10.11.2010

A $250 NURSERY….It is possible!

As you know, I started working on a nursery design for my sister a few months ago. What you don’t know is the budget I had to work with for the space. My first meeting with my sister to go over the plan for the room I was told that her budget for the space was $250. Yes, you heard right $250! Now, I must admit that I had my doubts with being able to put the room together. But I was reassured that I COULD in fact pull the design off with some clever thinking.

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The inspiration for the room came from a shower curtain found at Target! Because we didn’t know the sex of the baby, I opted for colors that could work for both a boy or a girl. Another reason for using these colors was that I wasn’t allowed to change the wall color. With that said, I brought in color with fabrics and furnishings as much as the budget allowed!

Here are some tips on how I managed to pull the room together on a very tight budget!

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Use fabric to bring in color! I used one yard of fabric ($8.98yd) for the two pillows on the sleeper sofa and asked a friend to sew them for me…Thanks Mrs. Chic! She also sewed the euro size floor pillow with the fabric left over from the shower curtain that I used to make the crib skirt seen below.

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When decorating a space on a tight budget, opt for what I like to call “big impact” items. These alphabet cards from Land of Nod were less than $30 and filled this large wall behind the sofa. Not to mention that it ties in well with the inspiration for the room---NATURE!

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Include siblings! Just in case you’re wondering why I included the floor cushion in the room, the answer is that my ‘new’ nephew has an older brother! And what better way to let an older sibling know that he or she is not being left out than to add something to the room for them! While mommy is feeding Miles on the sofa, Chandler can play with his blocks on his cushion! It’s a win win for everyone!

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It’s all in the details….By adding grosgrain ribbon to the curtains, I was able to take these simple and affordable IKEA curtains to the next level.

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Use things that aren’t necessarily for nurseries. These storage ottomans are a big hit at Target mainly because they are great for college students. With a sale price of $14 each and many colors to choose from, they work perfect in a nursery. The perfect storage solution for toys, blankets, extra diapers and wipes, or even books! And they are soft so baby won’t get hurt!

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Think outside the box when it comes to nursery mobiles. This mobile cost me around $5-$6 to make. The trees, owls, and birds were 29-79 cents each from Michaels and Hobby Lobby. The string is from Walmart and the hoop can be found a dime a dozen at Goodwill or new at Joanne’s!

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Use what you have! My sister already owned this changing table. But it was originally white. A few cans of yellow spray paint gave it a new life!

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Check out clearance! I wanted to bring in vinyl tree, but we were already to the max with the budget. While at Target, I noticed the vinyl trees that they had for $20. Just recently when looking through their clearance, I noticed that they had been marked down to $4.98! I would have loved to have found two sets, but they only had one and I think Miles will enjoy looking at the little birds and colorful leaves while being changed (above)!

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Just ask! You may not have the funds to go out and purchase a lot of new things for a room. But you never know what family or friends may have in their own home that they are not using. Because I wasn’t able to find a side table for the space within our budget, I used one from my own home! I will eventually use it, but for now it works in the space!

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Take it personal! This is YOUR babies nursery and what better way to add personality to it than bringing in family photos! Miles is joining 9 other boys in this family! One day, a picture including him with some of his cousins can be added to his room!

And there you have it! My tips to decorating a room on a tight budget! I hope that I have encouraged you to go out and tackle a project that you’ve put off because of an intimidating budget!

If you have any questions about the space, feel free to ask me in the comment section!



I'm linking this to PK's Pattern Linky Party!
And: Metamorphasis Mondays at Between Naps on the Porch!

34 comments:

Jade @ Flip Flops + Pearls Design said...

It turned out great!! You definitely spent your dollars wisely in there! I am in love with the color scheme!

Happy Monday!
xo Jade

Will @ Bright.Bazaar said...

I agree with Jader - fab colour scheme!

Heather said...

great job, i like how you arranged the alphabet cards!

Tonia Lee Smith said...

You did a great job with the budget you had and it's looks fabulous!

Myssie@PendletonMarket said...

I love how the room turned out! It looks so inviting, a baby friendly without being over the top. Awesome job!!

Unknown said...

It turned out GORGEOUS Lakeitha! You did such a nice job with this. So many creative ideas.

Rachel
xoxo

Michelle from Holley and Gill said...

I love the casual feel it has. Very cozy and looking fab on such a small budget, well done!

Chedva @Rooms and Words said...

Gorgeous nursery and great tips, Lakeitha!

Niki McNeill Brown said...

Super cute! It feels much more open than other nurseries - like the family is welcome to spend time in the space too. Great job! ;)

Sing of Singature Style said...

Good job. It looks great. I don't think a nursery needs huge dollars to look nice anyway. Kids grow up so fast and soon you'll be redecorating a bigger boys room : )

Kim@Chattafabulous said...

Looks great, Lakeitha, and your design can go from babyhood to little boyhood easily!

Unknown said...

I love all the colors you used in the nursery!! They flow so well together!I love you the big impact, the alphabet wall looks adorable above the sofa which looks comfy for your sister in law and nephew.

Love all your tips on a project done on a budget!

Tricia said...

The nursery looks awesome! I love the color scheme. The whole room just gives off a very cozy vibe.

~Tricia

Anonymous said...

What a great job! I really love the way you included the fabric for color and those Letter cards were a great touch. ( I love the kids names by the way )

Moni @ CL Journal said...

I think it looks fantastic! Good job!

I love the letter cards and the mobile! : )

LindsB said...

Its so cute, you did an amazing job!! I love the pillow on the floor for the big brother too, what a sweet touch!

Averill said...

LOOKS FANTASTIC! Way more than the $250 you spent. BRAVA!!!!

(And I can't believe how many boys are in your family! Mine is actually ALL girls...so we'll see on the 20th if I keep with the trend or not.)

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

This is a great post, not only because the result in the nursery is wonderful, but you broke it all down and explained the reasoning behind each part of the project, and showed how to make a budget stretch. What a great guide for others to tackle a nursery project on a budget!

CLAIRE WATKINS, ASID ALLIED said...

Love it all: the mobile, the yellow on the diaper changing table, the pic from land of nod! Such creativity!

Erika Ward said...

Amazing job of using your money wisely! I'm sure you are stunned at what you CAN do with small budget. It looks like you created a loving, warm, and nurturing environment for your little nephew. You should be proud ;-)

Karen said...

I love it! If you took out the crib and replaced it with a twin bed, the room would be perfect for an older child. It could even work as a play room. My favorite part is your choice of wall art-brilliant.

Best of luck to your sister and her new bundle of joy.

Anonymous said...

This turned out so great, Lakeitha, especially considering you did it all on such a small budget! Great job! I like the way you broke everything down too. The alphabet cards and shower-curtain-turned-crib-skirt are my favorites. I'm having a pattern inspiration party today and this would definitely qualify since the patterned shower curtain was your inspiration. Would love to have you join the party!

Samantha@yearofhomeandhealth said...

I adore the alphabet cards and the floor pillow!

LilPeach (aka Laura) said...

Love, love, love this nursery! I am going to shamelessly steal from your ideas to help my daughter fix up her nursery before the little one arrives. She wants it on a budget and I'm going to try to do it as inexpensively as you did. Thanks for all the detail on how you did it. You rock, Lakeitha!

UberBliss said...

I think it looks uber wonderful! I agree with Janell...thanks for breaking it down into specifics. You did a fabulous job!

Anonymous said...

Hello there,

This is a message for the webmaster/admin here at home23duncanboys.blogspot.com.

Can I use some of the information from this blog post right above if I give a backlink back to your website?

Thanks,
William

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Hello,

What a wonderful room you have created! I love the warm colors, the woodland animals, the curtains, the pillows... well, everything. Your love of family and being a mom shines through!

I have perused several of your posts and enjoyed stopping by to visit with you!

Kindly, ldh

Allison Shops said...

What a darling room! I love the alphabet cards. Fills the space and are so cute. Great job!

Looks like you love turquoise. I did a post today on a turquoise kitchen. I hope you'll come see!

Allison
Atticmag

Anonymous said...

I love what you did. I hope someday to need a cute little room for grandkids maybe I can steal some of your ideas.

Jenny @ Simcoe Street said...

This is amazing -- I love it all, especially the alphabet cards and the ribbons you added to the curtains (my sister has the same curtains from Ikea, and I'm going to show this to her so we can do it in her house, too - thank you!)

Jenny
www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Wonderful job on a tight budget.
I love the graphic impact of the alphabet wall. So fun!

Leah said...

LOVE this nursery! So cute and so affordable! I LOVE!

Luvs!

Tara said...

You did such a great job! That budget too, cannot believe. Wait, yes I can.. It is you. Love everything. Fav is the yellow changing table. Love the way you dressed up the curtains. Madelyn is now officially late!! Wednesday was due date. I gotta get crackin on posting pics. Can you tell here at the long haul of this pregnancy I have been SLACK!!

Unknown said...

Your sister is a very lucky girl!! I think it turned out great and I think the vinyl trees are perfect, no need for any others anyway.