Seeing Double

So I may have mentioned that my sister-in-law (SIL) is having twins. The babies are due in July and everyone in the family is beyond excited. I was in Colorado last weekend (sorry for the blogging break) for the baby shower and I had a chance to check out the nursery space. My SIL and her hubby have decided that they want to be surprised by the babies' gender which means the nursery must be gender neutral. Like many parents-to-be they are feeling a lot overwhelmed and a little stuck. So I offered to whip up a little design board for them. They may decided to use every last element on the board or use it simply as motivational inspiration.

The room is roughly 9' X 9' with a big wall of built-ins. Although the room is long on storage, it is short on square footage, so every item I have selected was done so with the space constraints in mind. The room was recently painted Benjamin Moore's Stingray (LOVE it) with the intention of using a grey and yellow color scheme in the room. My SIL and her hubby picked out the very affordable and stylish modern cribs (6).

I have selected three fabrics for the room. 1 and 2 should be used to create bumpers for the cribs (1 facing out and 2 facing in). Fortunately for my SIL, my mother-in-law is an excellent seamstress. My SIL does not want to use bumpers when the babies are little but she may decide she wants them when they are older and are able to roll all over the crib. When my son would sleep in a bumper-less crib he would get is feet stuck between the rungs which made for very sleepless nights.

1 should also be used for a Roman shade (with blackout liner) for the room's only window. 3 should be used to create a cushion/pillow for the chair in the room and to create storage bins (11) lined with 1 for a shelved section of the built-ins that is now covered by a door (I recommend removing the door so that shelving is exposed, it will add depth to the room and another place to add color).

My SIL loves books and the little ones have already amassed quite the library. I love this modern bookcase (5)and to dress it up I found these great letters (4) that could be used as bookends. One for the first letter of each child's name (whatever the names may be). Above the bookcase I would like to hang this trio of prints by Etsy seller Studio Mela (13). They will be suitable for the childrens' rooms for years to come and they add a nice pop of color to the room. I especially like the following print.

Because every inch of space counts, especially when you need two of everything, I thought this foldable changing table (7) was a great space saving solution. A more budget friendly model can be found here. When its not in use it can simply be tucked behind the side of the crib facing the built-ins.

This light (8) is slick and bright, and very much in line with the room's modern feel.

My SIL had initially intended to paint stripes on one of the rooms walls. Instead, I recommend bringing the stripes to the floor. The zig-zag pattern in this 5x7 rug (9) is very bold and compliments the ikat fabric (3). Some other rug options I toyed with can be seen here, here, and here.

To compliment the polka dot fabric, add some interest to the walls, and bring some light into the room I'd like to use peel and stick dot mirrors mixed with chalk board decals hung as a wide stripe behind each crib. The mirrors would reflect light from the room's window and the ceiling light, and the chalk board decals provide the perfect place for personalization once the babies are born.

12 and 14: Every nursery needs a place to sit. Although there isn't room for a glider, there is room for a chair to be tucked under the window. I love this clear acrylic chair. To make it more suitable/comfortable for nursing, I would either commission Etsy seller Branch and Birdie to make a "pouf" foot rest using the ikat fabric or call upon my mother-in-law's sewing skills. I like the pouf because when its not in room it can be stored under the chair, freeing up precious floor space.

There you have it! A space saving, gender neutral, modern nursery. I think baby boys or girls (or one of each - we'll see) will be quite happy in this room.