When we found out we were pregnant, one of the first thoughts to go through my head was: “Where are we going to live?!”
For the past year, we had been toying with the idea of putting our place on the market since we knew we were ready to start a family. As many of you know, times are tough out there right now in real estate – so we kept putting it off. Once we got the official news that our family of two would now become three, we started to actively look into selling it. After a few months of back and forth with a couple realtors, we decided that the timing wasn’t right. We were heading into late fall/early winter, which essentially meant the real estate market would slow considerably in the chilly Chicago climate. We made the decision to wait until after the baby was born to put it up for sale.
Once that decision was made, I grew obsessed with getting our place ready to accommodate a baby – and all the many things that come along with a newborn!
First, I got rid of all the clutter. Living in a small space, tiny piles of “stuff” seem to accumulate in random places, ie behind the couch, in corners, tucked away on the floor of closets, etc. I was determined to remove all of our excess belongings and either throw it away or find a place for it in storage. I cleaned out every closet, cabinet and corner of our place and found a home for everything.
Next up, I wanted to redecorate our bedroom. This had been on my list since approximately two days after painting it when we first moved in. I was never in love with our paint choices (they always felt just a bit off to me) and I wanted a space that was calming and soothing, and comfortable for both us and the baby.
Our bedroom in its BEFORE state:
My bedroom redesign to-do list:
- Paint! Find a soft-neutral gray with taupe undertones
- Paint floor-length mirror a soft gold
- New bedding
- New bedside lamps
- Remove desk/chair from corner
- Remove giant tube tv from dresser (such an eyesore!)
- Frame and hang new artwork/photos
- Buy baby furniture: bassinet, dresser/changing table, glider and ottoman
Almost right away, I got to work! Did I mention I needed to do all of this on a budget? That meant we were painting ourselves, DIY-ing a few projects myself and searching for bargains for anything we needed to buy new. I scoured Homegoods and TJ Maxx, visited outlets and JoAnn Fabrics to find the best deals I could.
The details:
- Paint: Behr Premium Plus Ultra Interior Paint in Perfect Taupe
- Bedding: Sheets, Comforter and Shams – Tahari Home found at HomeGoods
- Throw Pillows: DIY – used fabric from the remnants bin at JoAnn’s
- Lamps: Homegoods
- DIY mirror redesign: Painted the trim in Martha Stewart Living Vintage Gold Specialty Paint
- Framed photos: Wedding photos printed at Walgreens, used old frames
- Art above bed: Printed black and white photos I took from various travels, frames from Michael’s
- Gold and silver dot artwork on shelf: DIY
- Baby furniture: Bassinet, dresser, changing topper, glider and ottoman – all found at Land of Nod and Land of Nod Outlet
- Shelf for baby items: Including baskets, found at Bed Bath & Beyond
We love our new space! And would you believe we were able to do this under budget? I got lucky when I went shopping for baby furniture. The Land of Nod outlet was running a sale – if you purchased three items, your entire order was an additional 30% off. I managed to score our dresser, glider and ottoman for total less than $750. Compared to the prices on their website, we basically got two pieces of furniture for free! My mom graciously gifted us the bassinet and we received the changer at our shower. With these gifts and bargain hunting, along with my DIY projects, we were able to stay under budget and still have the bedroom (and psuedo-nursery!) of our dreams.
Redesigning this space was as much about decor as it was about preparing a space that I could welcome our baby into. Without a nursery, I struggled with the idea of essentially “splitting” the space in our bedroom – maintaining a personal space for me and Mr. Markers, but also creating a special haven for our little one. With our final product, I feel I’ve achieved just that. Now, I can just sit back in the rocker, picturing our little one in my arms.
Did you have a similar experience? Was it hard to find space for the baby and all of the baby’s things?
grapefruit / 4671 posts
We are dealing with this now as we have a 6.5 month old in our one bedroom apt. Unfortunately our bedroom is half the size of yours so we were not able to give her a beautiful space like you have. That will have to wait until we move. Wonderful job!
GOLD / pear / 1845 posts
Gorgeous! Such a nice calm space for you three
grapefruit / 4669 posts
I’m so on the same page with you in one bedroom land! Except we rent and have a tiny baby nook (formerly the office area) that we’re using as a nursery. Your decor looks amazing! So calm and classy.
grapefruit / 4311 posts
Very cute!! Inspired me to do our bedroom makeover we have been putting off… Don’t even have a comforter right now!! and I love the “&” pillow and art work!
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
Lol! I totally love your blue accent wall and thought that it was the “after shot”! I’m glad you like you new room better. It’s amazing how nicely all that baby stuff fit in your room. It doesn’t look cramped at all.
bananas / 9229 posts
I love it!!
guest
We live in NYC in a spacious one bedroom and I think a special baby room is pretty uncommon for most people here. I’m 35 weeks and we just set everything up in the last week or so — we added a new dresser that will double as a changing area and a crib and the room fills full but not crowded. The Graco swing that my friend long-term loaned to me as well as the Moses basket I bought are in the living room. I do want to move later this year when our lease is up so we have an extra room for visitors, however, for now the space feels cozy but in no way crowded.
kiwi / 673 posts
We have a small 1 bedroom apartment, but our room is much smaller than yours. We made extra space by buying travel sized items (like a pack n play instead of a crib) and making our existing furniture multitask (e.g. We took the mirror off of my low dresser so the top could act as our changing station). Works well when you’re tight on space.
pear / 1895 posts
We live in a one-bedroom rental. The bedroom is a decent size, luckily, and we’ve managed to fit a full-size crib, changing table, and chair (not a glider) in with our king bed, night stands, and dresser. It’s definitely a bit snug, but I don’t really mind it. I try to think of it as “cozy” :). All the baby stuff is on one side of the room, which is nice.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Impressive you got it all to fit!
I have to ask where is that headboard from? I love it!
pomegranate / 3053 posts
It’s beautiful and perfect for both parents and baby. So calming.
guest
Whoa! I am super impressed! Not only with the way you made the bedroom do double duty as a nursery, but also with how gorgeous it is! (And under budget?! Awesome!)
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
Uhm, that’s me ^ up there as Christine. Oops.
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
I adore your paint color! And your whole set up! We already have a 2 bedroom, but unless we move in a 3 bedroom, we will probably keep it as a guest room for a while. I like the idea of “rooming in” anyway.
grapefruit / 4649 posts
What a beautiful new room! The whole thing is beautiful but that dot art is so pretty, I think I need to give that a try. Your dog is adorable!
pomegranate / 3890 posts
Stunning!!!!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
this is beautiful!! I think it’s so common for families to be caught off guard or for financial reasons have to stay in a one bedroom apartment… if we were to have another baby we’d be in a two bedroom with two little ones!
Great post!
bananas / 9973 posts
Wow! What a beautiful transformation and way to go under budget!!!
blogger / cherry / 192 posts
@Smurfette: we got the headboard for a STEAL (i think $199) on jossandmain.com – one of my favorite home decor sites for deals. the brand is called skyline and ours is the park avenue model in wheat.
the sale isn’t going on right now on joss and main, but here’s a similar one on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Skyline-Furniture-Avenue-Headboard-Groupie/dp/B002KMJW5A/ref=sr_1_18?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1357702389&sr=1-18&keywords=skyline+headboard
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
I love the way it turned out! I also love that your perfect colour was called Perfect Taupe
watermelon / 14206 posts
This is great! We have a 2 bedroom apartment, but we might as well be talking about a one bedroom, cause my 5 year old son has the second one. We signed the lease after I was pregnant, cause it was September, and we figured paying extra for a room we won’t even use for half the lease was silly. So, when baby comes in March, she’s rooming in with us until we buy a house, which will hopefully be this fall.
We’re leasing an apartment, so painting is a no-no, and our space is smaller, but in reality, its a little nice, cause it’s making us really think about what we actually need for the baby. My son’s closet has been utilized, as well, even though he at first complained about the pink clothes hanging in there. I simply then told him his choice was so share the closet with her clothes or share the room with her. He picked the closet.
squash / 13199 posts
So sweet! we also have our baby in a one bedroom apartment but will be moving in a few months.we put her crib next to our bed
nectarine / 2192 posts
Wow! That looks awesome!