time.
Monkey detail shot:
And because every decorating post begs for a little humor: “You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!”—Oprah for a day would be fun. In terms of this being Clara’s third layout since we moved in, I’ve stopped making absolute promises about never moving things again. Still, I like this arrangement better than the previous two, so for now it’s a keeper—until the next round of rearranging strikes.
What rooms in your home get shuffled around most often? Some of our spaces, like the bedroom and living room, have stayed mostly the same since we moved. Others—Clara’s room and the kitchen—get tweaked frequently.