Our little guy’s room has a fresh look now that the crib is gone and we made a few updates while we were at it. He’ll be four this April and decided in January that he was ready to leave the crib — a bittersweet milestone. We’ve used the same crib in our home for nearly eight years, first for our daughter and then for him. Still, it was exciting because the room had been essentially frozen in time for four years and this change finally allowed us to update the space.
ceiling light / sconces / similar daybed / similar rug / blue bee pillows / art / duvet / sheets
Honestly, the room looked almost identical to how we set it up back in April 2014: same chair, same rug, same curtains, same crib sheets, same green closet door, same bike art, same play baskets, and the same items on the built-ins. When people asked for an update we’d say, “If you look at the reveal on the blog, that’s pretty much what it looks like now!” The only real change used to be the removal of the changing pad after he didn’t need it anymore.
He recently discovered the small “T” wall decals we’d applied years ago were peelable — after more than three years of leaving them alone. They had a good run, and now with new sconces and a large art piece between the built-ins, the wall feels lighter and more open without them.
similar chair / pouf / similar side table / curtain rod / similar curtains / similar daybed / sconces
You may remember the daybed from when our daughter transitioned out of her crib at about 3.5 years old. She slept on it until last year, when we moved her into a full-sized bed, which freed the daybed for her brother — whenever he was ready to leave the crib. Spoiler: it took a while. Our kids really love a crib.
similar drawer hardware / sconce / art / bee pillow / duvet / cloth bin
A daybed makes a gentle transition out of a crib: it’s low to the ground, has rails on both ends, and reads like a large crib without the front. Ours fits a regular twin mattress. We designed the built-ins to eventually accommodate a twin or even a full bed, so this felt like the space finally fulfilling that design intention.
If you’re curious how we built the corner built-ins, we used ready-made Ikea dressers topped with bookcases, then added crown molding and baseboards to make them look built-in. It’s a very approachable DIY even for beginners.
art / bee pillow / duvet / sconce / cloth bin / similar drawer hardware / “I’d Be Lost” print
The sconces are one of my favorite additions. I always wanted wall lights flanking the little built-in nook, but it wouldn’t have been right over a crib. We waited until the bed switch and then found a brass-and-enamel option that felt perfect. They’re plug-in sconces with a switch on the base, so they’re easy to use and don’t require hardwiring into the built-ins.
To keep cords tidy we used 3M Command cord clips along the baseboard so cables follow the wall neatly. That keeps everything out of reach and prevents cords from dangling where little hands might grab them. So far the setup has been safe and unobtrusive.
similar drawer hardware / sconce / art / bee pillow / duvet / cloth bin
The art above the bed is another favorite. It’s a downloadable print we had made big — the bright colors and rock motif are a hit with our almost-four-year-old. Large downloadable prints are an affordable way to create a focal point; we already had the frame, so the whole piece was a budget-friendly wall filler.
To make the bed cozy we added blue-and-white pinstripe sheets, a couple of bee pillows, and a long gray bolster with a removable cover. The duvet is the same simple Ikea cover we also use in our bedroom. A new light pillow on the chair ties the color palette together on that side of the room. The side table was a secondhand find, the rug came from HomeGoods, and the pouf and chair are similar to pieces we’ve used before.
Though we’ve moved away from some of the original forest greens, he still loves the cheerful closet door painted in a rich green, which connects with the large bike print over his bookcase. That print came from a display years ago and remains a playful focal point in the room.
similar rug / similar chair / pillow / pouf / similar side table / woven baskets / fabric bins / similar curtains
The piece that served as a changing table is back to being a bookcase after we wrapped an Ikea bookcase in wood to give it a built-in look years ago. Natural woven baskets remain in the cubbies, but we replaced some baby-themed bins with smaller, simpler fabric bins that are easier for our three-year-old to pull in and out when he helps tidy up.
People often ask about the whale toy on the shelf — it came from Pottery Barn Kids years ago and remains a favorite. That book shelf was one of the first things John ever built, and it’s fun to look back at how far his skills have come since that early project.
On a small shelf sits our long-used sound machine with an iPod that plays white noise on repeat while he sleeps. I joke that we might be among the last households still using an iPod every day.
Some readers asked why we didn’t go straight to a full bed. The room is relatively small, and a full would feel cramped and reduce the open floor space he still uses for spreading out cars and blocks. The daybed keeps the room feeling open while giving him a big-kid bed he can climb into and out of independently.
I filmed a short video tour of the room so you can see it in action — including the cord clips and the closet — if you want a closer look. If you’re reading in a feed reader you may need to view the post on the blog to watch the video.
For fun, here’s a throwback to the room when we bought the house in 2012 — old carpet and pink trim included — so you can see how much it’s changed over the years.
It wasn’t a terrible starting point, but the room has come a long way. Even if it stays frozen in this version for a few more years, it feels finished and cozy now.
If you’d like to recreate the look, we put together a mood board of items we used and similar alternatives to help you get the same feel for your child’s room.
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P.S. If you want more background on this space: see how the room started as a nursery, the write-up on building the built-ins, and how we wrapped the Ikea bookcase for a built-in look. We also keep a Shop Our House page with paint colors and sources used throughout the house.
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