Nursery Update: Progress, Plans, and Design Ideas

It’s nursery time! The last time we shared a photo of this room it looked very newborn-ready, but now we’re deep into planning and prepping for the new baby. We began work on Clara’s nursery in February and she arrived in May, so starting this room now that it’s January feels right — the new little one is due in April. After learning we’re having a boy, ideas have been spinning, and taking a moment before diving in helped the best concepts rise to the top.

We’re leaning into a bold green as a primary accent paired with graphic black and white. Expect small pops of other colors too, but the palette will feel fresh and modern. We also want natural elements — wood furniture, woven baskets, bamboo blinds — to keep the space warm and grounded. Clara even picked out an adorable mustache doll for her brother at a craft sale, and we’ll add a small green alligator toy that Clara loved when she was a baby.

The green accent idea came from some bike prints we framed in rustic wood frames for our previous home’s sunroom — we love the rich-wood look and think those prints will be perfect as large-scale art in the nursery. From there we picture layering in a black-and-white striped bench, a neutral rug, bamboo blinds, and built-ins flanking the crib. The built-ins will be spaced to accommodate a twin bed lengthwise between them in the future, or even a full bed widthwise when the baby is older and ready to transition out of a crib.

First Big Purchase: The Rug

Our first real purchase for the nursery surprised us at HomeGoods: a large 100% wool rug that stopped us in our tracks. It’s an 8′ x 10′ wool rug with a subtle, tone-on-tone pattern that feels soft underfoot and won’t compete with bolder patterns we plan to add later. It’s a great foundation piece and was an easy buy — even Clara loved it.

We brought the rug home, cleared out the room, and put everything back where it should go. With the space tidied, we took a couple of our traditional “before” photos — we did the same when we renovated Clara’s nursery, and it’s fun to compare progress later.

How It Looks Right Now

With the rug in place the room already feels bigger and more finished. It’s currently pushed up against the wall in photos, but once we center it and start adding furniture the scale should be just right. We love the tone-on-tone pattern and the wool texture; it gives the room an elevated but cozy foundation. Ignore the unpainted walls and the half-assembled crib — those are coming soon.

Plans and To-Dos

There’s still a lot to do, but we’re excited about the direction. Here’s our current brain dump of projects and priorities as we move forward:

• Paint the walls and ceiling
• Address the window treatments (bamboo blinds plus blackout curtains are under consideration)
• Add built-ins to each end of the long wall so the crib and a future bed can nestle between them
• Add sconces at the sides of the built-ins for layered lighting
• Create a slatted or trimmed feature wall between the built-ins for visual interest
• Wire the ceiling for an overhead light fixture (there aren’t ceiling fixtures in the upstairs bedrooms)
• Find a comfortable armchair for late-night nursing and rocking
• Redo the closet for baby clothes: paint, add a second hanging bar, and install cubby storage
• Consider painting the closet door a playful color to match Clara’s
• Add chunky crown molding for architectural polish
• Bring in a dresser/changing table (we’re leaning toward a wooden hand-me-down from family)
• Build custom shelves — a small tradition since one of us has done this for previous nurseries
• Create a woodsy cuckoo clock to match the rustic theme
• Make a mobile to hang over the crib
• Hang art, including a couple of sea-faring prints inspired by the baby’s nickname “the barnacle”

How We’ll Share Progress

We plan to document this nursery’s evolution in real time, just as we did with Clara’s. Last time we created the entire room across a few months with regular updates covering cleaning, painting, shopping, installing curtains and blinds, refinishing furniture, building shelves, and the final reveal. Expect a similar pace here: likely one or two updates a week alongside other home projects. We have a few larger goals like built-ins, sconces, and crown molding, so the timeline may be tight, but our hope is to finish by mid-April.

It’s wild to think that in a few short months we’ll be a family of five — including Burger — and that this former junk room will become a cozy, functional bedroom for our smallest family member. I’m pretty happy and excited about how creative and meaningful this project feels. Are you working on a nursery right now? Do you have a long to-do list and a smile that won’t quit? Or do you have memories of making a special room for a little one you’d like to share? We love hearing those stories and ideas.