apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The room is a lovely tribute to all things cozy which begins by being enveloped with warm shades of blue, magenta and dark woods that combine with whimsical, nostalgic touches. A handmade mural, a Peanuts lunchbox, Grover, all come together perfectly in Ezra's room. One of our favorite parts is the closet which makes use of a shade in a clever way.

Ezra's mom, Sarah, tells us more about the room...

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Inspiration:
We looked at a lot of nursery tours on Ohdedoh, actually. Our favorite one was: A Thrifty Blue Nursery. We liked the way this nursery combined vintage and newer pieces, and particularly liked her repurposing of non-baby items to work in the nursery.

Favorite Element:
Definitely the mural, which two friends created for us, using Ed Emberly's drawing books as inspiration. We had great fun choosing which words would go with each letter, and I'm looking forward to teaching them to Ezra. The giant gorilla is already catching his eye.

We also really love the changing table, which we found at an antique store in Wisconsin and repainted. We were looking for a dresser, but found the table instead and knew it was perfect. We have a low radiator in one corner of the room and were having trouble planning the space around it. The table stands over it, with plenty of air circulation area to spare, saving space in the room, and making for a warm changing area on cold nights.

Biggest Challenge:
We really wanted to have some kind of mural, and had friends lined up to paint for us, but we struggled with not wanting to overwhelm the room, or make something that we'd be really upset to have to paint over in a few years when Ezra's old enough to start making design demands. The alphabet was a great compromise, allowing us to easily limit the size and scope of the project.

What Friends Say:
Of course, everyone is amazed by the mural, but we also get a lot of compliments on our closet solution. We had to keep at least half the closet for storage for our stuff (camping supplies, old photo albums, etc.), and we settled on a top/bottom split, with a roller shade hiding the storage area above his dresser.

Proudest DIY:
We knew we wanted to use antique fruit crates to hold books and toys. We used vintage fruit cans to hold the flower arrangements at our wedding, and we've always loved the aesthetic. Plus, we liked the idea of repurposing something old, rather than buying something new. We were wandering through a flea market on a hot day, just before Ezra was born, and Sandy stumbled across the compartmentalized Schweppes bin. When we got it home, we realized it was the perfect size to hold diapers. There's something so satisfying about finding the exact right thing when you didn't even know you were looking for it.

Biggest Indulgence:
My mother and I had been shopping for gliders and not crazy about the style of most of them. On a whim we stopped at Salvation Army, and found a glider in the parking lot that someone had just dropped off. We picked it up for $30. We splurged (well, my mom splurged) on fun Echino fabric and professional reupholstery to make the chair look amazing.

Best advice for those approaching the decorating process:
• Keep an open mind about new ways to use old things, like turning a kitchen table into a changing table.
• Take hand-me-downs, but only what you really want. We were offered much more than we ended up using, but we were delighted to get a really nice crib from Sandy's cousins and a collection of framed children's books covers that were on Sandy's walls when he was a child.
• Let the nursery reflect the style of the rest of your house, rather than choosing a special nursery style for it. It will make it easier to decorate, and it will be a place you feel comfortable spending time.

Dream Source:
Architectural Artifacts.

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Resources:
• Rug: IKEA
• Dresser: IKEA
• Carpet: IKEA
• Changing table: Antique store in Sauk City, Wisconsin
• Baskets above changing table: IKEA
• Rocker fabric: Kokka Echino from The Needle Shop
• Crib: Pali (hand-me-down)
• Paint: Freshaire Healing Waters
• Roller shade on closet: Steve's Blinds
• Futon: Craigslist

Thank you for sharing, Sarah, Sandy, and Ezra!

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