Project Nursery

As I've been researching for decor ideas for the nursery, I've been really inspired by some of the blogs I've run across. As a visualizer, I love the thrill of seeing before and after pictures, especially from long-term projects like this. Seeing all the possibilities and changes that can come just through one space is truly motivating, and if it was a product of your own sweat and labor, then it's definitely rewarding!

Therefore, I wanted to try something similar, and document the progress of this project of ours. I've never really had to "transform" anything -- I've always had fresh slates to work off of. Decorating our home after we got married was lots of fun, but it wasn't as challenging as this. In regular rooms that are already set and built, there's only a handful of purposes for a living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, etc. In addition, most of us has had experiences in living spaces that contain those types of rooms, so we already have an idea of what we want and need in each of our spaces.

When it comes to special rooms with "special needs" like a nursery, it can get a little challenging, especially if it's your first child, or even first experience with caring for a baby. It's hard to know the differences between what you need and want, so budgeting can get a little tricky. It takes a lot of researching and interviewing, so thank God for Google and very reliable internet sources such as BabyCenter.com. I've worked with and cared for 18 - 36 month olds at my previous job at a Montessori school, so I'm relatively familiar with their routines and necessities. However, newborns require several different things in addition to the usual diaper changing and cleaning up after, so research was definitely necessary on my part!

This is a challenge I've definitely been invested in lately, so I wanted to share my progress and things I've learned along the way. Below are some challenges in addition to the aforementioned:

• Budget = This is our biggest priority, aside from providing the baby with everything he/she absolutely needs. We don't have a number, but we're sticking to a "lowest possible price" goal, along with a "necessities only" goal. Of course, who's to say I will know for sure what my baby will absolutely "need?" That's where all the fun comes in! ;)
• Style = What's the point of making the effort to decorate if you're not trying to accomplish something aesthetically appealing as a result? My personal challenge in this is actually trying to find a particular style and theme, and just STICK with it. There are SO many beautiful ways to decorate a nursery, and I've even lost count of how many pins I have on my nursery board! My goal here is to figure out what I want to portray and accomplish with my style, and go through with it (because we all know "Indecisive" is my middle name)!

In regards to progress, I would say Phase 1 is complete -- the purging of the old (Phase 2 was complete, until this happened!). Since I didn't plan to document this project until now, I had to dig up whatever I could find of the old room. (I took the photo to send to my family so I could show them a rearrangement of the room at the time).

I think this was the most painstaking and UNexciting phase of the whole project. It took me about  a week to complete (with my pregnant and very tired self), and of course, this phase ended with me in bed for recovery, lol. Our second room was being used as a his/her office, guest room (with a queen bed), AND storage room. You can only imagine how not excited I was to begin this task! Well, as they say, "work hard now, play hard later," and now that all is said and done, I admit that I'm very excited and ready to play hard with this room! ;)

Our tri-purpose room obviously was lacking major space!
Contents: 1 queen bed, 2 work stations, and lots & LOTS of stuff!