It’s a bit overdue, but I am absolutely thrilled to show you Waverley’s nursery today. Considering she is 13 months old, this room has been a long time coming. Naturally Nate and I started to plan the room when I was pregnant, however we had such a difficult time given our scenario: we were living in an apartment in Maryland and thought there was a possibility we may be moving, yet we had no idea where. Or how. Or when. Also, given that the pregnancy was a huge surprise and I was less than accepting of it, I was also less than amped to plan a nursery. And as you may also know, when we discovered Waverley was girl I grew even less inclined to decorate a nursery. One of my closest friends reminded me of the obvious: The walls don’t need to be pink. There doesn’t need to be a hint of pink in there. How about green walls? Or mint? 

Before we knew where we’d be living or what the wall color would be, my mom gave us the amazing crib. We had a starting off point and went from there, despite the fact that the crib remained tightly packaged in its box for months (in the middle of our tiny hallway in our tiny apartment). We settled on minty-gray walls and decided everything within would be gray, white, and gold because the combination seemed calming, gender neutral, and chic. (And then I couldn’t help but throw in a few coral touches.) We chose the wall color online and didn’t actually see it in real life until we walked into our yet-to-be-seen new home, planned out online thousands of miles away. We searched everywhere for an affordable yet durable dresser and Nate discovered the dove gray dresser we ended up purchasing prior to moving.

The little details then seemed to sort themselves out. We wanted a room with decor befitting a babe yet something she could grow into. I already had a print from The Animal Print Shop on my vanity and thought it would go well in her room. My girlfriends got together and sent the few other prints that hang behind the gliding chair. The other wall is intended to be a family wall, with pictures of her cousins and her godparents since she gets to see everyone so infrequently. The mobile was made by Nate and I together: he had the antler in his stash, I painted it gold and made the yarn poms, and he drilled the holes for the string. Our sister-in-law made the amazing W for the door with yards of coral, ivory, gold, and pink thread mounted with gold nails on a sliced tree trunk. Yes, if you’re wondering, she is extremely talented and crafty!

One of my favorite aspects of the room came much later than everything else. I wanted to display Waverley’s “specials” yet keep them out of reach so they would actually remain special. We found this perfect shelf to display a few sentimental possessions, such as pictures of her angel grandparents, a crystal heart box from Tiffany and Co which holds a pearl bracelet given to her from her godparents, and this silly elephant to which Nate’s twin brother has the match. Also, that silver jewelry box adorned with Waverley’s monogram houses Nate’s mother’s wedding ring. I just love that and can feel her looking down on Waverley. She loves to point at the pictures and I can’t help but wonder if she recognizes those two from somewhere.

After all is said and done, I think the most important thing when planning a nursery is creating a space that is functional, welcoming, and calming. I’ve spent countless hours feeding and rocking Waverley in that glider and it has become one of our most-used pieces of furniture. Every time I walk into her room I feel at ease with the relaxing colors and charming pictures. She may never know the thought, resources, and love collectively from so many people that went into her room yet I hope she’ll recall the feeling she felt when in her room. I hope she’ll recall feeling secure, feeling encouraged to play and explore, and an overall feeling of happiness. But if all else fails I’ll always have these pictures to show her!

{Photos by Grace Adams Photography}

Sources: I received a few emails asking where certain items were from, so here is a list for you. If I left something out please leave it in the comments. Thank you for reading!

Crib, curtains, crib fitted sheet, crib skirt, white baskets on dresser: Pottery Barn Kids

Dresser: Bassett Baby

Nursery chair: Best Chairs – Storytime Series

Rug, rolling storage crate, W pillow, side table: Serena & Lily

Bookrack, display shelf, frames, window hardware: RH Baby and Child

Animal prints: The Animal Print Shop

Floral heart and synchronized swimmers prints: Rifle Paper Co

Pennant garland on curtains: BHLDN

Lamp and shade, LOVE pillow, knobs on dresser: Anthropologie

Wall color: Frostwork by Sherwin-Williams