Welcome to Week Two of the One Room Challenge!

I’m happy to report that we sold the last of our home office furniture this week (woot woot!) and after sampling various paint colors and wall treatments, we also finalized the vision for the nursery design.

French Coastal Meets Boho Glam

We are going for a cheerful, coastal vibe with a touch of boho-style and a sprinkle of bows & ruffles. Throw in a touch of French Provincial wall treatments & furniture and I think I may have created a whole new design aesthetic!

I fell in love with the coastal watercolors and soft edges of this Spoonflower wallpaper by Indy Bloom Designs.

The Inspiration Piece

I started my first design board the same day I found out I was pregnant & though the vision has gone through multiple iterations, the one thing I kept coming back to was this beautiful wallpaper I found on Spoonflower.

Once I found out we were having a girl, I knew this would be the cornerstone of the design.

Additional Resources: I came across several other gorgeous wallpaper designs as I was browsing, and I’m definitely saving a few of them for future projects. Check out the gorgeous selection of customizable wallpaper options at Love vs. Design and the oh-so-elegant creations of Cole & Son for more inspiration.

Accent wall or not to accent wall?

I recently read that accent walls are out and all-in design commitment is in, and as much as I believe in doing what you like in your own home and not following design trends, I’d be lying if I said the thought wasn’t running through my mind as I debated what to do with this space.

Ultimately, I decided that due to the symmetrical nature of the room, there really wasn’t a natural accent wall and I’ve been digging the vintage vibes of picture frame moulding and chair rails, so I hopped on to the “No more accent walls” bandwagon and opted for a more traditional look instead.

A mock-up of the chair rail & picture frame wallpaper murals planned for Baby Girl’s room

budgeting for baby

All of the expenses of preparing for a baby add up quickly, so I knew we had to set a pretty strict budget for this project. My husband & I pulled from some of our guiding principles to help us.

Decide on a Number
For any home makeover project, it’s a good idea to start with how much you are willing to spend. If you don’t decide on this in advance, you can quickly end up spending way more than you intended.
With so many expenses heading our way, I set a pretty modest budget for the nursery. All in, including furniture, accessories, wall treatments & supplies, I am hoping to come in right around $2000. Considering a new crib from Pottery Barn can run you $1000 or more, I feel like this is just enough of a challenge to keep things interesting.
Track Your Spending
Be sure to keep track of your expenses. All those trips to Home Depot and Hobby Lobby add up, so don’t forget to keep those smaller items on the radar in addition to the big ticket items.

The Budget Tracker I use with my clients makes tracking your spending a cinch.

3. Prioritize Your Spending

Setting a budget helps you figure out what is most important to you. For this project, I really really wanted to do the wallpaper and picture frame moulding, so that became our main line item.

4. Shop Your Home

If you are crafty, you can often upcycle items you already own to give them a fresh, new look. I’m planning to reuse a handful of decor items I had in my office by giving them a little glow up.

5. Reduce Reuse Recycle

Design moves as quickly as fashion it seems, so be sure to check Marketplace and local consignment shops if you are looking to save a bit of money.

We plan to thrift most, if not all, of the nursery furniture. Because babies’ needs are constantly evolving and changing, I know there will be a plethora of baby furniture on Marketplace just waiting for a new home. Buying second-hand reduces our carbon footprint just a little bit, and that makes me pretty happy, too.

6. DIY What You Can

Of course, you can always save money by getting your DIY on and rolling up your sleeves to do the work yourself, which is definitely a part of our One Room Challenge plan. Thankfully, I have a pretty handy partner who is just as excited as I am about getting this room ready for our little one!

Speaking of DIY…

Here’s a little sneak peak at a few of the DIY accessories I have planned for next week:

Until then, be sure to check out the progress of my fellow One Room Challenge participants!

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Lydia Fields, Seaside Styling & Organizing in Wilmington, NC

For those of you who are tuning in for the first time, my name is Lydia Fields and I own a home styling & organizing business in coastal North Carolina. I specialize in helping my clients create spaces they love without breaking the bank. I also do beach vacation rental styling to boost owner profits by delivering quality design on a budget.

My design style centers mainly around beachy hues (think blues and neutrals), natural elements and for my own home, a touch of vintage. I love furniture & accessories with a story, utilizing what you already have & putting in some sweat equity to make each space unique.

Need some design inspiration for your own home project? Let’s chat!

contact Lydia