As soon as I learned I was expecting last year, I began dreaming up two new bedrooms: one for the baby, naturally, and a big girl room for Waverley. All of a sudden, Waverley’s nursery seemed too babyish and it failed to match her budding bubbly personality. We planned to move Waverley towards the end of the hall so the baby could be closer to us and felt this required a total re-do to get her excited about 1) Having a baby in the house, 2) Getting kicked out of her room, and 3) Moving further away from our bedroom. We started the process with plenty of time to spare in order to slowly prepare her for what was to come. Our goal was to have her in her new room before the baby arrived so she didn’t have to experience too much upheaval at once. She was two and half at that point and possessed strong opinions about her decor and likes/dislikes. It was so much fun to talk colors with her and have her pick out the special items she wanted!
Waverley loves bright colors, like most toddler girls. In order of importance, her favorite colors are purple, pink, orange, and blue– don’t you forget. We chose this rug as the central inspiration and went from there. She is also obsessed with flamingos (which she calls flaminguins, a new flamingo + penguin hybrid creature) and the tropics thanks to our yearly trip to Hawaii. All of these interests came together perfectly for a bright and fun bedroom befitting a growing little girl!
Waverley moved into her room back in July, yet I didn’t feel it was complete until recently. The pièce de résistance is her big girl bed, which we surprised her with on Christmas morning. We contemplated her bed size for a while and ultimately decided to go with a full size. We also sprung for a quality memory foam mattress and I am so glad we did. Spending that much on a bed for a three year-old seemed crazy but it has already paid off in terms of comfort. I feel good knowing she is sleeping on a quality mattress that promotes proper positioning. Also, it is plenty big for all of us to cozy up on for story time! Sometimes Nate or I will drift off to sleep with her and don’t wake up with horrible back pain because her mattress is similar to ours. I also foresee many sleepovers in that bed between her and Magnolia. I think the bed frame and mattress will certainly carry her through middle school!
Because the room is rather small and we opted for a bigger bed, we chose not to take up room with a dresser. Instead, California Closets created enough storage in the closet with drawers, shelves, and several hanging rods. It is so convenient to have everything organized in her closet and I love having extra space in her bedroom to avoid feeling cluttered. The high shelves also provide the perfect spot to display a few special items that otherwise may got lost (because three year-olds), like her late grandmother’s wedding ring, a picture of Waverley and her late grandfather, and the pearl bracelet gifted to her at her baptism by her godparents.
It’s such a refreshing and happy space. I hope she has very fond memories of it as she grows!
Resources
Wallpaper (in fog), Serena & Lily
Wall paint, Pure White 7005 by Sherwin Williams
Flamingo head mount, Fiona Walker England
Garland, The Land of Nod
Ceiling light fixture, Pottery Barn Kids
Rug, Lulu & Georgia
Nightstand (sold out), Oh Joy! for Target
Unicorn table lamp, Target
Rolling cart, Design House Alaska
OK vase set, Oh Joy! for Target
Shelves, Target
Wall art prints, Rifle Paper Co
“You are my sunshine” art, Sugarboo Designs
Hanging planter, West Elm
Heart ottoman, Oh Joy! for Target
Growth chart, Little River Designs
Jenny Lind Bed, The Land of Nod
Bedding (sheets, full quilt, baby quilt), The Land of Nod
Throw pillows: Ice cream cone and coral pom pom, Target; W pillow, Serena & Lily; Moose (sold out), The Land of Nod
Stuffed flamingo, Anthropologie
Wire basket, Target
Pineapple and flamingo bookends, Anthropologie
Storage baskets (in pink), Serena & Lily
Suitcase storage set, Anthropologie
Curtains (in navy) and hardware, RH Baby and Child
Waverley’s dress (sold out), Remie Girl
If I missed any sources you’re looking for, please leave a question in the comments! Thanks so much for reading:)
(Photography by Kristian Irey)
