I have been dreaming up Eleanor’s bedroom since she was a tiny little thing in my belly.

When we moved into our apartment the plan was to stay there for a few years, have our first baby and then rent a larger space. We selected our neighborhood for the schools knowing we were several years away from needing them. Who ever would have thought the world would have changed the way it did. In 2020 we weighed all of our options and decided to stay put. Then Eleanor came along and we decided to share our room with her for “a year” before moving on to a bigger space. Rents for the space we now needed with Isabel in tow had tripled. Off to the suburbs we went.

I was chatting with some friends recently about this and you know, it’s quite the adjustment, but it was the right move. Having more space and an actual kitchen that doesn’t fill the whole place with smoke when you’re trying to sear a piece of salmon on the stove is amazing. I’ve also gotten pretty good at quickly buckling everyone into their carseats — which can be a daunting task when there is a toddler involved.

Our apartment was a one bedroom with a little nook off to the side that we set up for her. Due to limited space we opted for a mini crib and a small dresser and got her a bunny print to hang above it. That space wouldn’t be forever. We were going to outgrow it fairly quickly so I had been dreaming up ideas and saving pieces for her future room when it came to be.

Now we are past the point of the pretty full sized crib and are moving straight on to a big girl bed. We’ll keep the mini crib until she transitions to sleeping in a bed, which gives me a little more time to finalize plans. Having just gotten the first coat of paint up in her room we are getting closer to making this dream space a reality for her. I am still working out what the exact pieces will be, but have a general idea of the feeling for the room.

Eleanor is a pink girl. I had my heart set on Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster for her walls — a neutral peachy pink that could grow with her, but the sample I put up looked so dark, and almost purple. I searched for a long time for a color that would match the look I wanted in that space. Prior to selecting paint colors for this house I never would have thought so much effort goes into it. North or South, East or West facing, a combination of some or all, etc. can dramatically change the way the color appears on the wall. After too many samples we finally selected Spun Sugar by Sherwin Williams. We have one coat up at the moment and it’s looking good so far. Her big girl bed is here and ready to be set up once we wrap up painting, but that’s about it.

My goal is for her room to feel fresh and inviting without being too fussy. I tend to select furniture with a lot of detail that can feel stuffy, especially with antiques, which is not what I want for her. For this space I have found myself gravitating towards pieces that are more modern/neutral and envision pairing them with light coastal elements, nothing too beachy.

I thought I’d share my moodboard that we’ve got going at the moment while I work on sorting out the rest.

The pieces from this collage —
Light fixture
Drapes
Dresser
Bunny print
Chair
Rug
Bed