Tricks to Transform Your Spare Room into a Relaxing Retreat for Baby for Under $300

Join me as we warmly welcome our brilliantly talented Shoppe Manager Vanessa Spencer to Somerset Place. Today she shares intimate secrets on how to transform your spare room into the perfect hideaway for your new bundle of joy.

Baby

In February, my husband Ross and I (after the longest pregnancy ever) welcomed baby Brin. His big sister Izzy is thrilled to finally be a big sister, and Baby Brin was well worth the wait, perfect in every way.

When we found out we were expecting our second child, a flood of overwhelming excitement and emotions poured over us, and of course the crafter in me immediately began pondering ways to decorate our spare room. It’s safe to say that Pinterest and I quickly became close friends as I began gathering tons of inspiration to add to my collection of ideas. And as soon as we found out that we would be having a little boy, I zealously began the process of collecting nursery décor.

 

Nursery

Before we were expecting baby Brin, I had already painted the nursery a deep aqua blue. I wanted our spare room to be a colorful space, and I knew that it would work as a nursery color for either a boy or girl, so I figured when we eventually had another child, the walls would be ready and I could just accent accordingly depending on the baby’s gender.

 

cropped

 

It was important to me that I decorated on a budget with sustainable and crafty, but unique style. With the exception of just a few things – white IKEA bookshelves, a chevron rug, grey foot pouf skirt hanger and crib sheets (ok a little more than a few) –  a lot of the décor I used was either secondhand or handmade.

 

Luggage

We held onto my daughter’s crisp white crib (for 7 years!) hoping that one day we would be able to use it again. My mother had bought it for Izzy so it was important to use it for our next child. The bare space below the crib served as the perfect spot for a pair of old fashioned luggage cases to make themselves cozy at home. The faded green and yellow hues add a pop of color and vintage flair.

 

Dresser

Instead of using a bulky changing table like we did before with Izzy, we wanted to utilize more of the room’s space, so we opted for a sleek dresser with plenty of room for storage. I found this one that was just the right height to double as a changing station at the Salvation Army for only $40. It isn’t perfect; it has some scratches and will need new handles before long, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I just love the way it looks!

 

Vintage Thrift Chair

I had always thought that the deep aqua walls would look perfect with a mustard yellow accent color, so you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this comfortable rocking chair at a local thrift store. I adore its quirky style. It was a rare golden find – quite literally!

 

Fabric Banner

To add some whimsy and bring out the accent colors in the room, I handcrafted a triangle patterned fabric banner to hang over baby Brin’s changing station. When the sun illuminates the golden swatches, it adds an angelic brightness to the room.

 

Nursery Final

Other handmade touches include: the bird mobile, handmade changing pad cover, the frames behind the crib (which I painted and added fabric to the inside) and a few other painted trinkets. I also restored some white baskets that I saved from my daughter’s nursery and rit-dyed the liners grey to match the other accent pieces.

Now let’s add up the cost of all the main pieces:

  • Crib: Hand-me-down (from our first child)
  • White baskets with liners: Hand-me-down (from our first child)
  • Changing Pad: Free hand-me-down
  • Crib mattress: Free hand-me-down
  • Dresser – Salvation Army $40.
  • Rocking Chair – Salvation Army $50
  • Telephone Table – Goodwill $10
  • Printers Tray – Flea Market $15
  • Hat Rack – Salvation Army $2
  • Wire Garden Baskets – Salvation Army $1
  • Lamp – Garage Sale $2
  • Mini Doll High Chair – Goodwill $5
  • Vintage Baby Scale – St Vincent De Paul $8
  • Trash Can – Flea market $12
  • Chevron Rug – $40
  • Foot Pouf $79 (Major Splurge!)
  • Crib Sheet – $9

Drum roll, please! The grand total came to $273.00. (Which doesn’t include items like paint or fabric for the handmade pieces.)

 

baby

The fact that baby Brin has yet to sleep in his specially-designed nursery and instead snuggles in Mom and Dad’s room? Priceless.

For more creative how-to projects, peruse these fresh, new ideas just added to The Studio.

*Note – If you’re looking to add a vintage feel in your spare space, but you’re having a hard time pinning down the perfect upholstery color, consider painting your furniture! Check out how to add personality and flair to an old chair with this unique how-to video by upcycle expert Debi Beard.

 

Photography By: Vanessa Spencer


Posted: Monday, June 24th, 2013 @ 1:02 pm
Categories: Uncategorized.
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9 Responses to “Tricks to Transform Your Spare Room into a Relaxing Retreat for Baby for Under $300”

  1. Becky Green says:

    BEAUTIFUL JOB!!!:) I’m SURE Baby Brin will LOOOOOOVE his NEW ROOM!!!!!!! (Well, EXCEPT when he want’s Mom or Dad!) :)

  2. rush says:

    great room. love the splashes of yellow! i wouldn’t hang the pictures above the crib. baby brin could pull them down!

  3. Ellen says:

    Baby Brin must be so happy! It is lovely and so cheerful~ Well Done

  4. Kristy says:

    I love Brin’s room. Vanessa, you are just the most creative person ever! I love how you take a shoestring budget and turn it into fabulous! Hardwork, creativity and determination override lack of funds every time! Thank you for inspiring me every time I read your posts!

  5. Johanna Love says:

    Beautiful room design and photography (and baby!)! You are an inspiration to us all :) Thanks for sharing!

    … to address the frame location issue, all you need to do is pull the crib away from the wall another inch and also fasten the frames with earthquake putty (which I’m sure you already have done). That stuff renders wall hangings impossible for kids to pull off. Just ask my 3 wild boys who cause 6.0 on the richter scale in our house! On that note, I’m going to imitate your frames and window banners. Such good inexpensive ideas!

  6. Bridget says:

    That looks fantastic! You have a great eye for colour. I bet you had a heart attack when you came across that rocker.

  7. Bridget – i sure did! It was one of those thrift store moments where i was thinking “why has no else claimed this amazing find??” I love that feeling when you find a real gem:) I guess maybe it didn’t appeal to others but it certainly did to me:)

  8. Jess Hale says:

    Hi, I’m wondering if you could share the paint color and brand? Sorry if it’s already mentioned here, I couldn’t find it! Thank you,

Jordan Uncategorized

Join me as we warmly welcome our brilliantly talented Shoppe Manager Vanessa Spencer to Somerset Place. Today she shares intimate secrets on how to transform your spare room into the perfect hideaway for your new bundle of joy.

Baby

In February, my husband Ross and I (after the longest pregnancy ever) welcomed baby Brin. His big sister Izzy is thrilled to finally be a big sister, and Baby Brin was well worth the wait, perfect in every way.

When we found out we were expecting our second child, a flood of overwhelming excitement and emotions poured over us, and of course the crafter in me immediately began pondering ways to decorate our spare room. It’s safe to say that Pinterest and I quickly became close friends as I began gathering tons of inspiration to add to my collection of ideas. And as soon as we found out that we would be having a little boy, I zealously began the process of collecting nursery décor.

 

Nursery

Before we were expecting baby Brin, I had already painted the nursery a deep aqua blue. I wanted our spare room to be a colorful space, and I knew that it would work as a nursery color for either a boy or girl, so I figured when we eventually had another child, the walls would be ready and I could just accent accordingly depending on the baby’s gender.

 

cropped

 

It was important to me that I decorated on a budget with sustainable and crafty, but unique style. With the exception of just a few things – white IKEA bookshelves, a chevron rug, grey foot pouf skirt hanger and crib sheets (ok a little more than a few) –  a lot of the décor I used was either secondhand or handmade.

 

Luggage

We held onto my daughter’s crisp white crib (for 7 years!) hoping that one day we would be able to use it again. My mother had bought it for Izzy so it was important to use it for our next child. The bare space below the crib served as the perfect spot for a pair of old fashioned luggage cases to make themselves cozy at home. The faded green and yellow hues add a pop of color and vintage flair.

 

Dresser

Instead of using a bulky changing table like we did before with Izzy, we wanted to utilize more of the room’s space, so we opted for a sleek dresser with plenty of room for storage. I found this one that was just the right height to double as a changing station at the Salvation Army for only $40. It isn’t perfect; it has some scratches and will need new handles before long, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I just love the way it looks!

 

Vintage Thrift Chair

I had always thought that the deep aqua walls would look perfect with a mustard yellow accent color, so you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this comfortable rocking chair at a local thrift store. I adore its quirky style. It was a rare golden find – quite literally!

 

Fabric Banner

To add some whimsy and bring out the accent colors in the room, I handcrafted a triangle patterned fabric banner to hang over baby Brin’s changing station. When the sun illuminates the golden swatches, it adds an angelic brightness to the room.

 

Nursery Final

Other handmade touches include: the bird mobile, handmade changing pad cover, the frames behind the crib (which I painted and added fabric to the inside) and a few other painted trinkets. I also restored some white baskets that I saved from my daughter’s nursery and rit-dyed the liners grey to match the other accent pieces.

Now let’s add up the cost of all the main pieces:

  • Crib: Hand-me-down (from our first child)
  • White baskets with liners: Hand-me-down (from our first child)
  • Changing Pad: Free hand-me-down
  • Crib mattress: Free hand-me-down
  • Dresser – Salvation Army $40.
  • Rocking Chair – Salvation Army $50
  • Telephone Table – Goodwill $10
  • Printers Tray – Flea Market $15
  • Hat Rack – Salvation Army $2
  • Wire Garden Baskets – Salvation Army $1
  • Lamp – Garage Sale $2
  • Mini Doll High Chair – Goodwill $5
  • Vintage Baby Scale – St Vincent De Paul $8
  • Trash Can – Flea market $12
  • Chevron Rug – $40
  • Foot Pouf $79 (Major Splurge!)
  • Crib Sheet – $9

Drum roll, please! The grand total came to $273.00. (Which doesn’t include items like paint or fabric for the handmade pieces.)

 

baby

The fact that baby Brin has yet to sleep in his specially-designed nursery and instead snuggles in Mom and Dad’s room? Priceless.

For more creative how-to projects, peruse these fresh, new ideas just added to The Studio.

*Note – If you’re looking to add a vintage feel in your spare space, but you’re having a hard time pinning down the perfect upholstery color, consider painting your furniture! Check out how to add personality and flair to an old chair with this unique how-to video by upcycle expert Debi Beard.

 

Photography By: Vanessa Spencer