It’s taken me way too long, but I’m here to finally share a look at Oakland’s adventure inspired nursery! I’ll share photos below of different sections of the nursery with info on each area, but first you’ll see a ‘nursery at a glance’ list to make things easy for anyone wanting to shop his nursery items. Read on for all of the adventure inspired nursery details – and don’t miss the last paragraph for my # 1 unexpected item that I think every nursery should have.
Paint Color= Benjamin Moore “Deep Woods”
Wooden Name Sign – ours is size 35
Nanit Baby Monitor
Crib
Breathable Crib Mattress* get $50 off with code: lee_f50
Machine Washable Faux Fur Rug
Montessori Style Bookshelf
“I Love Who You Are” Decor
Hanging Leaves Decor
Wooden Picture Frame
Snuggle Me Organic Lounger
World Map Area Rug (sold out) Similar here
Rattan Toy Chest
Rattan Books & Toys Baskets
Name Engraved Toy Giraffe Rocker
White Wooden Floating Shelves
Dresser
Change Pad
Rattan “Diapers” and “Goodies” Baskets
Sun Shape Mirror
Blackout Curtains
Mini Fridge
Let’s start by talking about my favorite corner – Oakland’s play area! When designing Oakland’s room I knew I wanted to have a Montessori inspired play space for him, and the first thing I found was this amazing Montessori inspired bookshelf, which places books front-facing and at kid eye-level. Once I had the bookshelf in place I designed the area around it with a world map area rug which I can’t wait to sit with him on and point out the different countries and animals while we play.
I filled out his play space here with a toy chest and baskets for books and toys – again focusing on Montessori style where he can reach the items and access them himself (once he’s a toddler – clearly not yet haha). For organization you’ll notice rattan baskets with embroidered inserts indicating what each basket is for (… have I mentioned I *LOVE* organization lol) These baskets really tie the different areas of the room together as I have different ones throughout. … You’ll see ones below in his changing area as well!
For wall art I wanted to focus on the adventure theme and the idea of inspiring him to explore the world and who he is / wants to be. The “I love who you are” flag is my favorite thing in the nursery! It’s from Imani Collective – a Kenya based artisan collective whose design pieces are ethically made. I love supporting them, and love the message on this particular piece of decor. You’ll also see a stuffed animal alpaca on Oakland’s shelves, that’s also from Imani!
Moving on from the play area, we’ve got the most important area of the nursery – where Oakland sleeps! Oakland’s wooden name sign and his crib were the first two items I picked out for the nursery, and I based the aesthetic of the room around them. I love, love, love, the wall color we went with – it’s the perfect deep green that feels earthy and calming but also like travel and adventure.
As far as the crib, I love the vintage driftwood wooden detail on the otherwise all white crib. This crib is awesome since it’s a 3-in-1 convertible crib, so it will last him through his childhood (it converts from a crib, to a toddler bed, to a daybed). It’s also GREENGUARD Gold certified which was important to me as I am paranoid about chemicals and toxins near Oakland. This crib is also a celebrity favorite, with celebs like Kylie Jenner & Chrissy Tiegen having had it for their kiddos.
For our mattress, we went with the Newton 100% breathable mattress after doing a ton of research on the best crib mattresses. I am so glad we went with it because on Oakland’s very first night in his crib (after 6 months in the Snoo) he immediately flipped onto his stomach and has been a stomach sleeper every night since. It makes me feel so much safer and more at ease knowing even if he’s fully face down he can breathe.
Finally we’ve got Oakland’s dresser /change table and my rocking chair/book reading corner. I didn’t want a traditional change table for Oakes’ nursery, as I knew I wanted to create a room that would grow with him throughout his childhood, and changing tables have such a short ‘life span’. Instead I went with a dresser from Storkcraft that directly matches his crib – an all white look tempered with vintage driftwood (feet and trim). Since he does need a change table space at this age, I just put a posh peanut change pad on top of the dresser and this set up has been working great.
For wall art here I wanted to keep things simple since I have a gallery wall art area on another wall (more on that below) so I went with a simple rattan sunburst mirror hung above the dresser. I love how it looks not being centered (plus for safety it’s nice that it’s not actually by the change peanut). For organization you’ll notice the rattan baskets with embroidered inserts that I mentioned earlier. I just love these so much!
Last but not least, my rocking chair/glider. I wanted an area tucked in by the window where I could sit with Oakland to do his nighttime reading and for overnight nursing. This little nook by his walk-in closet and the window was perfect for it.
You’ll also notice a mini-fridge by the rocking chair … this is an unexpected nursery must-have. It’s the unsung hero of nursery furnishing lol. A mini-fridge is something many people don’t think to add to a nursery but it is such a life saver. If you’re breastfeeding and catching breast milk/pumping the other side while you feed, you can put what you collect into this fridge until morning, saving you a trip to the kitchen in the middle of the night – which is *huge* when you’re an exhausted new mom! You’re also likely to be thirsty when you’re up in the night ( – and if you’re breastfeeding; you’ll also be hungry), so I recommend also using this fridge to keep a coconut water and granola bar/snack.
And there you have it! Oakland’s adventure inspired nursery. From the nature greens, to the world map, to the wild animals and ‘travel inspired’ wall art, I’m thrilled with how this room came together for him. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in a comment and I’ll do my best to answer!
