The Dappled Willow

Happy October! Hope this year’s Global Pandemic is treating you alright. We’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving and even though this year was super different compared to last year, there is still much to be grateful for. For example, I finally finished the Star-Themed Nursery!! Hooray! 

I started this Budget Room Refresh way back at the end of March, took a break to complete my first One Room Challenge in our family bathroom, and came back to slowly but surely finish this space. I’m so happy to finally share it with you!

Star Theme

I originally envisioned a boho floral nursery that was bright and airy and simple. One night during the COVID lockdowns I couldn’t sleep so I browsed the internet on my phone for nursery inspiration. There are so many beautiful nurseries out there and I was getting lots of ideas but one thing that festered at the back of my mind was that these rooms were so mature. Where was the fun, magic, and whimsy? They were almost too perfect, ya know? So grown up that adults would enjoy having bedrooms like some of these nurseries!

I remembered I had a gift card for a certain store and decided to look through the sale section. I came across a print that hit me right in the feels and I knew I had to get it.

It reads “Don’t promise me the stars, just lay in the grass and watch them with me.” Such a poignant reminder to stop fretting and simply spend quality time with my little ones.

This is the only ‘before’ picture I have of the room. It shows the sad simple state of this theme-less nursery. With a budget of only $500 and an ambitious wishlist, I set to work!

Decluttering

First things first, I always start by getting rid of as much clutter as possible. This included an intensive exercise of going through every item of clothing I had for my daughter. You can check out my tips for decisively decluttering kids stuff if you want to know more about my process.  

Editing

I wanted more space in the room so I had to edit a bit. I moved the bookcase down to our playroom which opened up the room visually. I also didn’t love the glider and ottomen; the colour wasn’t great and the kids often played on them and rocked into the walls. It had to go.

It was a Dutailier set, which is pretty expensive, so I gave it all a good cleaning, posted the set on Facebook Marketplace for $250 and it was gone within a week!

Painting

We bought wall paint during a promotion at Home Depot. Make sure you mail your receipt in promptly to take advantage of the mail-in rebate; it’s annoying but worth it for the savings. We used the same colour we painted the Boys’ Room, and the Bathroom: Whisper White by Behr. It was the perfect blank canvas for my masterpiece…

Watercolour Wall

In the Master Bedroom we did a board and batten grid feature wall. In the boys’ room we did a faux shiplap wall. This time I wanted to try something else and since the theme of the room was inspired by the stars, I thought I’d try painting a watercolour night sky all around the room. It was tricky since no matter what product I used there was no way it would ever behave as true watercolours do on a sheet of watercolour paper. The vertical walls would let the paint run and streak down so I had to get creative.

I used watered down Annie Sloan Chalk paint I had leftover from the Boy’s Room and went around the room wiping, rolling, sponging, and dabbing it on in many layers. (Check out my ‘Watercolour Wall’ highlight on Instagram for videos of the whole process.) It took days. Some spots are incredibly beautiful and others I wish I had done differently but overall I love the look.

And the magic happens when the lights turn out for the night and the glow in the dark paint and stickers shine in the darkness. The glow paint is actually a glow pigment powder called LIT by Stuart Semple that you mix into an acrylic base. I had the powder already for another project which is why I didn’t include it in my budget breakdown below, but if you’re interested you can find it at CultureHustle.com (not sponsored or affiliated).

Unfortunately, I can’t capture the glowy magic on my camera, but in person it’s breathtaking. I love hugging my daughter as I take her around the room to ‘stargaze’ before she goes to sleep each night.

Closet

I love trying different design techniques in a closet because it’s low risk – if you mess up, it doesn’t matter because you can always just close the door. And how many people see inside your closet anyway? In my master bedroom closet, I tried a bunch of new things, including wallpaper, to spruce it up. In the boys’ room I drew a sharpie wall and installed a built-in desk.

This time I hand painted stars in the same style and colours as the Pehr Celestial crib sheet I bought and I love how it turned out! Just a fun little surprise when you pull back the closet curtain.

Gallery Wall

I knew I wanted to cover some of my least favourite watercolour spots with a gallery wall. Thankfully I’m a bit of a hoarder and have an impressive amount of frames to choose from in my basement but I wasn’t sure what to put in them. A friend of mine suggested framing my kids’ art. She said her mother used to do that when she was growing up and would switch out the art as they made more. I knew my kids would love showing off their pieces to visitors so we set to work making DIY ART for the Gallery wall.

Each child’s hand print is displayed in it’s own frame; Henry’s is doing the vulcan salute from Star Trek and includes the saying “Live long and prosper” in fine print, Freddy’s is the body of a spaceship and includes the C.S. Lewis quote “Further up and further in” from Narnia, and finally Ginny’s handprint created a beautiful mess of blue and yellow stars. 

Henry and I melted bits of broken crayons in the oven to create a starry night art piece. I also tried my hand at sketching and water colouring the planets. The centerpiece of the gallery wall is a typography piece my good friend made for me with a quote from The Magic School Bus’ Ms. Frizzle herself; “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” It’s such a great reminder for me to let the kids learn through their experiences and that it’s okay to not be in control all the time. My husband always teases me by misquoting it and saying “The messier the better, right?” That’s not quite what it means, Daniel!    

New Items

As I previously mentioned, the whole room was inspired by the quote print I found online. Thankfully it was on sale, as art can get pretty pricey, and I put it in a frame I already had.

Speaking of sale, if I’m buying something brand new I always try to wait for a sale. When I first discovered a company called Pehr, with the perfect crib sheet to match the theme and colour palette of my nursery, I immediately signed up for their emails so I could be notified as soon as they were having a good sale. I bought the ‘Celestial’ crib sheet, coordinating star shaped pillow, and a matching change mat cover too. I was able to snag 2/3 on a good sale and scoured the internet for a discount code before making the online purchase for even more savings. Anyone else hate spending full price? These elements weren’t totally necessary but I love how they pull everything together!

Secondhand Items

As always, I shopped my house as much as I could. Can you believe I found the lighting fixtures in storage in our basement?

Both the overhead light and accordion sconce were in our home when we moved in. I’m so glad we didn’t throw them out because they’re perfect for this space!

The curtains and mesh canopy were given to me by my in-laws. I dyed the canopy with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Aubusson Blue, the same colour as the watercolour mural on the walls.

I also used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to an old basket and a moon-shaped music toy that was the wrong colouring.

I had been keeping an eye out for the perfect nursery chair on Facebook Marketplace. Did you know you can set up alerts for your searches so that when someone posts something that includes your keyword you’ll get a notification? That’s how I was able to score this deep blue velvet chair that is the perfect shape and size for me to breastfeed comfortably and read bedtime stories.

The wool rug was another Facebook Marketplace find. So was the roller shade. And a mom in my neighbourhood was selling a brand new, with the tags on, blue velvet sleep sack with a star-pattern in a neighbourhood buy and sell group so I snatched that up too.

I updated the laundry basket I already had by sewing some fluffy pink pom poms a friend gave me onto it – a cheap and cute little DIY.

I made an ottoman out of an old table base I had been holding onto for years. I just loved the wood work and knew I’d find a use for it one day. With some foam I was given by a friend, and some fabric my mom found for me at a secondhand store I was able to upholster (staple together really) the seat for cheap! I’m blessed to have supportive friends and family who help me accomplish these projects within my budget.

The last secondhand item in the room is the origami stars hanging over the crib from the canopy. These stars were made by my sister for my 25th birthday party and I’ve held onto them and used them for my kids birthday parties ever since. I love the sentimental touch they bring to the room and the idea that my daughter will learn to ‘reach for the stars!’ (Cheesy, I know.)

The Wish List 

I accomplished everything I set out to do in this space. The only thing I could maybe still do is paint the dresser/change table white but I think by incorporating more wood tones through the wall sconce and the footstool it ties in nicely now. Other than that I’m over the moon with how this room turned out!

Budget Breakdown 

*All dollar amounts reflect Canadian prices

• Quote Print: $9 (from Indigo)
• Paint: $30 (‘Whisper White’ by Behr from Home Depot)
• Chalk Paint: $0 (‘Aubusson Blue’ by Annie Sloan leftover from Boys’ Room)
• Overhead Light: $0 (Was in another room in our house)
• Wall Sconce: $0 (Was in our basement – left by previous owners in another room)
• Star Pillow: $30 (by Pehr)
• Crib Sheet: $40 (‘Celestial’ by Pehr)
• Change Pad Cover: $30 (by Pehr)
• Sleep sack: $15 (FB Marketplace)
• Blue Velvet Chair: $200 (FB Marketplace)
• Area Rug: $115 (FB Marketplace)
• Roller Shade: $15 (FB Marketplace)
• Curtains: $0 (Gift from in-laws)
• Mesh Bed Canopy: $0 (Gift from in-laws)
• Laundry bin: $0 (Pom poms gifted by a friend)
• Origami Stars: $0 (Made by my sister)  
• Ottoman Base: $0 (Was in my storage) 
• Ottoman Foam: $0 (Gift from a friend)
• Ottoman Fabric: $6 (Secondhand store)
• Glow Stickers: $10 (on sale at Home Depot)

Total: $500

Budget Notes

1. I didn’t include the price of supplies that I already had like paint, paint tools, nails, screws, etc. 
2. The sales prices are rounded and include taxes and shipping, but keep in mind I use discount codes and try to only buy items when on sale. The prices listed above may not be available now.
3. I hit my $500 limit exactly but remember, I also sold the glider set for $250 so in the end the room only cost me $250 out of pocket. Winning!

Final Verdict

Well first of all, this room took way longer than I expected. What started out as a simple boho vision morphed into a starry night that dragged on for months. This room has taught me design and DIY take patience. Especially when you can’t work on the room during naps or nighttime because it’s occupied by a little sleeper.

All in all I’d say this was a successful room refresh. I was able to tackle my entire wishlist and stay within my budget. Using what I had on hand and a little creativity allowed me to make this once boring room a magical space for my daughter. I’m so glad I decided to change course and go with this fun theme that I hope she’ll remember forever.

Now onto the next room! Cheers!