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Meg Leonard | Design & Lifestyle Co.

In the Home

Nursery Reveal – A Soft, Whimsy, Gender-Neutral Space

January 26, 2023

If you follow along on Instagram and TikTok, you know that we are expecting our first baby! I’ll be answering a few questions at the end of this post, but today, am thrilled to reveal the entire space. From start to finish, this project was a DIY with G on the carpentry and myself designing over the past three weeks. Let’s get into it!

 

The Before

 

The Process

Built-in Shelves

We knew we wanted to build built-in shelves on the furthest wall to best maximize the small space given that storage is limited. We knew this would house plenty of toys, feeding items and accessories over the years – on top of adding the charming character we so appreciate. Outside of that, loosely planned essential pieces of furniture:

  • Crib
  • Dresser
  • Hutch (no closet in this space)
  • Glider

G got to work on the built-ins and from start to finish, took a week of full days to complete. In terms of process, he prefers to YouTube and blend tips from other bloggers. I know my audience isn’t here for the DIY process, so holding on a step by step tutorial here. However, if you have ANY questions please reach out!

Paint Color

I will get into the wallpaper details next, but we wanted a bold color for the shelves that matched the hue of the pattern. I took our wallpaper sample into the hardware store and picked a few swatches. When painting shelves, it’s best to go with a type of paint that will hold up on cabinetry. We love Benjamin Moore, so we utilize their Advance paint line. Note, this does add a shine that ultimately lightens the sample color a good bit given that it is not flat/matte. Light will reflect differently! So, choose a swatch around your preferred color that is a bit darker. We landed on Cape Blue which is as close as we can get – definitely pulls differently when the sun is shining but otherwise perfect!

TLDR; The shelves are painted Benjamin Moore Cape Blue in the Advance line.

 

Wallpaper

It’s been a dream for years to wallpaper a nursery and when Love vs. Design reached out after moving in, I didn’t have a space to work on. So, when this space came about – I knew they’d be the one to partner with after a ton of research on Peel & Stick options. The entire process was easy – from browsing their large library of extremely tasteful pattern options, which are pretty customizable w/ color, to ordering and installing. In general, wallpaper isn’t for those who don’t want to put in some work, but this was definitely high quality! We upgraded to the Woven texture, though the smooth is easier to clean. This was because it hides imperfections a bit more and felt more refined. 

After ordering a few samples, I really liked the hue of the color Wind for the pattern and White for the background. The pattern is called Swirling Vines, and you can shop it here. Below are similar options: 

 

 

The Finishes

The overall vision was to create a soft, whimsical space that brought a sense of sophisticated calm while still encouraging play. It’s no secret that we love blue, and wanted to push outside the typical neutral space that utilizes beiges, grays or muted greens. The balance of the wallpaper patterns, brass finishes and rattan accents make this a space that works for all children moving forward.

I had found an antique peter rabbit book on our anniversary trip that inspired the palette and design choices, and I’m excited to have a space that mixes all sorts of old with new!

As for layout, if you followed along IG stories – I was quite torn. We ultimately decided that it was actually more open to put the crib along the entrance wall, which is ultimately safer for baby too! Angling the hutch in the corner vs. flush to the side wall also opened up the space, allowing for a little mirror corner for fun photos over the years.

 

 
The Crib

I have always known I wanted a white spindle crib, and after research and comparison, landed on this crib from Namesake (formerly Million Dollar Baby). It was gifted and absolutely love their entire line of options and colors for any style! Shop it below the photos.

 

The Rug & Roman Shades

Of course, I partnered with Loloi Rugs once again! There isn’t another brand that meets at the center of price-point and quality. This rug, specifically, fits the nursery so well due to how soft it is for baby as they grow. It’s the perfect neutral base to anchor all of the design accents in the space vs. overpowering and thus cluttering the space.

 

The roman shades are from Select Blinds and are the Premier Modern Natural Wood Shades in Sofia. Our windows do not allow for and inside mount, but the blackout option and going wider has allowed for amazing darkness in the space!

 

 

The Bench

We knew that a bench between the windows would be a sweet little accent to the space, providing function and comfort. It will allow for both of us to be in the room while nursing, and for our child to have a spot to read and play as they grow! Given the dimensions, a custom cushion was absolutely needed. For projects like this, I love to turn to Etsy. Out of many options, the best bet was from the Anemurium shop. She is so responsive, has so many options and is very well priced. On top of that, the cushion arrived so quickly! The fabric chosen here is A02.

 

The Glider

This glider is amazing! I was told by many to just invest in a quality glider as they get gross and fall apart, only really saving you $100-$200 dollars in the end, with a need for a new glider 6 months later. I had heard so many great things about the performance line of fabric from Pottery Barn, and got incredibly lucky by finding this one on FBMP for half the cost and no wait on the shipping! Definitely order a glider asap as this was the longest wait item I came across.

This is the Performance Heathered Basketweave in Alabaster White! The base is a beautiful natural wood tone and is extremely comfortable.

 

The Dresser

I actually got two of a similar style to do a quality check for you all. While the cheaper option was fine, it was definitely worth the investment for the piece you see here! The drawers function much better and is overall a much more solid piece that will last. We swapped the hardware for an affordable antique brass to pull in more of my style and love the look!

I’ll be updating this post soon with dresser organization, but will utilize the top drawers for all changing supplies.

 

 

The Hutch

We ended up taking the closet out of this space (more on that to come – hint!) so a hutch was incredibly necessary to store shoes, accessories and other items beyond the dresser. I really wanted to find an antique piece that we could restore, but it was difficult to find the right dimensions in our timeframe. I resorted to a super affordable unfinished piece that was easy for G to match to the shelves. It comes in a version without drawers, too! Once baby arrives I’ll be updating this post with how we organize and utilize it.

 

Decorative Accents

As stated above, I really wanted to mix new and old world objects, inspired by the whimsy land of Peter Rabbit and other animals. The nursery also features nautical touches given that we live by the water and G has taken up sailing, and of course, hints of their best furry friend Sollie. We’ll eventually swap some things for photos of us but overall, love the mix of muted pastels and rattan & woven items. At the core, really focused on balancing aesthetics with functional storage – mixing in areas to store toys, supplies and a big woven hamper from Serena & Lily for clothing. 

I’ve linked as much of the items as I can at the end, please reach out with any questions!

 

 

Shop the Nursery

 


 

Baby Leonard Q&A

I am intentionally private on here, but certainly want to answer a few questions to let you in on our biggest arrival! We are so thrilled and feel grateful that you share in this joy with us!

 

When are you due?

We are expecting to share the arrival of a healthy baby by March!

 

Do you know the gender?

We have always wanted to be surprised and specifically, Greg has always dreamed of announcing the gender to me as they make their way into the world! We can’t wait to meet them!

 

What has been the hardest thing about pregnancy?

Being so petite and carrying a large baby for the majority of the pregnancy has made it hard to adjust to the pressure and added weight. Otherwise, I’ve just been pretty tired throughout which is hard for a girl that is always focused on maximizing the days. It’s been added stress trying to balance all that is going on here that I promise to reveal soon – overall, for the best cause so all worth it!

 

Best advice you’ve gotten?

To not necessarily listen to all the advice! You will hear an argument for every approach and it’s best to filter and do what will make you most at ease. I deeply appreciate the friends I’ve been able to lean on and learn from already! I’ve turned to a lot of recommendations on TikTok and reading this book has helped a ton.

 

What have you enjoyed most about pregnancy?

We have been ready for this next phase and so thrilled about all of the changes and planning. However, feeling the baby move has been the most assuring and special part. I got to feel movement very early at 17 weeks and this baby takes after their Dad, moving ALL the time!

 

Will anything change with Meg Leonard Co.?

In terms of social and blog posts, I’ll be dialing back just a little in the early days pending all goes well! At the end of the day, I will prioritize my family and will keep in communication if I need to pause for a bit. My business will still be operational for interiors and design clients to keep a bit of normalcy on my end! As for content types, I plan to keep the baby pretty private and only really share products that have made life easier, just as a normally do in other categories. So, there is no intent on becoming a full on parenting account!

 

I want to end with an acknowledgement that reading any pregnancy related post can be extremely triggering for many. Just know that we faced our own struggles and see + feel any of you reading this that are going through it. I hope that all of us get our deserved happy ending someday and am always here to chat! <3

 

Thank you again for all of your love and support.

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I'm so happy you're here! With a high-taste design eye & a love of affordable finds, my goal is to help you achieve attainable, simple style to create a happy home. By day, I'm lucky to work with brands to foster their growth. Let's chat!

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