Nature & Travel Inspired Nursery

One of the most fun parts of preparing for Brantley to come was putting together his nursery. His room is on the smaller side, so I wanted to have mostly light and bright colors. I  also wanted a sense of nature, natural textures, and hints of adventure and travel.

I landed on neutrals with touches of green – green feels like nature to me and is said to represent growth, life, peace, and rest. Someone jokingly (maybe joking?) told me I was going for the sad beige mom aesthetic – I feel like it is a safari spa aesthetic which I love.

While he hasn’t spent a ton of time in his nursery to-date, we are spending more and more time up there as he gets older. I designed it to be a calming, relaxing space where I’d want to spend time (since we’ve really had him in our room through the first few months). I liked to read and listen to podcasts in there while I was pregnant waiting for him to arrive. In the early newborn days, it was a nice change of scenery for us during the day. We transitioned his naps to his room around three months, moved him into his crib at night around four months, and eventually it will be a room he can grow into over time.

Full Nursery Checklist

Furniture

Non-toxic convertible crib – I researched cribs and ultimately wanted a safe crib, this one is Greenguard Gold certified (no nasty chemicals). I also like that it converts to a toddler bed later and is simple and modern looking.

Breathable mattress & sheets – It was important to me to have a mattress free of harmful chemicals, washable, and rated for its safety and loved that it is fully breathable especially now that Brantley is sleeping on his stomach. This one is Greenguard Gold Certified. I paired it with some soft organic cotton sheets to add some color and comfort to his bed. 

Comfy glider – I liked this rather than a traditional rocker (to protect little fingers) and went with the ottoman rather than recliner for the same reason.

Dresser with changing station – I wanted a full-size dresser for storage and didn’t want to buy a separate changing station/table. This dresser is Greenguard Gold certified, unique and modern looking, and comes with the removable changing station on top.

End Table – It is nice to have this near the chair to put my phone, breastfeeding supplies, and some snack jars which were critical in the early breastfeeding days when I was starving all the time.

Baby Must-Haves

Diaper Trash – The one we registered for was pricey, but it holds so many diapers and has a nice UV sanitary feature. We have this cheaper one downstairs and it is not as nice and holds about half as many diapers so we are taking them out more frequently.

Changing Pad – We created two changing stations in our house (one upstairs and one downstairs). For the nursery, we bought this easy-to-wipe option which doubles as a baby scale. For our downstairs option, we bought a basket style one that blended well with the rest of the home decor.  

Organization

Dresser Organization – I bought these dividers, this label maker, a few baskets, and learned how to file fold Brantley’s tiny clothes to keep everything organized in his dresser. I put diapers, creams, bibs, burp clothes etc. in the top two drawers and organized his clothes by size in the rest except for one bottom drawer reserved for blankets and sleep sacks.

Closet Organization – I bought these little baby clothes hangers (the kids clothes ones were too big), these dividers to keep everything separated, and these multipurpose storage boxes which have come in handy to organize clothes that are too small, things I want to donate, assorted diapers etc.

Portable Caddy – I used this portable little rope caddy for all of my miscellaneous breastfeeding station supplies at first, so I could move around the house with it easily. I eventually started using it for a portable toy basket to take outside with us when we play in the yard. Either way, it has been super versatile and helpful for corralling all the things.

Label Maker – My nesting instincts translated into the desire to create labels for everything, so enter the label maker. This one connects easily to your phone, and is super simple to use. I used the labels in his drawers for all the different size clothes among other things.

Snack Jars – These jars came in handy to store my peanutbutter pretzels and trail mix snacks so they were quick and easy to reach during baby feeding sessions.

Decorations

Stuffed Animal Storage – We were given so many stuffed animals, and I wanted a cute way to organize them all without cluttering the floor and was happy to find this cute little wall basket.

Map – This adorable kids map is  lightweight which is perfect because I wanted something that would not hurt if Brantley ends up pulling it down.

Curtains – I went with these olive colored natural flax curtains which do let some filtered light through. I love the texture and contrast they add to the room. There is an option to add a blackout liner if you prefer too.

Bookshelves – We didn’t have a lot of room for a bookshelf on the floor and didn’t want to worry about one getting pulled over. These little wall shelves are minimal looking and allow the books to be displayed in a fun way. 

Safari Animals – These cute wall cutouts are made of different types of wood and add some fun art to the room. A friend made ours, but you can find similar ones on Etsy.

Adventure Awaits sign

Rug – I went with this super soft jute rug. I wanted something natural, safe, easy-ish to clean, durable, soft and pretty. It does shed a bit at first like with any natural fiber rug, but it is manageable with some extra vacuuming initially.