My Only Sunshine - Boho Nursery Inspiration
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It’s a GIRL! We did not find out the gender of our firstborn, but when I became pregnant with my second my husband and I decided we couldn’t wait this time. Katie, along with our good friend Kyra, threw Chris and I a beautiful gender reveal party and we got the most exciting news - our newest addition would be a girl. She is going to be the perfect addition to round out our family and we are so excited to meet her! Knowing her gender ahead of time has given me the opportunity to plan so many more things than the first time around. While I absolutely loved the gender-neutral jungle nursery we put together for E, I was excited to get to put more of a girly spin on her nursery.
I have always known what I would want the nursery theme to be if I had a girl. Some of my earliest memories are swinging on the porch swing with my Grandma while she sang “You are my Sunshine.” It became our special song, one so special that I actually have the words “my only sunshine” in her handwriting tattooed on my foot. I knew it would be a special song that I would sing to my children and I thought it would be a perfect theme for our little girl’s nursery.
I personally have never been a super “girly girl.” Pink is far from my favorite color and I knew that I didn’t want to go traditionally feminine in her room. I decided to go with a boho sunset vibe with a more natural/earthier tone color palate and I have to say, I am absolutely in love with the way everything came together!
The first piece of furniture that I started looking for was the crib. When we were creating a gender neutral nursery we wanted to find pieces that would grow with our little one. When we found out we were for sure having a girl, my Mom immediately offered my childhood bedroom set (a gorgeous white picket fence headboard with hand-painted flowers and a matching mirror and nightstand) to us. Knowing that she will have this beautiful set waiting for her, I knew we needed just a regular crib, not a crib that would convert into a “big girl bed.” I knew I wanted something unique and with personality and I stumbled onto a gold crib while scrolling through Pinterest. I knew it would be perfect for her room. The one I initially found was from Crate & Barrel and while it was gorgeous I couldn’t swallow the price tag for a crib that she would only use for a few years. After searching the internet I found and fell in love with the Monarch Hill Ivy crib and I think it is the perfect centerpiece for her nursery.
A piece of advice for any new Mom who is planning on nursing and/or pumping - create the ideal pumping station. Having everything you need at your disposal will make your life so much easier. We decided to move the Westwood Design Aspen Glider from E’s room into the new nursery. It was such a comfortable place to rock and nurse him and I can’t wait to do the same with her. One of the best things about this glider is that it comes with a built-in USB port for phone charging during your pumping sessions. When I was nursing E I used an old TV tray to set my pump on. This time around I decided to repurpose a three-tiered storage tower from my office to provide myself more space to keep my pump and my drink (have to keep hydrated!) The drawers serve as a perfect place to keep anything else you might need. I keep my extra pump parts, a book light, burp clothes, etc. in there.
For the rest of the furniture, we decided to go with white as it will match now, and with her future bedroom set. We found a white 7 drawer dresser that will double as her changing table - I love having pieces that will serve a dual role and will grow with her. We chose to add gold and white hardware to the dresser to help tie it into the gold crib.
As he has grown, E’s favorite feature of his room is his bookshelf! Having unlimited access to his books has really fostered his love of reading, even though most days he takes 90% of the books off his shelf before deciding which one he wants to read. Unfortunately, baby #2’s nursery is slightly smaller than his room so I wanted to find a storage solution for books that wouldn’t take up quite as much space . I found the perfect solution with the thin white book rack. This will still allow her access to books but takes up much less floor space. Plus, I love the scalloped detail along the edge.
I picked up her laundry hamper and tulip basket from Target for extra storage and organization. I loved that the rattan style fit in with the boho theme and that the white accents tie into her furniture.
After finding the furniture for the bedroom I reached out to the amazing “Mr. Mark,” as E calls him, to begin the brainstorming for the centerpiece of the room: the mural. I found my inspiration piece while strolling aimlessly through Target one afternoon. Once I saw a pillow, I knew the colors I wanted to work with for the mural. Orange and yellow are my all-time favorite colors and I knew they would play well into the “Sunshine” theme of the nursery and that pink would make a beautiful accent color. Mark is so incredibly talented so my husband and I gave him the pillow and a broad idea of what we were thinking and let him use his creative skills to come up with something beautiful! He did not disappoint! I fell so in love with E’s room after Mark finished his mural that I couldn’t wait to see what he came up with for this room and it was incredible. The colors are perfect, the texture gives the sun so much life, and I know she will wake up every morning with the sun shining over her.
The next step was finding the right bedding and accessories to tie the room together. Finding orange bedding proved more difficult than I was expecting, especially when looking for more of an earthy tone vs. pumpkin orange, but I was able to find the most beautiful “clay” colored crib sheet from Crate & Barrel kids. While searching for high-quality, sustainable, and affordable linens I stumbled onto Natemia. They offer organic and sustainable nursery essentials and all of their colors fall into the earth-tone palate that we love! As soon as I found them I fell in love and when the products arrived I was even happier! The changing pad cover is soft and well-made, and the diaper caddy is sturdy and large enough to hold all of the essentials I need. And did I mention I LOVE the colors they offer? From there I took to Amazon to find a boppy cover that would compliment the room - it’s the little things! I found a floral boppy pillow cover that tied in all of the colors of her room. It really is amazing how much of a difference all of the details and accessories can in a room. After all of these arrived it really felt put together and ready for her to arrive.
The rest of the decor for her room came mostly from inspiration from her Grandma. My Mom, aka Mimi, LOVES to shop, and when she isn’t spending time with her grandkids she’s browsing HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, or the internet for home décor. The inspiration for the room also came from my relationship with her Mom, so she wanted to help contribute to the room as much as possible. The first décor find was the “You are my Sunshine” wire sign from Etsy. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. The display photo on the Etsy page also served as my inspiration for the mirror and the shelving I ordered for above her changing table. I knew I wanted to find a way to highlight her beautiful name in her room and my mom found the floral rattan “R” on Etsy to hang above her bookshelf. It fits so perfectly with the boho theme and I love the unique floral design within the rattan.
Between the stunning mural and the small personal details that we included, her room has quickly become another favorite in our home. Before she arrived E asked daily to read or play in “sissy’s room.” It feels so warm (yes a sun pun) and inviting and I can not wait to rock her to sleep in her special space.
