Last week, I introduced you to my daughter, Adelaide (whom we call Della), and this week, it’s time to get acquainted with her room.
Because we built our house (and by “we,” I mean my hubby, my father-in-law, and I…someday I may write a post about the things we didn’t do ourselves because that post will be short and easy to write), I don’t have any truly horrendous before pictures to show you. No moldy carpet, dingy water-spotted ceilings, or dated wallpaper. I can practically hear the collective groan of disappointment echoing through cyberspace.
In fact, no matter how hard I searched, all I found in our expansive array of home-building pictures were these two measly shots (keep in mind we built well before I even thought about blogging; unforgivable, I know).
Here’s a shot of what we had to work with:
Plywood and primer and painter’s tape, oh my!
…and now the serenity of:
*Sigh* That’s better.
Oddly enough, even though she is my only girl, Della’s room is blue—a creamy aqua called Winter Frost (can’t remember the company; I need to do a paint-can hunt). That’s partly because I’m not the color pink’s biggest fan, but it’s mostly because I am a bit of a crazy-obsessed stalker fan of anything blue/green: teal, turquoise, aqua, ocean-blue…you name it, I love it. Besides, it ended up being a pretty-darn girly color.
My inspiration for the entire room was Alexander Henry’s beautiful and whimsical fabric, Starling (I found mine on Etsy under the “supplies” tab for a very reasonable $6/yd), which comes in several different color schemes. I chose Natural, which had everything I wanted: bright, but not overwhelming, colors, pops of black and white, fat little birds, and a retro feel.
After I chose my fabric, the rest fell into place as all of my decorating does: I see something that’s a bazillion percent off of the original price and think, “Hey, I bet if I spray-painted/recovered/altered that in some way, that would be perfect!”
Yeah…it’s a gift…and a curse.
Aaaaanyhoo, I’ve tried to be as thorough as possible with my sourcing, but if I miss something, and you have a question, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Della’s bedding is a hodgepodge of 1) a Simply Shabby Chic Target full-sized bedding set that I bought at Goodwill, then cut up and made into a comforter and pillows (the blue/white ruffled one in the center). The bed ruffle came from that, and I just bunched it up strategically to make it fit Della’s crib, 2) a fun bolster pillow I found at Walmart, 3) a bumper I recovered with the Starling fabric (also used to make her curtains), and 4) a piece of polka-dot fabric I used as a crib-sheet (an idea I got from the very talented Emily of Jones Design Company).
The flower hangers were an old Hobby Lobby purchase, and I decided to repurpose them for Della’s room with a coat of red spray paint. In fact, you really couldn’t get too near me without ending up looking like a candy cane, since practically everything in the room got sprayed either white or Banner Red (Krylon).
I found the square decorative mdf pieces at Goodwill for $0.59 each—man, I love me some Goodwill—and mounted Della’s initials (the unpainted letters came from Walmart for under $2 each) onto the front. I’m really pleased with the three-dimensional feel they lend the back wall.
I made the butterfly mobile by wrapping a foam wreath base in pretty ribbon from Walmart and then using a Martha Stewart butterfly punch (bought with a 40% off coupon from Hobby Lobby) on a stack of scrapbook sheets/magazines and hanging them from fishing line.
A fun, vintage glass shelf I got at a fabulous local “barn sale” flea market. It provides a place for the blue wooden mouse brought to her from Germany by her Softa (my mom), a mini-birdhouse I found at Hobby Lobby, two red/white polka-dot dessert plates I scored at Goodwill for a $1 (for both), a pair of “ruby slippers,” and a pair of shoes I made her from the Starling fabric.
The bassinet and Hello Kitty in the corner are gifts from my mother-in-law and work perfectly with all the other white and red in the room. I found the little-girl-praying silhouette at Hobby Lobby and added it to the to-be-sprayed-red pile. I also framed more of the butterfly cutouts in vintage gold frames (an idea I swiped from a guest post at Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone fame’s fantastic blog). I matted mine with a sample of textured white wallpaper I already had.
I changed out the wooden knobs that came with Adelaide’s dresser for ones with more flower-power (from Marshall’s), which I also spray-painted red (yes, all while I was pregnant; don’t worry, I worked outside in the sunshine, and Della has all her fingers and toes and only a minor facial tic—JOKE!—I’m going to prove to you how perfect she is at the end of this post).
I found her bed and dresser as a matching set on craigslist, by the way.
I found this sweet sign at Marshall’s. I hope she’ll do just what it says for Jesus some day.
I bought her chandelier (which started out copper/bronze) from my best friend, Mandy, then proceeded to spray-paint every inch of it red and white (see? candy cane; stay away). It’s really a fun piece that adds just the right touch of girly glamour.
My favorite corner of her room.
I got the chair for a steal ($25!) on craigslist—it rocks and swivels and is super-comfy—and then bought the fabric from a local quilting store and the covered buttons (which match the curtains and bumper) from Etsy. A local lady recovered it for me and did a fabulous job for a shockingly low price.
I made the blue/white pillow and found the pink/black one @ Goodwill for $3. The polka-dot rug is actually a bath mat—$5—from Walmart (it coordinates with the bolster pillow—$8—in her crib), and I found the ottoman at Hobby Lobby for $8. A can of spray paint and aqua and white polka-dot fabric transformed it from a dark, manly-looking piece into the perfect little girl footstool. The red mini-chair was a random find from a roadside flea market (maybe wooden piece in the room that came red) – $4.
The trio of mirrors came in a pack for $6 from Ross. The butterfly print is from the Etsy shop of a really great Australian blogger, ishandchi. The “Adelaide” print is from the online shop of the amazing Jones Design Company.
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I painted this little jewelry chest white and the knobs red, and it now houses Della’s barrettes, pacifiers, and socks. A good friend made me the small butterfly canvas (the background is the text of Psalm 139; so cool!), and the little lamp is a Goodwill find for maybe $1. I recovered the lamp shade in white fabric, trimmed it in polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, then spray-painted the base and made a cover for the ugly cord out of some fabulous red/white striped fabric I found at—uh-huh, that’s right—Goodwill.
Last, but certainly not least, this is the adorable pouf Mandy made and hung from her chandelier at my baby shower. I tied it to the the curtain rod for an extra jolt of whimsy and color.
And there you have it!
I hope you love Della’s room as much as I do. It is my sanctuary of beauty and calm, and even before she was born, both my husband and I would go and sit in her white rocker (one at a time, of course; we’re not hobbits) and pretend we were holding her.
Now, that she’s here, it tends not to be quite as pristine as before (can we say laundry and diapers?), but it’s made infinitely better by her sunshiney presence!
In fact, I’m going to go take a turn in the rocker now. With this cuteness for company:
See you tomorrow for Flicky Friday!
Beautiful! I am in love with this color scheme, especially the wall colors. You mentioned Winter Frost was the color…do you know what brand it was?
Wondering if you found the paint brand for the winter frost wall color? 🙂
It’s actually called Spruce frost by Laura Ashley (Lowes)
It’s actually called spruce frost by laura ashley (from lowe’s)
Looks like something from House Beautiful! And you did a wonderful job taking pictures! I absolutely love the colors and would love to try this color scheme in my own house – a guest bathroom perhaps.
Thank you for sharing!
Her room is absolutely beautiful! You did a wonderful job!
This is just darling! I love the unique color combination. Great job! The lovely sitting area looks so great and inviting for snuggle time! Great job!
This is a gorgeous room!!!
Wow it looks amazing the colours go great together xxx
Oh my gosh! What an adorable room! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that chair!!!!!
Love the room!! So adorable. And I’m cracking up because her initials are the exact same as mine – Allison Eileen Hepworth. 🙂
Oh my goodness!! This is GORGEOUS!! I LOVE it SO much. Hope you can link this up at my turquoise lovin’ party going on!! https://www.sweetlittlegals.com/2012/01/turquoise-lovin-21.html
Love it!! Thanks so much for linking up! Just a reminder also to register for my $50 Stencil Giveaway!
XO, Aimee
Della’s room is beautiful! I found your blog via Pinterest & I featured a pin of Della’s room on my blog as one of my favorite pins of the week: https://www.pinfluence.com/2011/11/12/saturday-stumbles-11-12-11/
Ohhh! Dying! Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad you like the butterfly I made for you.
Thanks, Leigh Anne! The color is Laura Ashley’s Spruce Frost from Lowe’s.
I’m lovin this!! I think I wanna go w/ this color scheme for my baby girl’s room!! I was wondering what is the paint color on the walls. Thanks for all the other details. It turned out beautiful 🙂
leighannerushing(at)yahoo(dot)com
Congratulations, I am delighted with the color combination, how good the red looks in a girls bedroom. As the details and the DYI items are beauuuuutiful. Thank you fro sharing and I wish you and your family all the best!
Big hugs from Portugal.
Inês
perfect-home.blogspot.com
This room is just delightful. Wow. I am really impressed. I love it. I love that it is not pink or pastels like so many other nurseries. I saw it on Design Dazzle which has led me to your blog! And now I am following you! Love the power of the blogosphere.
Cant wait to look through some of your other projects.
Well done.
L x
Beautiful!! I bet the person who sold you that chair for $25 would die to see what you did with it. It truly makes the room! Off to Pin this. =)
Whoa! That was fast! Great job, Sarah! It’s so cool how just a few little touches can transform a space, isn’t it? I especially love DIY polka-dot knobs.
: )
Hi Abbie! I have a post up this morning. Check it out 🙂
Why, thank you, Jill. I’m really not very good at decorating in the box. Lucky for me, I happen to be okay with that! : ) How flattering to think that my nursery is being shown around to family members. Thanks! I’ll be sure to stop by your blog!
This nursery is absolutely fabulous….I can’t wait to show all of my pregnant family members to give them inspiration! I am not into a pink/blue typical nursery either and I think some of my friends and family think that my taste is a bit too out of the box and showing them these picture should show them that out of the box baby nurseries ARE fabulous!!! Good job!!! And check out my blog and you’ll see my love for red and white….so sheek
You’re so welcome, Sarah! I hope you post about it when you’re done. I’d love to see!
I adore your nursery! You did an amazing job with all the details! And red and aqua together are the best! You inspired me to paint the knobs on my baby’s changing table and add ribbon to the lamps today! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Yay! Thank you! So glad you enjoyed looking! And I am one blessed lady to have my little girl, let me tell you!
Wow, I just saw your beautiful nursery on Miss Mustard Seed and I must say what a wonderful job you did! I love all the details and the red and turquoise are two of my favorite colors. It really is a beautiful room, your little girls is one lucky girl. Oh, and I pinned it on Pinterest too!
Thanks! I loved doing it all!
Thank you, and thank you! Her personality is equally beautiful. She is an absolute gift from God!
Thank you so much! I must admit that I am a little proud. ; ) It’s nice when you have an idea in your head that turns out even better than you imagined!
adorable!!! your daughter AND her room!! you did a super duper job on pulling it all together with color….really cute.
What a STUNNING nursery…and what a beautiful wee girl!
Your daughter’s room is truly wonderful and you my dear are one talented lady! Thank you for sharing with us. You should be proud of the lovely space you created for your daughter to grow up in 🙂
I didn’t ever figure out the paint brand, I do know that it was from Lowe’s and that they can search for paint names as well as brands (I’m pretty sure, anyway). Ask them about either Winter Frost or Winter’s Frost, and if you don’t come up with anything, message me, and I do a more thorough search for you!
Thanks for the compliments on Della’s nursery too! I’ve probably never been more pleased with how an entire space came together! ; )
OH.MY.GOODNESS. I found this post from Miss Mustard Seed’s blog. This nursery is absolutely darling! I am a swooner for anything red and white, polka dotted or striped, and teal/aqua is my favorite color! I think you just gave me the color for our bathroom in the house we’re remodeling. I couldn’t find the right shade of aqua and this looks perfect. Did you ever find what brand it is? Anyway, you did an incredible job. LOVE it.
WOW!
Those were actually my wedding colors!
what a BEAUTIFUL nursery!! and a beautiful little one 🙂 my daughter’s name is bella… so she and della would be good friends, i think 😉 love your blog, love finding other mamas who love jesus through the blog-world! i’m your newest follower.
Thanks, Jen! It literally makes me happy just going in there. I so appreciate the feature! I’ll be sure to grab a button! : )
So adorable! I am working on my daughter’s room right now and using the same color scheme! Love this combo, I even did the tissue pom poms over her bed! So funny, great minds think alike! She is ten and chose these colors herself so hopefully your daughter will love them when she’s older too. Great job, thanks for sharing
This is gorgeous! I love, love, love the colors! What a lucky girl! I’m going to feature this tomorrow on my blog! Stop by and grab a button if you’d like.
Jen
Scissors & Spatuals
Abby, this is fantastic! I’m not much of a red fan, but the combo with aqua is amazing! I’m a blue-green-turq lover too! 😉 I would love to showcase this on my blog, please email me if you’d like it to be included in the nursery gallery. PlayfulDecor (at) gmail (dot) com. Have a great week!
Thanks, Beth! It was so much fun to design and do (oh yeah, and tons of
work! ; ).
I’m amazed with this nursery. All the details are so thoughtful and beautiful. Simply stunning!
Yeah, pink is not my thing so much. I’m glad you like it! And you are just
gorgeous, Missy! I laughed really hard at your Hannibal Lecter joke! ; )
Thanks for following, Emily. It’s great to have you here! I’m glad you’re an
aqua fan. Pretty much the best color ever in my opinion.
“The softness and the loudness of it…” You nailed it, Terry. I love
color, but I wanted something dreamy for her room, so it did end up being
quite the mix! Thanks for visiting!
Awww, thanks!
Perfection!
The most adorable and unusual room. I so love the soft and loudness of it. Very striking.
oh, and I’m a new follower!
gasp! I love love it! I too am a huge fan of anything aqua…your color scheme is amazing and you did such an awesome job!
Really darling! I love how it’s not pink! If you love aqua and red wait and see what I’ve got coming up. You’re probably going to laugh really hard! Come on over and see how you can organize some of your buttons and other things! Thanks so much for sharing. Oh, and tomorrow I’m going to be celebrating my daughter Adele’s birthday!
Why, thank you! It was a pleasure to do! Probably my favorite room in my
house to decorate so far.
Thank, Jen! I’m a detail girl. : )
Yay! Thank you, Evie! I looooooove those colors together too! They literally
make me happy. : )
Thank you! I loved doing her room. She’s my first girl (after two boys, so
it was very therapeutic ; )). The little girl praying is from Hobby Lobby.
I found it on clearance and then spray-painted it (along with anything else
I could get my hands on!) red! Thanks for stopping by!
BEAUTIFUL! Love all the colors and details, great job!
This is beautiful! I love all the details. The colors are amazing. Great job!
I LOVE those colors together…SO beautiful!!! I’m your newest follower!
WOW! Her room is PRECIOUS! I love the color combination of pale blue and red. Every detail is perfect. What about the little girl praying metal piece? That is very cool.
Oh my goodness, that is seriously the coolest nursery I have ever seen!!!! What amazing details and lovely features!!! I love, love, love, love it! And your Craigslist chair turned out so cute!! Oh my. Now I want another baby. And your daughter is beautiful!
beth