nursery Archives - Homeology

Welcome to the nursery! – a home tour

May 27, 2016October 19, 2016Germarie BruwerINTERIOR DESIGN8 Comments

I often get requests from readers that they want to see what my home looks like, so today I would like to invite you into the nursery! My house has been featured a lot here on the blog as well as in the book, but to be honest it’s such a dynamic space that it doesn’t look the same for very long. The nursery used to be my eldest boy’s room, but now that the 4-year old and 6-year old are bunking I could convert that into their little brother’s nursery.

I wanted to keep things very simple, clean and light and had recently fallen in love with this very trendy minty green. So once I had that in mind, I had mint coming at me from every angle and had to stop myself from wanting to buy it all! I repurposed the curtains from a previous project, and found this very sweet little scatter from Mr Price Home and the super soft coral fleece blanket from Clicks. Perfect for winter nights!

You’ll notice that there isn’t a nursing chair in this room, and it’s only because from experience I knew that I’d be spending most of nights here for a few months at least. So vintage steel frame single bed from my hubby’s mom’s house it is: very comfortable and cozy, plus I can at least stretch out for some sleep should the moment present itself.

The cot is a family heirloom. It was made by my grandfather in 1944, the year my dad was born. After him, his 3 brothers used it, then my 3 sisters and I. After that 2 of my nephews used it and now it’s been with me since my eldest was born 6 years ago. Quite a bit of history! My dad made the 2 little chairs as well – perfect for 2 curious little boys wanting to see what’s happening when Mommy bathes or changes their brother!

I’ve never completely understood the use of a purpose-made changing table. This chest of drawers has a simple wooden tray on top – another piece of my dad’s handiwork – that fits the changing mat perfectly. Plenty of drawers also provide more than enough space for all baby’s goodies.

I’m very proud of this little shelving unit. It was one of the last DIY projects that I did before Luc was born, and I absolutely adore it. Pine shelving, some ski rope and a copper pipe with brackets – that’s it!

The wardrobes are the result of a paint project that I did last year – click here for the tutorial. I think this was where the mint craze started! I was really amazed at how some paint and masking tape can completely transform a dull surface and let’s be honest, what is more boring than white melamine? And of course, no nursery is complete without a rocking horse!

These hooks from Mr Price Home are installed on the side of the wardrobe and are perfect for hanging towels and things after baby’s bath. And when he is older, it will be great for hanging bathrobes and back packs!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this peak into our home! I look forward to sharing some more rooms with you – please tell me in the comments which room you’d like to see next!

10 colourful nurseries for your baby

June 30, 2015June 29, 2015Margaux TaitINTERIOR DESIGNLeave a comment

I have found myself in the middle of a giant baby boom this year: three babies from our immediate family, five of our friends and even the cat had six kittens two weeks ago!

With babies come the very important task of creating a nursery. I have found 10 colourful nurseries that are so adorable, they will make you want to have a baby if you don’t have one the way!

#1 Neon nursery

Patterned wallpaper and metallic polka dots are not elements that you would usually put with a nursery but just look how much fun it can be. chic-deco strawberryswingandthings

#2 Have fun

I think nurseries are spaces that adults get to decorate as if to channel the inner child. The tree-shaped bookshelf and bold lime stripe must have been dreamt up by a very creative adult! I love these animal cards on the right – they are a great alternative to bunting. apartmenttherapy etsy

#3 Cute coral

These coral shades against a neutral background create a quiet and feminine space. I really like the fact that nurseries have become more sophisticated with the use of ‘grown up’ accessories like the antlers and signage on the right. woonblog etsy

#4 Sunny side up

Create a focal wall behind the crib like this gorgeous mountain and sun wall. The yellow is picked up again in the geometric carpet and gives the room a happy feel. And how cute is this baby sheep blanket on the right? thebooandtheboy ravelry

#5 Magic animals

These framed animal prints seem to be a big trend in nurseries at the moment. The acid yellow rocking chair creates a fun pop of colour in the otherwise neutral room, echoed by the light fitting. designinvogue luna—belle

#6 Vintage chic

This wallpaper circle with floating shelf is very fresh and original and creates a beautiful focal point on the wall. Combined with a few personal vintage items, it creates a nostalgic mood in this very sweet girl’s room. zirimola flickr

#7 Retro revolution

Play with retro wallpaper in soft tones of blue and pink to create a subtle focal wall in your nursery. The changing station on the right is sleek and the shape reminds me of ‘The Jetsons’! Apart from being a space saver in a small room, it’s also lots of fun and über cool. Instagram Frenchyfancy

#8 Pretty ballerina

This pastel colour scheme is gorgeous in this little girl’s nursery. The lines are clean and the two-tone wall in grey is right on trend. I would love a floor like that! thebooandtheboy welke

#9 Magnificent monotone

This neutral grey wall colour is very generic so will grow with your child which makes it an excellent choice for a nursery. The crisp white furniture and black and white printed blanket add a lovely graphic element to the room. On the right is a mobile of knitted floating bunnies – love it! mrfinny etsy

#10 Animated

What’s a nursery without some form of character or cuddly teddy? Just another room! Add some fun with scatters in different shapes or a collection of items like the sleeping beauties on the right. ministyleblog mommodesign

I hope you have enjoyed this post just as much as I did writing it.

Footnote: Dear family and friends with babies on the way… you’re welcome!

Happy styling,

Popular Posts: Nursery Essentials

June 11, 2013April 18, 2014HAdminINTERIOR DESIGN2 Comments

In an ideal world, we all have the small fortune to walk into our favourite designer baby furniture store and buy everything that our nesting hearts desire. But the reality is that very few of us are privileged enough to be able to do that. The baby industry – not unlike the wedding industry – is a very big and powerful machine that can be very daunting when you first encounter it. But if you stay sensible amidst those raging pregnancy hormones, you will come to realize that babies actually need very few (furniture!) things in those first few months.

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1) Cot. This could be new cot, old cot, camping cot, crib, whatever. Gumtree or your local used furniture store might have amazing finds. But make sure that you buy a new, special baby mattress for the cot to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) – one with holes in it so that baby doesn’t suffocate in case he rolls over onto his face. Good ones at Mr Price Home and Baby City.

Childrens Rooms eclectic kids — image courtesy of houzz

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2) Changing table with changing mat. Note, I don’t say compactum. I don’t believe you need an expensive compactum with built in bath and other fancy bits. In fact, most people don’t even know that you call those fancy contraptions with built-in baths a compactum. Your baby will be bathed in the nursery for a very short period of time and then you won’t use the built-in bath anymore. A simple dresser with lots of storage that can grow with your child works just as well. If the top of the dresser is too small, go your local hardware store and buy a piece of laminated wood (they will edge it for you as well) to put on top – move the dresser away from the wall so that front of the wood is flush with the front of the dresser. Also keep in mind that the plastic-covered changing mats definitely are a better option than the fabric-covered ones: buy a pack of toweling nappies and have them handy to throw over the mat for warmth and comfort. This way it can readily be replaced with a clean, dry one should an accident happen.

Modern Vintage Nursery modern kids — image courtest of nicole lanteri interior design

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3) Chair. Again, you will be spending LOTS of time in this chair, so make sure you’re comfortable with it. A rocker and matching ottoman is a very nice to have, but come at a price. I took my favourite armchair from the sitting room and it worked beautifully. If your chosen chair doesn’t fit in with the room, make a simple loose cover of throw a pieces of matching fabric over it. In fact, unless it’s a wipe-able fabric, a loose cover is always a good idea so that spills can be cleaned up – it’s amazing how much fluid those little bodies are able to bring forth!

Marina Nursery modern kids — image courtesy of jute interior design

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4) Night light / dimmer switch. You don’t want to have bright lights on every time you have to feed or change a nappy, so have a small night light that gives you enough light to do what you need to but not enough to fully wake baby. If you have dimmer switches installed, perfect. If you don’t, call a local electrician and get a quote, it’s usually not a very expensive endeavor.

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5) Wardrobes. Even though they are very small, babies tend to have A LOT of stuff – nappies, clothes, blankets, meds, wipes, creams, the list is virtually endless. So if your dresser cannot take everything and you don’t have built-ins, you’ll need to invest in wardrobes to house said paraphernalia. Or sort out your own wardrobe to make space. Spring cleaning is always a great idea before baby comes!

The Upward Bound House by Vanessa De Vargas contemporary kids — image courtesy of vanessa de vargas

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And that’s it really. There are many other nice-to-haves: a bed for you and shelving and toy boxes and mobiles and rocking horses – it goes on. But from a practical point of view, the above items are all you really NEED.

Happy shopping, and remember, you can always add more things later when you understand your new little person’s needs a bit better!