It's time I finally share Dax's nursery.  And admit to myself and to you that it might not ever be 100% complete!  It's good enough for now. And I'm excited for you to see it.

I'll start by saying I LOVE his nursery.  It's not perfect but it was so fun to depart from the ultra girly nurseries I created for Genevieve and Nadia and do something more masculine.  I jumped aboard the aztec/tribal trend and I can't say I'm sorry. I'll admit I meant for the theme to be more subtle but I just kept finding things I loved and "editing" has never been my forte.  It's trendy but there are definitely classic elements that can grow with him (and with me when I tire of the trend) over time.  I also love the main message-- be brave and courageous.  It truly embodies character traits I hope to cultivate in him (and each of the kids) and we've recently chosen Joshua 1:9 as our family scripture.  Be brave enough to tell the truth, daring enough to be different, courageous enough to stand up for what you believe in.  So here it is in all its glory. (and I'm sorry for the obnoxious watermarks. I tried to make it smaller way too many times and then gave up. I have a newborn.  Ain't nobody got time for that).

Currently I have guests staying in the nursery so I can't give you a real sneak peek.  So I decided to throw together a little e-peek.  All of the items pictured are currently in the nursery.  There is more to of course--a fun yellow side table, shelves, woodsy/rustic art, and fun DIYs, but this is the best I could do with items available online.  My instagram friends have asked to see more so hopefully this tides you over!  Oh and if you don't follow on instagram, there are more "real" sneak peeks there.

So I've begun to gather some ideas for the nursery.  But I say nursery planning "sort of," because I'm trying to be realistic.  I really have little time, energy, or budget for this nursery.  I can't rely on Joe too much for manual labor so I really need to keep it simple.

I did it!  Finally, after a full week and a half, I finished Genevieve's chevron and chalkboard wall.  The inspiration room for Genevieve's toddler room had an entire chalk wall.  I loved that idea but I also had seen a few chevron walls that I loved.  I only wanted to do one accent wall- I knew I couldn't handle a bunch of chalk scribble everywhere (let's be honest here) and wasn't sure if a chalk wall and a chevron wall would be too much.  Well add to that the cost of chalk paint and the effort of a chevron wall and you have Genevieve's wall- 2/3 chevron and 1/3 chalkboard.  I was a tiny bit scared after all my hard work it would look weird- or silly.  I'm sure a similar wall exists but I haven't seen one with chevron, chalk paint, and chair rail.  But when I pulled that last piece of tape off...and stepped back, I LOVED it.  It was perfect.  OK, not really, but to the naked eye it was perfect! ;)

So before I get into the step by step of how to paint a chevron wall, here's a photo of the wall.



And now for the chevron wall tutorial.  I don't usually write tutorials because I'm not great at it.  I typically use someone else's and the thought of writing it out step by step is kind of nauseating (oh is that wrong to say?).  However, since I googled and searched many chevron wall tutorials and used a few, I figured one more in the blogosphere wouldn't hurt--and just might help someone.  And I'm obsessed with her wall. As in, when I finished it, it was about 4 pm.  The house was a mess. I was supposed to be making dinner.  I was still in my pajamas and it was T minus 1.5 hours till Joe walked in the door. And I'm literally lying down on the floor in her room (with my head on this softness) staring at it.  What can I say? I'm hopeless.

So here goes.


What you will Need:
A level
A yard stick is helpful
Tape (I used a roll and a half).  Make sure it's the same size if you're using multiple rolls)
A pencil
Paint (obviously). 


Step by Step Instructions:
First, measure the wall.  Mine was 122.5 inches.  Now other tutorials say "I knew I wanted [X] chevrons/points"- and I read that and think "how did you know?!"  So here are some tips to figure out how many chevrons you want (by chevrons, I don't mean the total number of stripes, I mean how many points; think the point of the zigzag or triangles).  

• First, think of how wide you want it to look.  The fewer chevrons the wider the pattern.  The more chevrons, the more zigzag-y it will look. 
• Secondly, think of the work involved.  The more chevrons, the more taping!   
• Lastly-if you can't decide or visualize how many chevrons you want, try taping off a couple in different sizes.  I did that and it was so helpful in seeing exactly how wide I wanted them (as a side note, you could create it on paper instead of taping the wall).

Then, mark your three points (I used a pencil and made a big dot).  These are represented by the red dots in my drawing.  Then, I used a pencil, and a level to draw a straight line down from my center dot.  None of the other tutorials I consulted said to do this so maybe I'm just dense but I found it incredibly helpful when "connecting the dots" (see next step). You can see in my "drawing" the line down the middle and in the photo the line I drew. 

Next, connect the dots with your tape. The first one is the hardest I promise! 

After you have that one, work in columns.  Measure X inches down from each point (using a level to make sure your lines are straight).  For me X = 12 inches.  The tutorials I consulted both measured 12 inches so I used that measurement too but I suppose you could make them more or less narrow if you wanted to.  Side note- DO NOT ATTEMPT WITHOUT A LEVEL!  I tried because I didn't realize we didn't have one and was all set to get going.  Then after taping and re-taping, thought I had it down, measured it, and the lines were at least a 1/2 inch to an entire inch off!  Another side note: It's important to make sure when you're taping, you're being consistent with taping from the outside of your points.  That will make sense when you tape your first triangle.

Work in columns all the way down, and then start again, until you're done (5 columns/points in my case).  It really does get easier the further along you are. If your house is 50+ years old like mine and the walls aren't straight don't drive yourself crazy measuring and re-measuring. I say this because I would use the level- everything would show being "straight" and then I'd measure and the measurements would be off!  I could feel the frustration bubbling up but decided at that point (beginning of my second column) that I was just going to use the level to make sure the lines were straight and that to the naked eye it would look fine. Just know that if you use a level, your lines are straight.  

Lastly- trim your points.  I couldn't find husband's exacto knife so I used a Martha Stewart Craft knife.  And yes I have a few holes in my fingers to prove it. ;)  This tutorial has a good "what if" photo of points left untrimmed.

Points not trimmed

Points trimmed...and I really didn't have to trim every point (because you're only painting every other line) but my OCD nature wouldn't allow me to trim some and not the others!

 Finally- painting!

You can see from the messy corner why I'm not quite ready for a full room reveal!

Having fun with her chalk wall.  :)

Disclaimer: This is how I did it.  I'm sure there are a gazillion other (and perhaps better) ways to do it.  But I wanted to share my experience.  Also, I'm sure if you took the time to measure each line on my wall and figure out the angles, it would be off.  It's totally not perfect.  But when I look at it, I can't tell. And I'm pretty certain Genevieve can't either! I'm really tough on myself and my projects so if I can handle this and love it--imperfections and all, so can you! (meaning you can love YOUR project not mine! lol.  am I making sense here?!).

Lastly, chalkboard paint and chevron are super ubiquitous.  But I unapologetically am in love with them both-- trendy or not.  That's all. ;)

I found lots of tutorials.  You can see a handful on my "how to" pinterest board.  The two I found the most simple and helpful were The Tall Chick: Jumping on the Chevron Bandwagon (LOVE the title!) and Olivia Grayson Interiors: How to Paint a Chevron Wall. Thanks Tall Chick and Olivia Grayson for the inspiration and instructions!

[UPDATE May 2013]: I received the following comment and wanted to share:

Nadia is 8 weeks old and I am finally finished her nursery.  Actually I'm lying.  I still have one more tiny task to take care of but it requires shopping around for the perfect thing and I don't know how long that might take (I mean it IS me, after all!).  But more on that later...

Nadia's Nursery was such a fun adventure.  I really wanted to create a fun, unique, functional nursery on a budget.  I wanted it to reflect my style but also be suitable for a baby/toddler and a happy place for Nadia.  I have a love/hate relationship with decorating.  On one hand, I love it.  I love all things pretty and the thought of creating a space that makes me feel a certain way is a welcomed challenge.  On the other hand, I am very indecisive, can have a hard time visualizing the finished project, and am painfully aware of my shortcomings when it comes to interior design.  But when all is said and done, I love learning about design and learning how to execute my ever evolving style.

my inspiration.

Initially I had several different design schemes I really liked for Nadia's nursery. One involved a palette of beige, cream, taupe, and white...a peaceful, natural vibe.  One involved Joel Dewberry's aviary line with a rustic woodsy feel (I have to admit part of the draw here was using owls which despite their trendiness, I think are simply adorable).  The next involved a modernly shabby chic feel with florals and distressed furniture in a palette of bubble gum pink, red, and aqua.  The last was a girly room of bright colors- aqua, pink, and yellow, with an ethnic vibe- based on Dena Fishbein's Kumari Garden line.  Hey, I warned you about my indecisiveness!  I dropped the Joel Dewberry version and then showed photos and described my 3 ideas to my super artistic sister and my designer friend and they both gave me the same advice: combine all three.  At first I wasn't sure if I could do that--I'm a bit of a design schizo and I felt like they were all so different.  But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I could totally take my favorite elements from each scheme and make it work.  So that's what I did.  I did give one priority and that was the Kumari Garden inspired room.

I had crib bedding made from it and the rest flowed from there.  From the peaceful beige palette, I took the natural elements and used DIY drop cloth curtains, the cute hamper, the natural blond wood shelves, and woven accessories.  From the shabby chic scheme, I took the aqua and pink, used a painted yellow dresser, and painted and distressed an antique dry sink to re-purpose as a changing table.  I also used the ornate (and yes, ubiquitous) ung frame.  The goal of "ethnic" might not have been achieved. I ordered a Moroccan Pouf from Morocco (yes straight from Morocco) and it ended up being a total NIGHTMARE!!!  I ended up returning it and since I can't afford the $400 version and am now deathly afraid of ordering a cheap one after my experience (let's just say it involved goat urine.  yeah that happened), I had to give up that dream. I also ordered a cool coffee sack pillow that I thought gave it an ethnic vibe, but that too didn't pan out.  I won't give you the boring details...I did however create this cool (if I do say so myself) Chinese lantern, pom, and lace lantern mobile and order this beautiful print from Jones Design company--all of which I think contribute to an ethnic feel.  And the Dena Fishbein print which was the entire inspiration, is one of the beautiful prints in her Kumari Garden collection which invokes an ethnic bohemian vibe. I also used her Tarika in gem as well as the Sujata in pink prints.

One last note and then I'll shut  up!  One of the most fun things about this room was doing it on a budget (Not as super tight as Genevieve's nursery but not nearly as expensive as many of the nurseries I ogled on design blogs).  Many of the items in her room came from thrift stores, yard sales, and even the side of the road.  I loved upcycling the changing table and painting the $20 yard sale dresser a cheerful yellow.

So here are some photos for your viewing pleasure (sources for almost everything at the very end)...

One of my absolute favorite features!  Lantern and pom mobile inspired by hers and hers.

Natural wood shelves-- styled but functional.

So Nadia is 5 1/2 weeks old and yes, the nursery is still progressing.  I have a few more tasks to accomplish.  But just so you don't think I'm lying about it, I figured I'd post this photo that Melanie of  Simply Mella was kind enough to take when I wasn't even looking.  I love all of these elements she captured and if I could have chosen three items to take pictures of in a room full of stuff I would have chosen these three!  So take a look...and I promise a full nursery reveal is coming....

 1.  Inspirational Print.  2. Fun chandy. 3. Lantern and Pom cluster (to be detailed in a later post :)

For Genevieve's nursery, I went with an old dresser (see this post) and loved the idea of repeating that for Nadia's nursery.  You can usually find something less expensive and with a bit more character and better quality than one you'd find at a furniture store or even a box store.  In a happy coincidence, I found the matching dresser to the one I bought for Genevieve at an antique store.  It was exactly the same down to the adorable heart cut out at the bottom, but was small enough to fit in the room with the changing table.  But when I went to the store the bottom drawer wouldn't open and I knew that would drive me crazy.  I was so sad but in the end this other number was cheaper and actually works perfect with the space.  It's not quite as high quality- it's basically one of those affordable pieces you'd find at an unfinished furniture store like a the mill store.  But at only $20 at a yard sale, it was good enough to do the trick. 

So now that I'd found the piece it was time to choose a color.  The primary colors in my inspiration 'piece' were yellow, blue, and pink.  I knew I wanted a cheerful yellow.  I'd gone back and forth about painting a jenny lind crib a bright yellow (see this post) and love the look of yellow against aqua or pale blue (the color of her walls).  Since in the end I decided I didn't have the stamina to tackle a crib project, I figured I could get the same effect with the dresser.  I picked the happiest, truest yellow I could find and went to town.  I ended up doing a couple of coats of primer (tinted for the last coat) and then two coats of the yellow paint.  For finishing touches, like in this project, I skipped the pricey anthro knobs for Hobby Lobby ones.  And they were on sale!  This project cost a total of $52.  That's a fantastic price for a decent quality dresser, especially after adding unique touches in a fun paint color and 'custom' knobs).

I've included before and after pics, as well as a couple of my inspiration pictures for the dresser.  Even though I'm a big fan of paint, I'd never gone with such a bold color so it helped seeing someone else do it with such success.  I LOVE color so I don't think I'll tire of it and I could totally see it growing with Nadia or in the girls' playroom later on for extra storage.  (uh because right now, we don't have a playroom, or wait, are toys strewn about the house considered a play room because if so, than yeah, we totally have one).  I also included the 'better' pics I promised in this post.   Oh and please ignore the super close up off center photography. If you want the honest truth I was zoomed in so tight so that I wouldn't have to sweep the trash up around the dresser.  Yes I was that tired, exhausted, busy, lazy.
As you can see, I've had a ton of fun pulling together old and new pieces for her room. So far, the magazine rack was from the side of the road, the dresser from a yard sale, and the changing table from a thrift/antiques store. Totally loving the re-use, re-purpose, recycle approach to design!



What do you think?  Have you painted any furniture (or anything) a bold color lately?  Do share!