We hoped to have all of the nursery’s extra-chunky crown molding painted, cut, hung, caulked, and touched up by the end of the weekend—and by a hair’s breadth we did. Crown molding is one of those finishing touches that always seems optional until it’s installed, and then the room instantly feels taller, more refined, and markedly more finished. In a house where many rooms are fairly simple architecturally, that effect is especially satisfying. Between the little corner built-ins and the new chunky crown, this 11 x 13.5′ nursery rectangle is finally starting to look like a real room.
For months the room looked unfinished, so seeing the crown go up felt like a major step forward. We still have three walls to address and want to add more color and personality, but the chunky crown alone erased unfinished edges and instantly polished the space in just a few days.
We used the same technique we tested in Clara’s room: run 3 1/4″ baseboard as the first layer around the room, dropping it about 1.5″ from the ceiling with a spacer for that exaggerated profile. We worked with a level to keep each run straight and marked studs with painter’s tape so we could precisely nail the pieces to the wall.
The second layer is the actual crown molding—we used beefy 4 5/8″ profiles to sit on top of the baseboard and complete the extra-chunky look. That same layered approach is used across the first floor of our house and in the master bedroom, so matching the profile kept this new crown cohesive with the rest of the home.
To save time, we bought pre-primed baseboard and crown and painted the pieces flat on a drop cloth before installing them. Painting off the wall is much faster than cutting in overhead, and afterwards we only needed touch-ups once the pieces were hung and caulked. We painted small areas in the built-in color and left the rest white, and overall the finish came out much cleaner than expected.
After hanging the crown but before caulking and touch-ups, you can see how a bead of caulk smooths out the imperfect junction between ceiling and molding. We apply caulk about a foot at a time, press it into the gap, run a finger along to smooth it, and quickly wipe any excess before it dries. If you work quickly, the pre-painted ceiling and crown usually don’t need further touch-ups.
Once we filled nail holes, caulked, and removed the painter’s-tape stud markers, the molding made a dramatic difference. The long, clean lines lifted the room and created a much more finished look.
If you’re curious about the layered baseboard-plus-crown approach, we documented the process previously when we installed it in Clara’s room. That project cost about $137 and was for a larger room; this nursery’s materials were roughly $115 at Home Depot, plus tubes of caulk and a can of paint if you don’t already have them on hand.
On the softer side of the room, I finally tackled crib bedding. I found an organic crib sheet on sale for $9.99, which made me very happy—organic crib linens have become easier and more affordable in recent years. For the crib skirt I picked up 1.5 yards of fabric during a JoAnn sale; after the discount it cost around $3.73, which felt like a small but satisfying victory at checkout.
To make the skirt I cut three panels (two sides and a front) using the crib’s skirt area measurements and adding 3″ to each dimension for 1.5″ hems. If you’re working with patterned fabric, be sure each panel’s pattern runs the same direction so everything looks consistent when sewn or joined.
Instead of sewing, I used Heat N’ Bond hem tape to finish the edges and join panels. Heat-activated hem tape is fast and durable—our previous crib skirt held up well after using it. After hemming, I overlapped the panels and fused them together with the iron. The seam ends up on a corner behind a crib leg, so it’s not visible from the room.
I attached the finished skirt to the crib’s metal frame with small Velcro tabs, which makes the skirt easy to remove and wash. Hem tape will hold through gentle laundering if you follow the product directions and avoid high heat.
We also darkened the crib’s bottom drawer with two coats of satin PolyShades gel stain in Tudor to better coordinate with the floors and dresser tops. To protect the finish and reduce off-gassing, we sealed the stain with two satin coats of a non-toxic Acrylacq sealer, which helps keep the piece low in VOCs.
The built-in bookcases were still pretty bare, so I tossed a few items on the shelves to avoid the “painfully empty” look, but I’m excited to gather baskets, books, toys, frames, and other accessories to bring color and personality to the nursery. Those built-ins will become one of the main ways we add visual interest and storage to the room.
Above the crib we’re still debating the focal treatment. Options on the table include large-scale art, a slatted accent, or a sizable mobile in bold greens, black, and white—maybe with animals that nod to the nursery’s playful theme. For now we’re going to finish dressing the built-ins, live with that wall for a bit, and then decide on the right scale and style.
What did you tackle this weekend? Any mostly-empty bookcases or bare walls at home that are calling for some styling? We’re itching to fill these shelves and wrap up the nursery’s decorating phase so the space feels complete and welcoming.
To follow our nursery progress from the start, look for posts covering the planning and rug selection, dresser sourcing, wall and ceiling painting, and the two-part built-in project.