Man, there is nothing that lights a fire under me like telling me that I cant do something. And in roughly 20 weeks, we will have a new little nugget that will undoubtedly make it hard to tear myself away to go and paint a wall. (I was trying to explain to Court that its practically September, which means its October, which means Christmas is over, which means we have like 2 weeks until the baby is here.)
I thought it would be fun to share with you guys the list of all I’d like to get accomplished. Court thinks I am insane, but you guys are really good enablers so lets get the guy motivated together!!
The Master Bedroom. Sighhhhhhhhh. The freaking master bedroom. You may remember a while ago (um. 2013)I had major plans to do a real time master makeover. I got a few projects deep and at this point just didnt love where it was going. So I stopped to re-evaluate.
When BHG came to shoot I whipped it into shape a little so that it was ready for pictures, but in my mind it just wasnt ever done (you know that feeling rihgt?)
Then I had some big plans to turn it into an office (lots of walls for pictures) so we moved the bed into the teeny 4th bedroom and have been camping out in there for a few months. Long story short, I’m ready for it to be a bedroom again. Right now all I’ve got figured out is the headboard (its going to be so goooood!!) but once everything gets rolling I’m hoping it’ll all fall into place.
The Kitchen. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh x2. The kitchen makeover started with the tile (hellooooo 2 years ago!) and came to a dead standstill once that was done. The thing is, I dont want to completely renovate it. I dont have 20k to pour into it, I want it to be actually doable for most people that hate their kitchen and have a teeny budget. That being said, I dont want it to look like I spent nothing. And have you guys seen this piece of art the Nick and Beth did? Can you imagine something similar only 10x bigger? Maybe as big as a kitchen table?!
The Laundry Room. Our laundry room hasnt been touched since the day we moved into this house. Beige paint and horrible linoleum greet me every time I walk in the door. No wonder I hate laundry (jk, I would hate laundry even if I had to do it in the most gorgeous laundry room ever.) but its such a teeny space that with a little bit of effort we could have it looking and functioning a million times better than it does right now. I’m a little torn between using the same tile that we used in the kitchen, or doing something really exciting like this tile from Home Depot (HELLLOOOOOO. Way to step up your tile game HD!)
The Nursery. The teeny 4th bedroom will be the baby’s room (once we get moved back into the master.) The problem that I’m having is that I’m not sure I’m ready to dedicate an entire room to a baby that will most likely sleep in our bedroom. Thoughts on this one?
Ok so who wants to come over and help?
As far as the baby room goes, it’s my opinion that people put waaaay too much energy in readying their home for a stage of life that is minuscule. Instead of planning for that 6 month period where your baby is mostly immobile, plan for a space that can transition easily from baby into toddler and maybe into early childhood. Example, a low dresser instead of a changing table. A decor theme that a small child will find fun and engaging rather than the (beautiful but impractical) nurseries that are so popular right now. Best wishes on the rest of your pregnancy!!! Can’t wait to see how you make your home ready for the ultimate DIY project: a baby!!!
That’s exactly what I did! A dresser with a changing pad on top, décor that a young boy would like.
And now he’s three and the only thing we did was take down the crib and replace it with my husband’s bed from his childhood.
I agree about making sure it transitions into a toddler room. My seven year old son is still sleeping in a mint green room with dragonflies and butterflies on the walls. Of course I’ve been promising for months (years) to paint his room and add some superhero to it. Maybe by the time he’s a teen.
I agree with the above posters. As for whether to use the space as a bedroom/nursery, even though the baby will be sleeping with you, i always loved having a specific place for the baby’s things. And if you’re going to use it as his/her bedroom later on, anyway, why not go for it? Good luck, whatever you choose!!
ps–if there are typos here, I’m sorry, but the type is coming out as white and I actually cannot read what I’m typing on my computer 🙂
I’m with Wilma on this one. I love having a space for our baby, even though she is in the non-walking stage still. And I know it’s different for every family, but I really liked having a space for her to sleep alone, so that her big sister doesn’t disturb her when she’s napping, and so that as soon as I was ready to have her in a separate room with a monitor, it was there ready for me to do so. If nothing else, design is how you seem to express yourself and celebrate life, so it seems exciting to do so now. But it’s your call. 🙂 Can’t wait to see!
Yeah, I’m seeing (or not seeing) white type when I try to comment as well. What’s up?
Haha… I so feel you about the “its practically september, so the baby is coming like tomorrow” (mine is also due January!) Way too many projects to get done before little ones arrive. haha. Hopefully you have some good tutes I can also follow for my little.
Mine is actually due in September… ahhhhh!!!! THAT BASICALLY IS TOMORROW!!
Best of luck to all the mamas with finishing that never-ending project list before babe arrives! 🙂 WE CAN DO IT!
mad tile skills, home depot, wow! who knew!
yes you are definitely doing what i called nesting, when another wee one was coming down the pipe. go easy on yourself! 🙂
have you read the blog, Manhattan nest? The author just did a low budget but nice kitchen renovation! Love your ideas and congrats!
Choose the most important project and slowly work on the rest- you need to think about taking care of yourself and overloading with work will only stress you out! Also- even if the “nursery” isn’t done you will want a separate space for all that baby crap even if baby does sleep with you…plus that phase will go so fast so it’s good to think ahead!
Congratulations and can’t wait to see the things to come!
The baby slept in our room until he was 2.5 months old and then he moved to his room. That being said, all the midnight nursing, changing of diapers, etc was done in the baby’s room from the beginning so we used it from day 1 even though he didn’t sleep in the crib for a couple of months. My vote is Yes, do the baby room because once he is here, you will have a lot less time to do major projects in there.
I think that once you start, you’ll love doing the babies room. Think of all the clever ways you can up-cycle furniture, making clever storage spaces and units suitable for toddlers as well. Embrace, enjoy! I can’t wait for that stage of my life!
I totally want to come over and help. But I agree with above, just make it a room that baby can grow into! You are good at that kind of thing 🙂
I think every iteration of your master bedroom looks great. And I know how you feel about baby getting a room when they’ll be in your room… but eventually they move out of your room. You’ll likely feel better if baby has something that isn’t just a leftover pit (Um. Guilty. I would feel better). And I dig that home depot tile but I’d really dig seeing old linoleum painted that way OR a sick wood floor like your project in the RV. And yes to the kitchen.
All that to say baby’s room (easy), laundry room and bedroom (easy-ish), and kitchen (ack. hard). My parentheticals are my way of saying the effort level you should expend. Were I a home blogger who was 20 weeks pregnant. Your projects always look cool anyway. I’d appreciate it all.
That tile! Yippee! I say get going on your projects and see how far you can get. I’d love to come help. When I’m Prego, my creative energy runs lower; hoping that’s not the case for you. Best wishes. Will be waiting to see what you decide. Oh, that wood art is blowing my mind! Too good!
That wall art is EVERYTHING. It would look killer a million times bigger. Makes me want to go pick up a miter saw IMMEDIATELY – I have been putting it off forever! Love love love.
Yes to baby’s room. You won’t have the time to do it right when you are ready to move baby to it’s own space. Enjoy nesting and do it now. Even at the very begining we tried to feed and play in his room as much as possible.
If I was local, I would love to pop over and help! Pick the project that speaks loudest to you and enjoy nesting!
We used a travel crib in our room during the night and then used the crib in their room during daytime naps. I think it helped them get comfortable with being in their own space once I was ready for them to spend nights in their own bed, versus ours. It worked out pretty well and they are great sleepers. Plus, everyone would probably LOVE to see you style/design a practical baby space 🙂
yes on the nursery!! a) nurseries are the cutest and i’d love to see your take on one and b) you know you wanna!!
LOVE that tile!!! If only Home Depot would open in Ireland *sigh*. As for the nursery, I have two sprogs, both of whom slept in our room till I stopped nursing (who wants to shlep into another room when you can just drag them into the bed with you and snooze through it?) but once they got to around the six month mark they moved into their own rooms. My daughters was just a spare room, wheras my sons was actually decorated, and I LOVED having as nice room to put him in. Having said that, I aimed it at a small kid, not a baby, so it’ll last a few years.
Never underestimate the power of a pregnant woman! I painted my master bedroom the day before I went into labor with my daughter (convinced she would never arrive). Not that I recommend this. Try to prioritize your projects based upon your post-baby tolerance. Meaning, what will drive you the craziest to look at, and not be able to tackle with a newborn. Do those first – the rest can wait. If that makes any sense at all. 😉
MANDI- I’ve totally DIYed a similar piece to your inspo piece above and IT IS THE SIZE OF A TABLE TOP =-D! It’s a dumb downed version, definitely not as beautiful & intricate. And mine is HEAVY because I knew nothing about wood that long ago.
https://formyloveof.net/giant-aztec-wall-art/
I’ll totally help with the baby’s room! I have a friend who turned the baby’s “room” into just a really safe play space for a small baby. Futon on the floor, low storage for baby toys. I know I would’ve gotten way more use out of a space had I done that l. Never did use the baby’s room after it was decorated.
I love looking at nursery. They are beautiful. And when I had my third daughter 11 months after #2, I learned they were pretty unnecessary as well. Kid #4 didn’t have a bedroom until he was 20 months. I say put your energy into coming up with a kick ass toddler/kid room and use your nesting energy on your master where you and the baby will be spending most of your time anyway. And congratulations!!!!
Congrats on the new bebe! We are expecting a little girl (after 2 boys) in early Jan and can’t wait to move into our new house to get that nursery decorated. We are putting up a Jenny Lind style crib with dresser and adding a changing pad on top so she can transition easily to the crib after moving from the bassinet from our master. My babies were only in our room for a few months and so we’re going all out in her nursery. 🙂 Have fun decorating the spaces, no doubt each one will be darling!
You could totally paint that gorgeous geometric tile from Home Depot for your laundry room. I love painting floors. At least, in theory. I’ve never done it.
Do the nursery. I hadn’t done one until baby #5 was due and it was SUCH a fun nesting sort of project to embrace. It’s a smaller room so didn’t take that long and it’s certainly something I hope will grow with Arthur for a few years at least (hello, plank wall and Hygge&West wallpaper). Bottom line, every time I go into his little space I love it and love him and love that it’s our little sanctuary together when all the other kids are tearing around like gremlins. Also, I want to see what you’d do. 😉 Hope you’re feeling great! Loved hearing the news straight out of your mouth in ATL vs. online in a post! xoxo Charlotte
I am both a Pediatric nurse and a mom to 5. My children are spaced very long apart (eg my youngest is 14 years younger than her next sibling and 25 years younger than her oldest sibling). All babies are different. Some need a lot of quiet space, some like to be part of the hustle and bustle of a big active family and don’t do well alone in a quiet space. I can guarantee though that you will need a small, quiet space for nursing, bonding, comforting, etc. a nursery should be that space. Commit to making it the baby’s room, and train your family that it is where baby things go, and set some rules for the room (eg, maybe no pets, no use of crib for play for anyone other than baby, etc). This is where you will store their clothes, toys, diapers, and other baby necessities. If you don’t commit to it being the baby’s room, it will become a repository for everything you don’t want in another room (eg, we don’t need that chair? Just throw it in the baby’s room). You will need to set up a changing station, sleeping area which should be consistent for sleep training, and a quiet place to take baby when the house is just too noisy, or baby is ill and needs comforting, even just for close bonding with whichever family member is in that room as well. Yes, your babe will likely sleep in the master for the first few months, but that quiet nursery will be invaluable come nap time, guests, etc. I’m so happy for you and your family! Good luck and enjoy every minute! Parenting is much more fun and easier when it’s not the first time, you are older and more “mellow to the crazy”, you have more resources (time, money, patience) and you have older children to help and just to LOVE watching them interact with their new sibling. Babies are pure joy!
I’ve just recently discovered your blog and I have to say you’re wildly talented. Would yo mind sharing the rug source from your BHG master bedroom?