A Desert Inspired Nursery

We kept the color palette neutral with pops of browns and mustard tones, as a nod to the desert. We mixed various textures as well, with baskets, leathers, wood, etc.

Neutral Nursery Furniture

We started designing the nursery with the big pieces, like the furniture and rocker. We found this really pretty soft white crib and dresser, that we instantly fell in love with. We liked how well it blended with the rest of the furniture in our home, especially that leather rocker that really could be moved into any room in our house and it would fit in perfectly. Plus, and most importantly, it’s super comfy for those late night feedings. We can’t wait for story time with this little guy. Rob and I had so much fun picking out all these books for him while I was pregnant. Thinking about the lessons behind some of these books, and the stories that may cultivate his love for adventure is so exciting.

NURSERY DRAWER ORGANIZATION

The crib and dresser/changing table are simple and classic enough, that we thought each piece could grow with Oliver as he grows: the crib converting to a toddler bed and the changing table serving as a regular dresser down the line. But let’s not rush time and think that far into the future just yet. 😉 The leather drawer pulls were another fun detail we were excited about. We kept the top drawers for diapers, wipes, etc, then organized his clothes in the drawers below.

Nursery Wall Decor

We decorated the area above his crib last. Nothing felt right until we came across these name signs by a local Arizona maker, The Polymath Mom. She made this beautiful sign with Oliver’s name and hand delivered it to our home for us. It’s one of our favorite pieces in the room, along with the sweet rainbow embroidery that came all the way from Australia.

Changing Table Details

Over the dresser we hung rattan mirrors is various sizes and shapes. Hunter and Nomad has the cutest and well made animal shaped mirrors. We were so excited to have a few of their pieces in Oliver’s room, also from Australia. The ceramic cups are by local artist Bettina Chow. We have a few of her vases in our home and loved the idea of using her pieces also in Oliver’s room, for combs, brushes and different creams.

The rug is also by Hunter and Nomad and was one of the first pieces we picked out for his room. The neutral color scheme, off white with some mustardy brown spots, felt right for the space and they were so kind to have created a custom size for his room. It’s a square room so finding the right rug was a bit of challenge. I was so happy they could accommodate the dimensions. It really helped anchor the space and make this once home office, feel like a nursery. We layered a sheepskin rug from AllModern by the rocker to mix up the textures too. We just imagine playing for hours on this rug with Oliver, toys sprawled out on the floor and some tunes playing.

Nursery Toy Organization

So about the toys….currently there is wayyy too much actually out, but for display and photo purposes we left out some fun toys we found for him. Our plan is, when he’s actually old enough to play with these, to put some away in the closet and slowly introduce them to him. We used to do that back in our teaching days and I think it really helped with the children’s focus and attention span.

Anyway, we plan to share about our toy choices more in depth in another post, but we tried to only bring in natural and sustainably made toys with little to no plastic. We’re big fans of the Montessori method, so many of his puzzles and toys have a Montessori learning element to them. Some favorite toy brands are This Paper Book, and Heirloom Kids and Outside Everywhere on Etsy. They make beautiful wooden toys with non-toxic paints and natural oils. We love the idea of Oliver playing with handmade items from various artists across the world and hope to share each of their stories with him as he grows older.

One of the first stuffed animals given to Oliver was Sebastian from Cuddle+Kind. If you’re not familiar with them, Cuddle+Kind is an amazing company that gives back and helps feed children in need. Each doll provides 10 meals for children around the world. The first picture we took at home of Oliver was with Sebastian. We hope he loves him for years to come. I just picture him dragging Sebastian around the house when he starts walking. Ha!

It was really important for us to create areas in the nursery that Oliver would have access to independently. We wanted to keep cubbies and shelves low, with board books, stuffed animals and learning toys, so that when he is old enough, he could crawl or walk up and grab the items that he wanted. Some rattles and books are tucked away in these cloth baskets from Pehr. I love how sweet and minimal all of their children’s items are, plus the baskets are machine washable which is a major plus.

The Snoo Bassinet

We plan to sleep train Oliver when the time comes, but in the mean time we’ve been using the SNOO bassinet. We’re only a few weeks into newborn life with our little guy, but the SNOO was at the top of our registry. We’ve been tracking his sleep and feeding schedule, so we’ll check back in with you guys on that once more time has passed.

We’re going to share more about this is later post, but we are pretty excited about Oliver’s mattress. We did a lot of research on safe materials and options and came across Newton Baby. It is a fully breathable mattress, that is washable and recyclable, and is made without latex, foam or adhesives. Once he’s ready to transition to the crib, we feel confident knowing he will be in a safe space.

Oliver’s room means so much to us and we’re so excited to see him grow in this home. It’s crazy to think we shot these photos when he was still in my tummy and now he’s here with us. Before he was born, we used to sit in here and imagine our lives together as a family of three. It’s only been about three weeks home with our little guy but life together has been a dream come true and we know the best is yet to come!

Shop the post:

Million Dollar Baby Collection: Crib and Dresser

Pom Pom Mobile: Pehr Designs

Crib Canopy: Amazon (similar)

Accordion Hooks: My Modern Fibers via Etsy

Rattan Baby Hanger: Cribs and Co. via Etsy

Cloth Hamper and Toy Pom Pom Baskets: Pehr Designs

Wooden Name Sign: Polymath Mom

Fringe Blanket on Crib: Jac+Jae Designs

Wooden Play Gym: Poppyseed Play via Etsy

Natural Rust Dot Area Rug: Hunter and Nomad

Bunny and Bear Rattan Mirrors: Hunter and Nomad

Pear Hanging Rattan Planters: Urban Outfitters (Similar)

Changing Pad: Hatch Baby Grow

Book/Toy Cubby: All Modern

Sheepskin Rug: All Modern

Brass Globe Ceiling Light: CB2

Leather Sleepytime Rocker: Nursery Works / Fabric version here too.

Braided Jute Poof: CB2

Rattan Side Table: Urban Outfitters

Sound Machine with Nightlight: Hatch

Baby Monitor: Nanit

Mattress: Newton Baby

Striped Crib Sheet Set: Pehr Designs

Wooden Blocks, Tea Set, Name Flag, and Rainbow Toys: This Paper Book

Montessori Wooden Toys: Heirloom Kids USA via Etsy

Wooden Counting Toy: Beige Bois via Etsy

Milestone Age Blocks: OKGO Play via Etsy

Wooden Name Puzzle: Woodily Toys via Etsy

Luggy Basket: Anthropologie

Diaper Genie: Playtex

Curtains: Q Design Centre (similar)

Brass Curtain Rods & Rings: West Elm

Book Shelves: IKEA

Wooden Toy Animals: Outside Everywhere via Etsy

Embroidered Name Pillow: Little Willow Vintage