I am so excited to reveal Theo’s finished nursery today! If you missed the story behind this makeover, make sure you catch up on Part One here.
Let me just say, I’ve decorated plenty of houses in my time, but this is the most personally meaningful project I’ve ever undertaken. Both heartbreaking and hope-filled.
The rallying of support around Dean and Jen in their loss had to be seen to be believed. Once people heard through the grapevine what I was doing with the nursery, offers of help started pouring in. One friend babysit my kids while I worked on the room. Another helped me paint the walls. The grandparents on both sides jumped on board to cover a couple of the larger items we would need, a cot and change table. Other friends offered to chip in for some remaining items – an armchair, a rug, blinds, picture framing.
Our two-week deadline gave a sense of urgency and excitement. I wanted everything to be perfect for my little miracle nephew’s homecoming. I chose fabric for new curtains and a cot quilt to tie in with the colour scheme, and Jenny’s step-Mum (an awesome seamstress) set to work sewing those up to the design I gave her. With the painting complete, it was time to shop around town for the remaining furniture and decor items in order to pull the room together in time.
Here’s another look at what we started with:
And here is the transformed room!
The striped wall is a real feature in the room. If you missed the tutorial on how I painted those stripes, you can find it (and all the paint colours I used) over in Part One of this post. The elephant print was purchased at Ikea, and I had it framed locally. (Gotta love those distracting reflections on the glass – oops! I forgot to bring my tripod to take these photos, so curtains had to stay open!)
The absolutely gorgeous armchair was purchased from “Something Different” in Allenstown, Rockhampton. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect for this room. It’s a real statement piece that just makes the whole space!
I wanted to create a cosy corner where Jen could cuddle up with little Theo and feel a sense of warmth and calm. Some soft, textural cushions in white and grey from Pillow Talk achieved this feel.
A rattan basket storage unit from Super A-mart became our side table, and to style the bare surface I added a collection of objects to help create a serene and calming atmosphere.
I started with a white ceramic lamp from Target, because every nursery needs a lamp, and I loved the all-white of the base and shade against the striped feature wall.
In choosing the other decor items, it was important to me to include something of Immy’s presence in the room. While this is a little boy’s nursery… I didn’t want to act as if precious little Imogen had never existed. Her memory is an integral part of this space.
The butterfly motif is a widely-recognised symbol of baby loss. A butterfly only lives a short time, but brings such beauty to the world. When I saw the white ceramic vase with the butterfly motif, and the same motif on a grey ceramic pot candle, I knew they would be the perfect decor items for the side table. The candle smells heavenly; the scent is “Serenity – Hyacinth.” I added an artificial plant in a pot which fit just right inside the vase. These items were all sourced from Target.
The final addition was this beautiful Willow Tree Figurine, given by a friend. I love the symbolism of the little one cradled in angels’ arms. A reminder that Immy is safe and healed and at peace in heaven until the day she is reunited with her Mummy and Daddy once more.
I saw this beautiful saying on Pinterest – “So many of my smiles begin with you” – and knew I couldn’t have come up with anything more appropriate for this room. In the middle of grief, baby Theo has been a lifeline for his parents. He’s given them a reason to carry on, and smiles in the midst of pain.
I found a tall, narrow frame at Target to fit the space, and used Word to DIY my own typography using a variety of fonts. I just set the page size to fit the dimensions of the inner frame. The beauty of making my own artwork was that I could match the colours exactly to the scheme of the room. Grey, white and a pop of yellow – perfect! I had the piece printed at Officeworks.
The hand-sewn cot quilt turned out beautifully, and brings some navy and green into the colour scheme. I love that wide chevron stripe. We also included some grey and white chevron in a panel at the bottom of the curtains, as seen in the photo above.
Here’s a view of the other side of the room. The gap on the right allows access to the sliding wardrobe.
The prints on the wall to the right were purchased from Etsy (you can find them here). They were digital files able to be downloaded and printed at home. The grey, white and yellow with a hint of chevron was a perfect fit for the room, and I love how the sunshiny sentiment brings a shot of happy to Theo’s nursery. I displayed the prints in frames bought from Target.
The grey and white roller blinds were from Bunnings, and the beautiful bunting was a gift from a friend.
I added white wicker baskets to the change table for storage, and filled them with disposable nappies and spit cloths.
Above the change table I hung a series of small frames that I painted yellow (Dulux “Sunbound”) to tie in with the yellow accents throughout the room. The frame series is another special tribute to baby Immy. The top photo is of Immy. For the middle frame I DIYed another simple print in Word. It reads “watching over you.” The photo at the bottom is of the twins together – their last photo taken together in hospital before Immy died.
To bring softness to the room, the last step was to add a white flokati rug. I love the cosy, textural element it adds to the floor.
Here’s another look at some of the areas in the room…
I was so happy with how the room came together in just two weeks, to create a space that is both happy and tranquil for a precious baby boy. I’m so grateful to the many people who donated their time and money to make this dream come true!
Here’s one last before and after shot:
And finally, I’ll leave you with Jenny’s reaction when she first laid eyes on the nursery. Dean was in on the secret, but Jenny had absolutely NO idea – it was a total surprise! Dean lured her down the hall by asking her to come take a look at the new air-conditioning unit that had just been installed, and we all oh-so-casually followed after her. And then the door opened…
Linking up at Get your DIY on: Room Revamps
So beautiful gal… you have a real talent hey. I cried when I checked out this post & watched Jen's reaction… and you know I'm not a crier! š
(PS: huh… I had to sign in to post a comment, and turns out I've had a blogger account since 2011. Absolutely no recollection of that. Tanya Who? indeed…)
Awww! I made you cry!! (*fist pump*) Seriously… thanks, love. I'm touched that this inspired you to come out of your blogger closet.
I'm not a crier either, but your little Immy tributes made me cry. I am so impressed with decorators in general, I'm lucky if I make anything coordinate, I'm not into spending money on "frivolous" decorating that doesn't end up looking like I want it anyway, but not only was I impressed with how you pulled such loveliness together in 2 weeks, but the love and care and meaning behind it was just plain wonderful. And now my head hurts from the repressed crying (because I hate to cry) and I need one of those panderol? whatever that Aussie aspirin thing you gave me when I first met you. š
Aw, love! I'm sorry I gave you a headache. š But really touched that this resonated with you so much. Your words are so special. Now if only I could get you some Panadol…
It's acetaminophen you want, Melissa š That's the alternative name for paracetamol, the analgesic known by its brand name Panadol. When we lived in the US, I was bemused at the absence of paracetamol in pharmacies, until my husband (a doctor) enlightened me!
Karen, as I said, you're an angel. I don't mind admitting I was in floods reading this post, particularly the tributes to Imogen. You have done an amazing job. Can you come and do my house next??? Oh, and by the way, I really like your blog. How you have time to do all the things you do AND blog about them, I don't know, but you're an inspiration!
Thank you so much Karelia, what a lovely thing to say. I'm definitely no angel, just happy to be able to do some small thing to help out family. Glad you like the blog!
So beautiful gal… you have a real talent hey. I cried when I checked out this post & watched Jen's reaction… and you know I'm not a crier! š
(PS: huh… I had to sign in to post a comment, and turns out I've had a blogger account since 2011. Absolutely no recollection of that. Tanya Who? indeed…)
Awww! I made you cry!! (*fist pump*) Seriously… thanks, love. I'm touched that this inspired you to come out of your blogger closet.
I'm not a crier either, but your little Immy tributes made me cry. I am so impressed with decorators in general, I'm lucky if I make anything coordinate, I'm not into spending money on "frivolous" decorating that doesn't end up looking like I want it anyway, but not only was I impressed with how you pulled such loveliness together in 2 weeks, but the love and care and meaning behind it was just plain wonderful. And now my head hurts from the repressed crying (because I hate to cry) and I need one of those panderol? whatever that Aussie aspirin thing you gave me when I first met you. š
Aw, love! I'm sorry I gave you a headache. š But really touched that this resonated with you so much. Your words are so special. Now if only I could get you some Panadol…
It's acetaminophen you want, Melissa š That's the alternative name for paracetamol, the analgesic known by its brand name Panadol. When we lived in the US, I was bemused at the absence of paracetamol in pharmacies, until my husband (a doctor) enlightened me!
Karen, as I said, you're an angel. I don't mind admitting I was in floods reading this post, particularly the tributes to Imogen. You have done an amazing job. Can you come and do my house next??? Oh, and by the way, I really like your blog. How you have time to do all the things you do AND blog about them, I don't know, but you're an inspiration!
Thank you so much Karelia, what a lovely thing to say. I'm definitely no angel, just happy to be able to do some small thing to help out family. Glad you like the blog!
That is BEAUTIFUL….and what a fantastic finish!!! I LOVED Jen's utter pleasure!! So sweet!
You are such a gifted, talented, and beautiful lady, Karen.
Well, wow. Thanks, hon. Wasn't Jen's reaction the best!!
Oh it turned out so beautiful!! And her reaction is perfect. I know this was a complete labor of love for you, Karen. What a beautiful, beautiful gift.
Yes it was – and I couldn't have been happier that she loved it so much!
That is BEAUTIFUL….and what a fantastic finish!!! I LOVED Jen's utter pleasure!! So sweet!
You are such a gifted, talented, and beautiful lady, Karen.
Well, wow. Thanks, hon. Wasn't Jen's reaction the best!!
Oh it turned out so beautiful!! And her reaction is perfect. I know this was a complete labor of love for you, Karen. What a beautiful, beautiful gift.
Yes it was – and I couldn't have been happier that she loved it so much!
Absolutely stunning! What a wonderful thing to do, Karen! Little Theo will be blessed!
Cheers,
Sue
Thank you so much Susan! He's a very loved little boy. š
Absolutely stunning! What a wonderful thing to do, Karen! Little Theo will be blessed!
Cheers,
Sue
Thank you so much Susan! He's a very loved little boy. š
bummed I can’t see the video.. it won’t play :
I really wanted to see the video but it doesn’t let me š i even tried
different browsers. Anyway, it looks beautiful! ( even if it was long
ago and i only saw it now š )