while we are still waiting for our little guy’s arrival, we finally finished his nursery. i’m definitely using “finished” loosely here as i’m sure i will find more things to add to the space (like curtains), but let’s say it’s done enough for him to come home comfortably.

the plan(s)

before i show off the finished product, let’s talk design process. i went through at least a dozen iterations of what envisioned for his room. it initially started with the concept of ‘jungle’; i know, original right. then it shifted to ‘jungle light’ with more industrial elements scattered throughout, adding more neutrals while still maintaining the animals.

now that it’s all said and done, i think we are closer to a ‘lost boy / Peter Pan’ sort of vibe. mixed with a little explorer, but i’m loving it.

big reveal

my mind changed so often because i was continuously finding new and wonderful things that wouldn’t quite fit one particular theme, plus if you know me, i’m a little more eclectic anyways. i wanted to ensure that his room didn’t feel too childish and would be able to grow with him.

so drum roll please, here is our little man’s room!

rather than maintain the traditional baby hues, we chose rich moody colors like the green wall and blue crib, accented with natural textures like leather and rattan and finished it off with playful elements like jungle animals, stuffed toys and pieces of his family.

when you first walk into his room, you face the closet, other than a couple of pre-packed diaper bags, there’s nothing really to see there. it’s finally organized, which is a major accomplishment, but nothing to look at.

so when you round the corner, you immediately see his bold green abstract fern wall and reading corner.

both Jas an i are obsessed over this Pottery Barn smoking lounge chair; the deep leather and the shape… simply swoon worthy. you can just sink into this guy and softly swivel left or right. and it’s the perfect height to snag a picture book from his shelves. i crammed those shelves with classics i loved as a kid and a couple newer finds that i’ve been collecting. you can almost always find me in the children’s section of any bookstore hunting for the best illustrations and stories. Mother Bruce is a recent favorite and is the perfect nod to our alma mater, Mercer University.

initially, i wanted a true rug in his room, extra large and neutral, but since the room already has carpet, the cow hide from our bedroom just felt right. we’ve layered a faux sheepskin on top and this Moroccan leather pouf makes for the perfect foot rest when sitting in that chair.

opposite the chair is his blue crib. this crib has an insane history of multiple shipments, damages and impossible customer service, but the third time’s the charm since this one arrived in perfect condition and looks fantastic! i’m glad i didn’t back down from the challenge and insisted that we keep pressuring the company for the final piece. i really can’t imagine his room with a different crib.

i initially chose the jungle concept completely around this Anthropologie quilt before even knowing if we were having a little boy or girl. i LOVED how the illustrations were watercolor, loose and the monkeys seemed playful. even though it’s easy to see this as a boy’s design, i felt the blue could be unexpected for a little girl. i couldn’t have been more thrilled when a wonderful friend gifted it to us at our shower.

we decided to keep his crib against the shortest unpainted wall because it fit perfectly, plus we wanted that blue to really pop. i chose to hang one of my largest abstracts behind for now because it reminded me of a map of Neverland. once he’s old enough to stand up i’ll either frame the abstract professionally or hang something else. for now though, it pairs well with the floating Captain Hook ship mobile from Anthropologie above. the ship is sold out at Anthropologie, but you can find it here as well.

across from the green wall, is his changing station / treasure shelves. we opted for this Target cabinet instead of a true dresser. the shelves within the doors have simple baskets for his folded clothes, little accessories and other misc items. i just loved the texture of the doors and liked that i could hide things as needed as his collection of things continues to grow.

i felt like the space over his changing area could not remain blank so i went big and bold with a gallery wall. my favorite pieces are the thumbnail elephants from David Colman (the little framed piece to the left of the lightning bolt) and the LED lightning bold night light. the light will be able to grow with him and Jas picked it out which makes it even more special.

we decided to add a set of shelves on that wall so they could hold his treasures. we covered them with memories of his family (polaroids from the early years of Tucker May and our travels), a lantern from Jason’s grandfather and toys that he can play with once he’s a little bigger, like the constellation block set and the wooden elephant.

i’m still shocked and amazed by this beautifully handmade extra large jungle leaf play mat my wonderful friend, Korin of hellokorin, gifted it to us at our baby shower. i cannot wait for Baby to use it because i know he’s going to love rolling and scooting around on it. it will be something we cherish.

and there you have it, his room as it is today! like i mentioned earlier, there are a couple of things i still want to add, but those will come with time. i just cannot wait for our little Peter Pan to come home.

if there’s something you like in the room that i didn’t link in the post, be sure to comment below and i will do my best to let you know where we got it.

baby albert's nursery plans & reveal

the plan(s)

big reveal