Nordic Nursery

by Katie
(Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A.)

Our heritage and love of all things Nordic and Classic inspired this nursery style. I also feel like the decorating is simply timeless. My inspiration was encouraged when I found a print of Hansel and Gretel by the artist Willy Planck. I knew that I wanted to create a vintage, nordic nursery - almost as if you are in the woods of your favorite, classic storybook.

The paint color is Sensible Hue by Behr. We also painted the trim white (it was originally a blonde oak).

We bought a Million Dollar Baby Jenny Lind Crib from "Oh Baby!" a boutique store in Edina, MN. Our furniture was pieced together here and there. Red Million Dollar Baby Jenny Lind Crib, second-hand glider and ottoman, antique children's bench, antique table lamp, and a lesvik changing table from Ikea.

I used red gingham bed sheets from Pottery Barn Kids and the quilt that is draped over the glider and crib is from Ikea.

The window drapes were from ikea (my husband’s mother, grandma Kathy, hemmed them and added the rick rack), the antler tie backs were made by daddy (from deer he has hunted), the shelves are from pottery barn (painted to match the antique table lamp).

Additional antique touches on the shelves include antique wooden blocks and toys. Another special touch is the custom oil painting we have hanging above our changing table. The painting shows two bear cubs playing in

the woods. My mother (grandma Koblish) painted this painting for the nursery.

Although we have a teeny tiny closet, daddy was able to add more shelving and an extra clothes rack. So, we are fortunate enough to fit almost everything in the closet. The items that we have on the closet shelves have baskets in them with labels for easy organizing.

The nursery process started this fall (September '09) and was completed this winter (December '09). Although it took a few months, things were added little by little and we took our time finding just the right things to add. We didn't want to do things in a hurry and regret our purchases later on. We waited until we found just the right pieces for our special new room!

My husband did all of the labor (painting, hanging curtain rods, blinds, shelves, re-vamping the closet, and moving furniture around) and we both contributed our ideas for the rest of the nursery decoration. We spent a lot of time on craigslist, ebay, antique stores, and other shops, as we hunted for the perfect pieces for our Nordic Nursery.

The part we love best about our nursery is the warm, unique, vintage feel to it. It really feels like you are stepping into a page of your favorite poem or storybook from childhood. We know our little one is going to feel warm, cozy, and inspired in his Nordic Nursery!

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