On Instagram: #FDthenursery

You don’t see a lot of personal posts around here but this one is extra special - you may know that my husband Shayne and I recently had our first baby, a boy, Cyrus, this past July. Since becoming a mother I’m learning what it means to be selfless, how to accept help from others, how much I have to be thankful for, and of course, just how little sleep one can actually function on. But most of all, I’ve found a place in my heart I didn’t know existed. A place with a love I didn’t know I could feel… and it’s just the best.

Since my baby boy turns three months old today (how time flies!) I thought it’s the perfect day to share a glimpse into the nursery I designed for him.

T H E D E S I G N C O N C E P T

When planning the design concept for the nursery I knew I wanted to create something ‘gender-neutral’ (we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl) and a bright, fresh-feeling space that we could enjoy spending time in. Inspired by subtle tones and a variety of textures, I found myself leaning a little boho but wanted to inject a little ‘prairie modern’ into the mix as well which has become how I would describe my personal aesthetic lately.

At FDI we start each project out with a design concept board and The Nursery project was no different. I just love the green tones and variations of subdued color we landed on for this one.

If you remember this article from our feature on Designerlebrity, you’ll know that this room used be my home office before we had our downtown design studio. Admittedly, it became a neglected storage room for a while but now it’s the nursery - my favorite room in the house.

I believe our homes can be fluid; they’re meant to evolve and grow with us as our needs change.

This crib from DwellStudio was on my list even before I was pregnant - I just love the simplistic lines, I know I won’t tire of it for future children, and the ‘french white’ color is the perfect shade of warm white.

B R I N G I N G I T T O L I F E

If you follow along on Instagram, you’ll see that the Prairies of western Canada inspire a lot of the design work we do. For The Nursery, I wanted to bring a natural element into the room and this branch above the crib was the perfect way to create an affordable mobil that says ‘prairie’ in the most unassuming way.

Something that’s become a key part of my design work recently has been using ‘found’ pieces. It may be vintage or antique or just something I’ve come across and hung onto. In baby Cyrus’s nursery, the print above his crib was a vintage find - the colors are some of my favorites and it’s one of the first pieces I bought for the room. It inspired the choices in the pillows + blanket (source: Farmer’s Daughter Homestead), pulling tones of reddy browns and mustard yellows from the artwork.

This room has a small closet but not a lot of storage that’s well-designed for books or toys. I knew I wanted something that could house baby things and also transition as he grows up and this affordable bookshelf was the perfect fit. It’s the perfect spot to display notes from friends and our favourite books. I also love that the lower half is closed storage for items I don’t want on display.

S O U R C E S

• The little teething ring on the second shelf is from one of my favourite baby brands thus far, Otherware - a Canadian company with handmade products and on-point colours

• The candle is Amber & Moss by PF Candle Co, available at our shop - Farmer’s Daughter Homestead Smells soooo good…

Opposite the crib is the change table - a piece I found a few years ago and had in our hallway for a while. I kept looking at actual ‘change tables’ for the nursery but decided to use this one instead and I’m happy I did. It’s a piece that I can use here for now and move elsewhere when we’re out of this phase. Plus it doubles as great storage for Cy’s little baby things.

I’ll go ‘mom’ here for a minute just to say that I bought the ‘Keekaroo Peanut Changer’ (in the Vanilla colour) on the advice of a friend and it is the absolute best. There are no sheets to change, it’s so easy to clean, and sort of blends in with the room. If you’re at this stage of life too you can find it here or at West Coast Kids. Oh one more thing… the Ubbi diaper pail.

The brass hooks by the door and are one of my favourite pieces in the room.. At first I wasn’t sure about putting them in that spot not knowing what I would need but they have proved to be a practical choice and are perfect for storing items we use all the time.

The shelf above the door was a last minute addition (as you can tell from the hardware store brackets - would love to upgrade to these ones at some point) but it really adds something different to the room not to mention added storage and a touch of ‘prairie’. It’s just a piece of barn wood we had out in the storage shed painted white…with a new babe I’m all about keeping it simple these days.

The rocking chair is a found item as well. It’s got a darling rattan seat but in the middle of the night, you want to be super comfortable so I covered it with a dark brown sheepskin I brought back from a trip to Ireland last year for some extra plushness.

S H O P T H E L O O K

Planning your own nursery or just curious on our sources? Here’s a little shopping guide:

Photography by Candace Schwartz of Jackson Designs

This post contains affiliate links where I earn a small commission on items.

All opinions are my own and are not compensated in any way.