SheShe Life

In this day of modern medicine, our decision to not learn our baby’s sex before she was born left most people a bit befuddled, but for us it added to the spontaneity and story of it all.

All we wanted was a healthy baby and if we chose not to find out the sex, we knew we’d have to get creative with things like how to decorate the nursery and, keep some gender biases in check as well.

Julie and I both have a love affair with the mountains and animals, so we figured what better way to get our little one dreaming of the adventures she would take than surrounding her by the things that already made her Moms smile.

Here’s a look at our mountain and woodland-animal-inspired nursery and how to snag the look yourself:

Mural: The focal point of our gender-neutral nursery was a simple, geometric mountain mural painting. Julie and I contemplated doing it ourselves, but we both recognized we are often better with ideas than execution. So we found a local art director and painter to customize the mural for our space. She knocked out an amazing sketch and once we approved it, painted the mural in just a few hours.

 

 

Crib: The range of prices for cribs is pretty ridiculous. If you are in the mood to drop a few grand, it’s more than possible, but we went with something far simpler. A classic yet modern look that brought in both white and grey and was sold at BuyBuyBaby where we registered. It also easily converts into a toddler bed, hopefully letting us use it for years.

Rug: We wanted a simple rug that complimented our potentially already over-themed nursery. Not surprisingly, we turned to Flor tiles which allowed us to customize the size and color and of course, swap out a square if it was puked or pooped on some day.

Antique High Chair: Perhaps a bit off theme but full of nostalgia is the antique high chair that was my great grandfather’s from the 1890s. Even though Social Services would probably come knocking if we put our daughter in it, her stuffed animals look adorbs in it!

Book Shelf: Julie and I wanted books to be a big part of our little one’s life, so the other signature piece in our nursery was a custom tree book shelf we had designed by a talented woodworker we know. It features beautiful walnut wood and a timeless design we hope will grace our daughter’s walls forever!

Canvases: These six illustrated animals were cute as prints, but even cuter as canvases. We loved the neutral tones and the pop of orange from the fox.

 

Dresser: Combining white and grey allowed us to mix and match pieces, rather than buy a matchy-matchy set that looked like it was nursery of a Stepford Mom. We opted to go with a low, 6-drawer dresser that could double as a changing table with a simple changing table attachment on top.

Glider: Our most splurgy item for the nursery was the Monte glider that had aesthetics in spades as well as practical things like a high back and high sides for late night feedings when you’re looking for a place to lean. It also doubles as the perfect place for our little love’s monthly photos!

 

Ottoman: To combat the matchy-matchy look , we opted not to get a matching ottoman but rather to find a simple, affordable navy wool pouf in navy from CB2. 

Side Table: A table next to your nursing chair is critical to stash snacks and water, because you really can’t have enough when you’re breastfeeding. We opted for a simple white table from West Elm. In retrospect, getting a slightly larger one would have been even smarter because burp cloths, pacifiers and hand sanitizer will need a home too.