Lauren Ellis, our fabulous Interiors Addict TV presenter, is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first child later this month. In this post, she shares the nursery she has lovingly designed for him.
Designing a nursery for my first child, a baby boy I’m yet to meet, was always going to be the most magical and rewarding challenge. With each kick and every brush stroke, I thought of him sleeping in his cot or playing with the elephants that now adorn his room.
I’m a huge craft and DIY fan (my first ‘job’ was designing and selling gift cards to local businesses) so from the outset I knew the nursery would be full of homemade pieces. It also features pops of navy, my favourite colour, which being a minimalist I’ve paired with grey, tan and white.
The starting point for the nursery was the large inbuilt bookcase, which I lined with cardboard, covered in striking navy and grey material. It’s the first section of the room the eye is drawn to along with the sloped, high ceiling and window. I also considered painting the back of the bookcase or lining it with wallpaper but loved how easily the cardboard cutouts could be removed as my little boy grows and his room evolves.
On each shelf – along with white Ikea boxes with DIY tan leather handles – are books and trinkets that all have a story to tell. Most are gifts from family and friends (it’s incredible how generous people are when you’re pregnant) along with my husband’s and my first teddy bears, Peter Rabbit plates and a vase from our wedding.
The chest of draws on the opposite side of the nursery (a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law) was in desperate need of a makeover. I painted the timber drawers white, lined the inside with wallpaper and made the DIY leather handles with a touch of gold, to match the boxes in the bookcase. Above, Ikea wall hooks are spray-painted navy to balance the colour scheme. The cloud coat hangers (so adorable!) are from Talo Interiors, while the wall hanging is another DIY addition.
Given the room’s unusual shape, I knew the cot and rocking chair had to take centre stage. I fell in love with the white, Scandinavian cot with its rounded corners as soon as I saw it. The grey rocking chair and linen is from Adairs, the navy throw rugs from Pottery Barn Kids and my mum found the gorgeous giraffe in a little boutique store close to home.
The first items I purchased for the room were the stunning giraffe, elephant and zebra prints from The Animal Print shop, displayed above the change table. I found the prints on Instagram and had my eye on them long before I fell pregnant. To dress up the picture frames I sprayed little brackets gold and super glued them to each corner. The bunting is made from Christmas baubles, re-threaded with thin, gold rope.
To complete the room I added a white rug (which we already owned) to soften the timber floors. On its own, the cotton rug wasn’t quite enough so to balance the look I made a grey cloud to place in the corner.
Styling my little boy’s nursery has been a labor of love that’s brought me so much joy. I hope my son, who is due in two weeks’ time, loves the room as much as his mum. Now all it needs is him.
Thanks so much for sharing, Lauren. We wish you all the very best for your baby’s safe delivery and cannot not mention how gorgeous you look! Jen
