
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Nursery size: 11 x 12
Ohdeedoh reader Sara sent us an email with great pictures showing off her stylish and modern nursery for Baby M (due any day now!). Sara and her husband Sean created this tranquil space on a budget. Here's what Sara had to say:

We really wanted to create a clean, modern space for our baby that was still comfortable and cozy. It was important that the nursery reflect the sense of style and design we've applied to the rest of our home while at the same time feeling playful and cheery. We also didn't want to spend a fortune!
We fell in love with the Oeuf crib early on but weren't thrilled at the prospect of putting that much money into a piece of furniture that would only get used for a couple years. Luckily I stumbled across the BabyMod line at Wal-Mart. We were surprised at how well-constructed and sturdy both the Park Lane crib ($314.98) and dresser ($249.98) were, and the Orchard bedding set ($70.00) [now on clearance for $49!] is adorable and held up well after one wash (we can't speak as to how it lasts unfortunately!)

The Expedit bookshelf ($149), Rian side table ($12.99), Alang floor lamp ($39.99), and Ludde sheepskin rug ($49.99, looks hideous on their website but is actually quite nice) are from IKEA, and we were lucky enough to find the Nurseryworks Sleepytime rocker 40% off ($540 + $255 for the ottoman) at Modern Tots.

The prints and mobile both posed quite a challenge, as we were looking for something that was whimsical without being too babyish.


After an exhausting internet search - seriously, it took me well over a month - I found the perfect prints at Tara Hogan's etsy shop.

Sean found the mobile at Flensted, who have so many adorable choices we had trouble deciding.
The walls are painted Soar by Behr - a decision that convinced everyone we knew we were having a boy but were holding out on them! Not true of course, we love the warm blue just as much for a little girl.

Thanks, Sara! We know from your comments that Ohdeedoh readers are curious about the quality of Wal-Mart's BabyMod line. Sara was kind enough to give us her feedback which we'll share in a later post.
Just with the prices Sarah quoted, this is close to a $2k bedroom. And that's without the additional little expenses here and there. I do agree that for a lot of people that is considered budget, but for more frugal readers who still wish to remain stylish, that is probably too much money.
I wonder if you have any readers that have been able to outfit a nursery for under $1K?
view mrshekmi's profile
I just followed that link to the Orchard bed setting. It's now $39!
view mrshekmi's profile
This is a lovely room. I love blue rooms and this one is just right. The fish make a lovely finishing touch. What a lucky child!
I have one minor criticism about the title. Spending 2000-ish dollars on a baby's room is hardly decorating "on a budget." Sorry, getting a few things on sale or at Wal-Mart does not qualify.
Lovely, yes. Creative, yes. Calming, yes. Beautifully up to date, yes. Budget, no.
view ADonuts's profile
mrshekmi: We found a crib on-sale at a baby store for abot $300. It wasn't our first choice but it's neutral and classic. IKEA dresser in bright color for $150, we added a changing pad that secures to the back. We mixed-and-matched bedding from sale items at a local store and also on clearance at baby Gap, total about $30. The decor all came from pieces we already had or that were handed down to us: baby cowboy boots my hubby wore, a vintage rodeo poster found in a cookbook, a hand-made rocking horse that great grandpa made for my mother, and a large painted metal star I purchased for $8. Grand total is WELL under $1k, using things we already had, shopping sale-items, and making a few teensy compromises. I went with the cow-boyishness because we had these little treasures already. You can e-mail me for photos, via my blog sassypiggy.blogspot.com.
view sassypiggy's profile
I agree that this is a beautiful room.
To address the reader who asked about a less-expensive nursery: We were lucky enough to get a hand-me-down crib, but otherwise our daughter's room cost about $1,000--nearly all of that a rocking chair from Pottery Barn ($800). Our daughter's beautiful old dresser is from a thrift store, repainted ($80), her wooden bookcase was a thrift store find ($10), I made pillows myself, we found a rug on sale at West Elm, and her toys go in canvas bins that are accessible to her--she loves dumping them out, and it's easy to throw them back in. Stores like Pottery Barn specialize in creating furniture that looks vintage; with a little searching, one can find pieces that actually are vintage for a fraction of the cost, and if the wood isn't beautiful, white paint works wonders.
As Sara says, paying a lot for a crib that's only going to be used a couple years is hard to justify. However, that also means that lots of people are selling beautiful cribs on craigslist that have seen only the lightest wear.
It also seems to make sense to wait a little. We bought the Pottery Barn rocker after we discovered that our girl was up for hours a night, every night, and the little antique rocker I'd had for years wasn't comfortable enough for the use it was getting. But other babies don't particularly like rocking--we have a friend whose child needed to be walked back to sleep.
That said, I love this room and I'm sure Baby M will, too.
view katharine's profile
Gulliver crib from Ikea (got it in as-is for cheaper), plain white sheets from Ikea, baby quilts were baby gifts, sewed some of my bedding and curtains (there are no sew ways of making custom curtains, just use stitch witchery to hem and make a tunnel, using the same or a quick handstitch.) splurged $200 on a rocking chair, bought a great marimekko print (1 yd $40) and stapled it to a wood canvas frame and hung as art... I probably spent about $500 total including paint, lighting, etc...
view goonie's profile
Congratulations! I think your nursery is beautiful and it looks considerably more expensive than the money you spent on it. Come on people, apart from the rocker and ottoman, the remainder of the pieces are great value compared to other modern offerings from the likes of Ouef/Nurseryworks/David Netto etc.
view reef1's profile
I used the same BabyMod Furniture, and though I have no experience putting other cribs together, I also have only good things to say. Insert a Poang chair for a super expensive rocker, and my nursery came far closer to $1000 than the above one. I have a few mobiles (IKEA and homemade) and paper lanterns that have yet to be hung, but since we're moving to a cool 1950s home with exposed brick walls soon I'm not sure if they ever will be hung in this home. I also made my own crib skirt and used a commercially-sold crib sheet (MiGi Splash).
Photos of a nursery in progress here, including detailed photos of the BabyMod Furniture set-up process.
www.flickr.com/photos/newcreation/sets/72157602673787181/
view eloquacious's profile
Awesome room. Great great job!
view rehtse534's profile
It's a very nice room, both peaceful and fresh. However, I do not think it is a very good example of putting together a nursery "without spending a fortune".
view kafern's profile
shoot, we did a nursery for our triplets for less than that! waaaaay less than that!
view pyjammy's profile
love it!! love the look of the walmart crib and bedding.
view selena's profile
I really love the room, and find it quite inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing!
view keversole's profile
The point is not if you can pull together a nursery for less than $2000-the point is pulling together a well-appointed, modern nursery with quality furniture for less than $2000. I love how this one looks. And if you price most modern baby sets, the crib and changing table will be way over $2000 before you add anything!!
view eowes's profile
I think it's understated, subtle, and calm. Everyone who is griping about the cost-remember the big-ticket chair can move into any room in the house later. And unless you have a friend/sibling to give you hand-me-downs, outfitting a specialized room for a new human being is expensive, period.
As a veteran mama I have one bit of advice-you're going to wish you had black-out shades for those gorgeous, light-filled windows!!! Enjoy your baby!
view aweekinparis's profile
Beautiful. And the Baby Bjorn Babysitter is such an amazing thing. Great for babies too big to be always lying on their backs, big enough to want to be where you are, but too small to sit down on their own. It saved us.
view Sol's profile
Lovely.
But the very best feature, to my eye, is those huge, light-filled windows!
view cricket's profile
Hell yes that's a deal for $2000!! All of that cute furniture, plus art, and bedding. Some spend way more than $2k just on the crib (then the silly parents let the baby sleep in THEIR bed for for the next 18 months...oh don't get me started)
I love ALL of it--very well done!
view amy-in-sf's profile
fine, it's not on a shoestring budget, but that 2k nursery looks like one that costs 3 times that... very nice job...
We just bought the same crib and changing table... although we will have to share our one bedroom with our little one.... I also was checking out that mobile last week..... I really like the way it looks in your room! we have quite similar tastes :-D
the bedding we selected was a different budget mod line... dwell studio for target circles(http://www.target.com/DwellStudio-Target-3-pc-Crib-Set/dp/B000VPE5SM/qid=1208011892/ref=br_1_1/601-3225160-9776139?ie=UTF8&node=401647011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1)
I love how style is no longer cost prohibitive to the middle class........
view decorating, cooking and science's profile
I really really like it! but I think some cream shag carpet would really pull it all together and make it super baby cozy!
view domesticfashionista's profile
$2k, not a budget room.
Very nice, I really like it.
view urbangrace's profile
Completely charming nursery! I'm going to be doing something similar with our new nursery: ParkLane changer/dresser for $250, IKEA Expedit shelves for $150, and the Baby Mod Olivia for $300 instead of the Baby Mod ParkLane crib. We're also thinking of splurging on a really nice chair that we can move to our study after it isn't needed in the nursery any more, but I think we'll likely end up going with the $100 Poang knock-off that Amazon sells (with ottoman). So not including tax, we'll be spending around $800 for crib, dresser/changer, shelving, nursing chair, and ottoman. I think that's reasonable.
I loved this room so much that I ordered the Orchard Park bedding from Walmart; they marked it down again from $49 to $39 (free shipping). Best deal on modern crib bedding I've come across so far.
view honeyhaze's profile
Here's another great room with a fab mobile but done in mauve rather than blue: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2008/08/colour-story-ellas-mauve-bedroom/
view ChrisToronto's profile
We have some modern nursery ideas over at ParentZing! that readers may be interested in. Just like your wardrobe, we recommend mixing expensive & inexpensive, handmade & mass-produced, new & old, etc. We're also doing follow-up posts on toddler & big kids' rooms.
www.parentzing.net
ParentZing!
... is urban. style. parenting.
view ParentZing! Editor's profile
It's been a little while since I decorated my son's room, and we were lucky enough to get a hand-me-down crib, but we went with the Leksvik set from Ikea...picked up the change-table/dresser combination ($99.00) and the toy box in the As Is section already assembled for $69.00. Textiles I've gotten from second hand stores or on deep discount (managed to find a comforter, fitted sheet, flat sheet and two pillowcases for the Leksvik toddler bed we later picked up for $25.00 at The Disney Store). I used a rug we already had, a hanging chair from my husband, and a spare bookshelf.
I also used teddy bears to decorate with, and between what we got as gifts, and already had, didn't have to purchase any additional. I used half a can of Behr eggshell finish in a smoky blue on the walls, and a set of curtains from Ikea ($45.00) in dark blue faux velvet.
In total I think the room came in around $700 or $800 (Canadian currency), but he is 3 and we haven't had to redecorate to make it more 'big boy' friendly.
view AlanaW's profile
The room is very zen, a little plain for my taste, I think you can do more with $2000, but everyone has different styles. If your really on a budget, I suggest buying your nursery furniture on craigslist. We sold my sons (very expensive) crib and changing dresser for $300 for the set. It looked brand new, babies don't really beat up their furniture like toddlers and older kids do. I have a friend who spent a fortune on her nursery furniture and her son never spent one night in it! He has been in their bed since the day he came home(he is now 4!). Anyways, you can find some great stuff on craigslist, just get the word "used" out of your head and look for great quality. Also, we had both of our kids rooms painted by a friend who used to work for Disney. Yes, they are little out of control. He spent everyday for around 4 months painting! We tried to go with a little bit older themes so we could get as many years as possible out of them. I realized not everyone had this luxury to have Brandon come paint their nusery, so I found an artist who was willing to put his own artwork on removeable paper. I now sell these murals on my own site www.shopexclusivebaby.com. If you would like to see the pictures of my own kids rooms, email me through the site. Happy decorating!
view boutiquemom's profile
I have been searching for this baby bedding since your post and although I can link to it through your blog - it is no longer listed directly on the walmart site. Do you know if there is any way I can get this bedding? I am desperate for modern baby bedding that is different than the norm but I can not afford to have it hand made or pay a lot on the modern bedding sites....any help would be greatly appreciated!
view jmeendering's profile
I have been looking for the Nurseryworks Sleepytime rocker, but its not listed on modern tots for $540, did Sara get the sample at the store for $540 or the website had it listed for 40%? Please help!!!!
view MamaBaby's profile
I got it online at Modern Tots, we got lucky and they were running a sale at the time.
As far as where you can get the bedding, if Wal-Mart no longer carries it I think you are probably out of luck. Target also has some adorable sets now under their Dwell line that are also very affordable.
view saraem's profile
Sara - I've had W-marts Baby Mod crib, dresser and sheet set (different style) for over a year, and they've held up beautifully! Great room - love the mobile!
view sarahpjs's profile
I love what you did with Baby M's room! Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of space and am on a very limited budget. The one item I would like to splurge on is a crib. The problem is that I live in Hawaii and no one will ship, if they do, it increases the cost of the item by at least $100. I found the Babi Italia Scandi crib abd the Babymod Olivia crib online and thought that ToysRUs or Walmart could bring them in, but unfortunately they will not if it is not an item they regularly stock. I was just wondering if any of you experienced bargain hunters have any ideas?
I have had great luck on craigs list and ebay for other items. I recently purchased a brand new, still in package global baby Lions, Tigers and Bears crib bedding set from ebay for $49. It retails for over $150 and is 100% cotton and washable! I plan to purchase some fun contemporary sheets to play it up. They also had some of the Dwell for Target crib bedding sets for less than retail, still int eh package. I have also found pack and plays, strollers and crib mobiles, brand new or barely used on craigslist. If you have the time to search, it can be a goldmine when on a budget.
Thanks for reading.
knine
view knine's profile
Good lord, some of the commenters here apparently don't live in the real world. It's nearly impossible to do a baby room for less than a couple thousand? Really? Try talking to families whose yearly income isn't much more than that.
view eeka's profile
I would love to see the rest of your house!
view senseandsounds's profile
Thank you to all those who complimented the room. To address the budget issue, I concede that this is not the cheapest nursery possible by any means. Compared to the our inspiration pieces though, we saved quite a bit of money and are still incredibly happy with all of our purchases. The one big-ticket item (the chair) will move into our office once its no longer needed for middle of the night rockings, and the furniture has all held up quite well as has the bedding.
view saraem's profile
Hi, can you please tell me the paint color for this beautiful nursery?
thanks!
view heidireed's profile