A Fast & Fun Nursery Makeover with Orlando + Get The Look

Hey Folks, it’s Orlando today and I’ve definitely got babies on the mind. Don’t worry, I’m not planning on having any, but my sister is due in October and I’m writing this from my parents’ house, where we’re frantically preparing for her baby shower while we also do like 400 makeover projects around the house (I’m gutting their kitchen and doing light refreshes in their guest bedroom, living room, dining room, and sitting room). Also, my friend Erika just had a baby two weeks ago and lots of other people in my life seem to be waggling their babies all over my social media feeds. So basically everything in my life is a baby right now. I’m actually not even sure if the keyboard I’m typing on is a keyboard or a human baby (it’s so squishy and cute and it keeps giggling). This is why I was so pleased when the first makeover in a series I’m working on with Parachute just so happened to be a nursery makeover. I learned all sorts of tips ‘n’ tricks for turning your boring ol’ nursery into the baby house of your dreams. And I’m gonna share all of them with you today!

First things first, we gotta meet the family. The maw and paw to be are Foujan and Jeremy. Foujan manages branding at Parachute and Jeremy does music placement for film and TV (I think… It’s possible I just made that job description up because I have the intelligence of a human infant). They recently purchased a cute little house in LA and have slowly been settling in. Their nursery, however, was basically a blank canvas and they were a little overwhelmed trying to figure out how they were going to create a cute and cozy space for their baby.

Foujan and Jeremy didn’t want me to go super gender-specific with my nursery design, so I didn’t know the gender of the baby while I was designing the room. I actually just assumed they were waiting until the birth to find out and that they, too had no idea what they were gonna have. Cut to the day we shot the video for this (check it out! It’s at the bottom of this post) and I found out they’d known the whole time and just kept me in the dark to make the challenge even more fun. I’m not gonna tell you the gender of the baby BECAUSE I LOVE MYSTERY.

Aqua is one of my favorite go-to’s for a gender neutral color that feels well suited for any baby (or adult really). It’s warm and has some femininity to it, but it’s also blue, so it connotes boys. How weird is it that there are certain colors that make us think of boys and other colors that make us think of girls? I feel like in a hundred years, when everyone is just basically heads on skateboards with computer-phones attached, the concept of color being linked to gender is going to seem completely ridiculous.

Foujan’s house had been completely remodeled before I showed up, so everything was fresh and bright. But it definitely needed an infusion of color. I proposed painting the whole room aqua, but that freaked out the homeowners because they have color-phobia. I actually totally understand this. I like to bring in color with art and accessories. But a nursery is an important opportunity to add color and a bit of playfulness, so I wasn’t about to let this opportunity for design play to slip through my buttery lil fingers.

One of my very favorite additions to the room was all the wall decals from Blik. The guitar dude that sits on the door frame is so cute it makes me wanna scream and claw at my eyeballs. I also loved these because I didn’t feel bad putting them all over the nursery. If Foujan and Jeremy had hated them, they could have just ripped them off the second I left (maybe they did, who knows?). Zero commitment, 100% satisfaction. I installed them myself with the help of a handyman and the bang for your buck is kinda unbeatable (door guy was $60, wall panels were $150).

The beautiful floor to ceiling window makes sure this is one of the brightest rooms in the house, but the scalding sun wasn’t the best place to put a baby down for a nap so we added some beautiful linen drapes from Barn & Willow. I love the softness it adds to the space and I’m sure Future Mom and Future Dad will love the ABSOLUTE DARKNESS it will provide for Future Baby to sleep in. Because Future Baby is gonna be the best baby and s/he’s gonna sleep a lot and NEVER, ever cry. You got that Future Baby? I’M WATCHING YOU.

While I added color on the walls, art, and wall decals, all the foundational elements of the room are neutral. Including the cute rocking chair from Nursery Works. The art is from Minted and helps with the calm, relaxing atmosphere I was trying to create in the space. Because no one wants a non-calm, non-relaxed baby, RIGHT?

It goes without saying, since this makeover was created in collaboration with (and for the purposes of shooting my web series with) Parachute that the cute neutral bedding all came from that company. They just came out with a line of really beautiful baby bedding and [SHOCKER] it’s totally glamorous and luxurious and amazing like their regular bedding. Kinda makes me want to go back to being a baby so I can be swaddled in it.

The playful furniture from babyletto helped me amp up the quirk factor without causing Foujan and Jeremy to have massive heart attacks on site. I love this cute “M” bookcase and the simple, modern dresser/changing table. I accessorized the few surfaces in the room with baby books and smalls from HD Buttercup.

My favorite accessory in the room is Foujan and her beautiful baby belly. She and Jeremy were so fun to work with and are going to have the nicest baby because they are both amazing. At the end of the project I hugged them, and in that moment I realized that I resented their unborn baby because I myself wished I were that baby. STUPID BABY STEALING THE PARENTS I WISH WERE MINE.

This makeover was pretty much the easiest, funnest, most rewarding makeover ever. All I had to do was pick everything then put some stickers on the wall and it made the space totally awesome and amazing. You’re welcome, unborn baby!

But wait! There’s more! You can see the whole process of the makeover in this cute video. BUT WAIT THERE’S EVEN MORE MORE! The video is directed by my homie Brian of Propeller, who also happens to have a wife named Emily. WHO LITERALLY RUNS THIS BLOG! That came full circle, huh?

So, there you have it! A fun makeover that I finished in less than a month. It helped that I had fun brand partners on board to help get everything executed quickly (including the lovely people at Parachute) but let this be a lesson to all of us. If you just realized you’re about to have a baby in a few weeks, you can do it! Just make sure you’re looking at in-stock options for all your furnishings, make decisions really fast (Emily and I have gotten VERY good at this over time) and hire the right people to paint and install everything (or get really good at doing it yourself). Sometimes having a few constraints (i.e. using only in-stock furniture) can make a design project way easier. It can be a bit overwhelming when you have literally the whole world of design and decor to choose from, so having a bit of an edited selection can lead to a much quicker/more painless makeover. So go ahead, HAVE THAT BABY IN TWO WEEKS even though you haven’t started designing the nursery or even thought about it really. YOU CAN DO IT!

Resources: Wall Paint | Wall Decal | Door Decal | Rug | Crib | Crib Sheet | Baby Sham | Baby Quilt | Baby Blanket | Baby Swaddle | Lidded Basket | Curtains | Rocker | Side Table | Mobile | Black Candle | Blue Shape Wall Art | Changing Dresser | Bookshelf | Yellow Vase | White Candle | Ocean Water Print | Beach Print

But wait there’s more! Get more details, over at Hommemaker!

***Photography by Nicole Lamotte courtesy of Parachute

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