A small modern nursery becomes a happy place for our firstborn baby girl. My husband and I had so much fun putting our daughter’s nursery together. We wanted it to be fresh, modern, and feminine, yet not over-the-top girly. I’ve had many sources of inspiration, but it took finding the peach/orange fabric in the bargain bin at Jo-Ann’s and the vintage Vera Neumann scarf on Etsy for the room concept to finally begin taking shape. I would say I have a modern/transitional style that is colorful, playful, and fun. One major difficulty for us was the size and layout of the 7x13 room, which includes a radiator and three large windows, thus limiting our floor plan options. It also lacks a closet, so finding the right storage solution took some effort. I wanted a dresser with modern lines to complement the crib, that wasn’t too deep yet had ample storage. We ended up having one custom-made at a local furniture store in Somerville, MA called Sunshine Lucy’s. We are thrilled with the result and the price couldn’t be beat!
We saved in spades by purchasing our low bookshelf, picture ledges, and rocker at Ikea. Our chevron rug was a steal at $69 from Urban Outfitters and our modern crib (now discontinued) was on sale at Babies R Us. The aforementioned dresser turned out to be an ideal solution that was far cheaper than anything from Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, etc. We decided against purchasing a bedding set and instead used the fabric I found for $4/yd to make a crib skirt with the no-sew tutorial I saw on Young House Love (which seems to be popping up on nursery blogs everywhere — and with good reason!). We also had changing pad covers and throw pillows made using the same fabric. In addition to the Vera scarf, I fell in love with the Darling Clementine artwork featured on Ohdeedoh earlier this year. I love how graphic and mod the prints are — I hope she enjoys looking at them as much as I do! I’ve also known for some time that I would display her books in one form or another; I’m a preschool teacher and I’ve witnessed firsthand how often children gravitate toward books when they can see them!
Lastly, I commissioned my friend, Carrie Harvey of Brooklyn Twinkle, to design a special gift for Father’s Day using a favorite scene from the film, It’s A Wonderful Life as inspiration. (The movie has special meaning for my husband’s family and we’ve always said we’d call our little Zoe “Zuzu” as a loving sort of nickname.) I’m thrilled with the finished product and now we have a unique work of art that is truly close to our hearts. On the whole, we’re very pleased with the way her room turned out. Every time I enter it makes me happy. It’s so hard for me to choose, but I’d have to say that my favorite elements are the dresser, artwork, picture ledges, custom pillows, and pink/orange Jonathan Adler lamp. All it needed was our sweet baby girl! I think it's important to take your time designing the space, so start early if you can. Decide how you want your room to function and go from there. Also, don't be afraid to pursue custom options -- you might be surprised by the affordability!
You can find just about anything on my favorite resource, Etsy. Above all, choose items that make you happy and help to create a space that you'll enjoy for years to come.Step 1: Tools & MaterialsShow All ItemsIkea POÄNG Chair: I sit in one of these every morning while I drink my coffee and read my blog feed. I absolutely love this chair, and I'll admit it was hard to cut it up. But the end result was worth it and it was fun in the process!Saw: I made 6 total cuts for the whole project. I used a battery powered circular saw, but any wood saw would do.Drill/Screw Gun: I drilled a few pilot holes and screwed the parts together. Any off-the shelf hand drill will do.Screws: I just used a handful of drywall screws and a few spare 3/4" wood screws for this project. Ideally, you would have a pile of 1 1/4" wood screws (countersunk) and two 3/4" wood screws.« PreviousNext »View All Steps DownloadDecent value, decent chairPackage Quantity: 1|great for the nursery!!Comfortable chair for feeding and will fit in any roomPackage Quantity: 1|
VERY EASY - I DID IT MYSELFPackage Quantity: 1|good value for money thank youPackage Quantity: 1| highly recommend these chairsPackage Quantity: 1|Nursing in Public (NIP) – for some breastfeeding moms this comes easily, for others this idea makes some extremely nervous. Usually, but not always, it’s the first-time mama or first-time breastfeeding mama who is worried about breastfeeding her babe outside of the home. What it boils down to are two things. One, lack of practice of nursing in public. And two, lack of confidence.I’ve been that mom who would run to the car to breastfeed my son, or strategically plan my day around when I thought he was going to eat, so I would be home when he was hungry – this way I wouldn’t have to worry about nursing in public. When I would NIP, I would search for the most secluded spot– if my husband was with me, I would have him be my bodyguard and block me. Then, I would whip out my cover. Meanwhile, I would make sure no one was looking and would then try to latch my son on as quickly as possible before someone could catch a glimpse of my breast.
Finally, I’d hold the cover on. If anyone came near us or if baby started to wiggle, I would break out in a sweat. When he wanted to switch breasts, this process would begin all over again. Completely not stressful at all… Then, I found a friend who breastfed. And, she did it without a cover. AND, she did it anywhere and everywhere, without breaking a sweat. That’s all it took. If Anna was breastfeeding her little guy and wasn’t stressing, why couldn’t I? She even chased after our kids who ran off, continuing to nurse babe – and no one batted an eye. And, so my NIP really began. We would meet up at local parks, play spaces, gymnastic classes, bowling alleys. Our older kids would play and our babies would nurse. I practiced breastfeeding covered and not covered. Eventually, I could nurse in public on my own and not stress out if I had forgotten my cover. And, my baby was happy and fed. So, how does this help you? How can you feel comfortable nursing in public? Well, grab your baby and try these 5 steps.
For those mamas who want to give NIP a shot, we’ve compiled a list of some cozy places to nurse around the Chicagoland area. Print it out, keep it handy. Who knows, you might see a fellow BFChicago member nursing in that same spot and make a new mommy friend. Art Institute – Family Room, extra good if you have older kids with you because they can play while you nurse (and it’s usually pretty quiet) Field Museum – there are benches everywhere, but on the top floor by the DNA exhibit there’s a bench by the movie that plays continuously – a nice private area to nurse; nursing room downstairs (it’s small, but quiet) Kohl’s Children’s Museum – lots of different nursing areas Children’s DuPage Museum in Naperville Oak Lawn Children’s Museum – it’s small enough to not lose your toddler and there are plenty of benches to sit on and nurse Shedd Aquarium – benches in front of the Belugas on the bottom floor (everyone is watching the whales and babies like the movement of the water, plus it’s dark – perfect combo to peacefully nurse) and a private nursing room, if needed.
Brookfield Zoo – Hamill Family Zoo (if you tell them you need to breastfeed your baby and aren’t a member, you get free admission to the area). There are lots of chairs throughout plus a quiet private nursing room with a comfy couch; nursing by the Snow Leopards, Giraffes, and the bench in front of the Rhinos; any of the cafeterias or picnic areas Lincoln Park Zoo – splash pad area in Children’s Zoo, let your older child splash about while you breastfeed baby; also nice benches outside of the bird building IKEA Schaumburg – anywhere but the room in the bathroom!! The 3rd floor family room with rocking chairs, seating and toys for siblings. Can even turn off the overhead lights and turn on a lamp; or, any of the displays with comfy couches or chairs; they even offer complimentary diapers!! The Poang chairs are great for laidback breastfeeding (Bolingbrook store also has family rooms) Target stores – in the café Hawthorne Mall- family area, it’s tucked away, but it’s awesome!
Nursing stations for mom, tvs, and toys to keep older kids entertained. Lower level by JC Penney Buy Buy Baby – they have a changing station, too Anthropologie – fitting rooms are great, their couches are huge and comfy and their sales girls are super nice. Can hang with friends while they try on their clothes! Macy’s on State Street – very friendly Babies R Us – the gliders are nice to nurse in Chicago Ridge Mall – has a couple of nursing rooms with chairs and curtains for privacy Any restaurant or mall – the comfy chairs at the mall are the best! Fashion Outlet Mall – nice chairs and couches outside the 2nd level restroom, they have a private nursing room, too Nordstrom’s – fitting rooms, women’s lounge (not the bathroom), cafe Any of the Westfield Malls and Bolingbrook Promenade Van Mawr – 2nd floor sitting room next to bathrooms Water Tower – mother’s room in the 4th floor bathroom that locks if you need to pump
Eataly Chicago – 43 East Ohio Street Chicago 60611 Cracker Barrel restaurants – the rockers on the front porch /first-slice-ravenswood/ can also go to the back to the art studio and nurse on the couch Palmer House Hotel – mezzanine level (there is dim lighting and couches, no one bothers you at all) Navy Pier –Crystal Gardens, tons of benches to choose from and it’s so serene watching the water jump…unless you have a super easily distracted baby; Children’s Museum on the 2nd floor there is a nursing room with toys to keep your other kids busy while you breastfeed Millennium Park – all over! Botanic Gardens – anywhere, but they also have a private first aid room if you need to pump NIP articles and helpful resources: A special thanks to my friend, Anna Mohallim for being that mom who inspired me to NIP. And, a HUGE shoutout to all of the members of Breastfeed Chicago who submitted their favorite place to nurse in and around Chicago.