Beautiful Shabby Chic Nursery

by Chelsea Young
(St. Charles, IL)

My nursery was inspired by french country ideas at first. As I looked online for creative ideas, I began piecing together a more shabby chic approach to my daughter's room.


What brand and color of paint did you use?
I used Sherwin Williams Aquatint color.


If you added stripes, polka dots or other paint effects, tell us how you did it.
I painted the tree, swing, and tree limb with craft paint from Michael's and then used a poly-acrylic to seal it.


What brand of crib did you buy? Where from?
We got a Restoration Hardware crib.


What brand of furniture did you choose? Where did you buy it?
We got the other pieces from Restoration Hardware as well. I got my glider at Buybuybaby. We were able to custom order it with the color and fabric choices that worked best with the room.

I also painted an old side table/night stand to put next to my glider. We got the small table and chairs from Babies'R'Us.


What bedding set did you use? Where did you buy it?
I used Glenna Jean's Juliette collection.


Tell us about your window treatments, lighting, rugs, wall decor and accessories. Where did you buy them - were any handmade?
I got plain ivory satin curtains and put a pink rose fabric strip along the top. I then added pink pom-pom trim to give it a sweetness.

I had a hard time finding the perfect rug for in front of the crib, so after researching how to make a shag rug out of fabric pieces, I spent over 2 weeks creating the rug. It was actually very relaxing. I also got a cute owl rug from Target that was an awesome $20 on clearance!

As for the wall decor, I got a beautiful piece of art at a craft show that had dried flowers and butterflies in a vintage white frame. I made a piece of art for the tree that has a heart shaped nest with pink, aqua, and white eggs. I took this piece to my shower and had everyone write a few sweet words and their name, so that Chanley could always know who shared the love for her on that day.

I made several burlap art pieces throughout the room with quotes, to give the room character. I made the signs out of burlap, paint and distressed paper. One sign which hangs above her crib says "Blessing of Joy". Another burlap piece

has a key painted with pink polka dots and a quote that says "You hold the key to our hearts," in french writing.

I took an old folding screen, placed it behind the changing table and added ultrasound photos hanging on it. I hung the photos from a strip of fabric and then used decorated paper clips to hold them in place.

I also wanted my daughter's name above her crib, so in order for it to go with the tree limb theme, I got twine and hung pink painted letters to make it look like they were hanging from the tree limb.

The last handmade item was a re-purposed lamp. We found a petite lamp at Babies'R'Us. It had several broken pieces on it, so it was on clearance. I saw it as a project, since it had the colors that matched the room. I added pink pom-pom trim around the edge of the lamp shade, aqua velvet ribbon along the bottom, and then I added buttons to cover the broken areas. I think re-purposing certain pieces in the room helped give it that shabby inspiration.


How did you store all your baby goodies? In baskets, on shelves?
Many of the goodies are stored on shelves as well as a few baskets throughout the room. I found an adorable basket at Homegoods that had white wheels on it. I used this for her stuffed animals.


How long did it take you? Was it easy, fun, difficult? What was your favorite part?
It took me several months to complete. I had the best time decorating, painting, and hand making many pieces in the room. I wanted my creativity to be a stamp on the room, so my daughter could be inspired for years to come.


Did you do the entire nursery on your own or did someone help you? Who? What did they do?
I did the majority of the nursery on my own. My husband did help me paint the Aqua color on the walls, but after that, the rest was my project.


What do you love most about your little one's finished room?
I love that so much hard work and love went into the room. Since this is our first baby, I really wanted the room to be special. I feel like it is a room that she can grow with. It isn't completely baby themed, which I wanted, so that she can be inspired throughout the years.

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