Adding Personality to the Nursery with Accessories and DIY Projects

I cannot wait to share with you the final reveal of the nursery next Thursday, but before I spill all the details, I wanted to highlight a few of the ways I’m planning to add personality to the space.

When it comes to decorating, accessorizing is a part of the process that doesn’t come as naturally to me. Sure, I can arrange pretty vignettes all day long. But truth be told, I’m not a fan of displaying tchotchkes for the sake of displaying tchotchkes.

Naturally, this challenge rose up when designing the nursery. I quickly realized the room was looking a little bland and began brainstorming ideas on adding a personal touch – something that would distinguish the room from the thousands of other pretty nurseries on the Internet.

One easy way to personalize a room is to add custom details to the furniture. Custom furniture isn’t always an option with tight budgets and all that jazz, but a quick change in drawer knobs does wonders in making a piece look a million times better.

For example, I traded out the round, wooden knobs that came with the dresser for these crystal, diamond-shaped knobs, and the difference, although small, is quite lovely.

Besides, for less than $1 each – what’s not to love?

Speaking of custom, a perfect item to customize for the nursery is the mobile.

I mentioned last week that I got the incredible opportunity to work with Sproutling + Co. on a custom mobile for our little girl. The possibilities are truly endless on this one. Not only can you choose colors to match the nursery, but you can completely customize the entire design – from the length of the cords to the color of the frame to adding interesting details like wood beads. Nicole, the talent behind Sproutling + Co., hand-makes these lovely creations – and she’s a total gem to work with.

Once I selected the colors and the general idea of the design, she sent me a 2-D mockup of the mobile for review. Of course, it was perfect as is.

I cannot wait to install this beauty – still debating whether it should hang over the crib (to lull our baby girl to sleep) or the dresser (to keep her occupied during diaper changes).

Your thoughts?

Keeping with the customization theme, although the closet is not yet finished, it’s a prime example of how you can add major personality to a space.

When you install a custom, built-in closet, you have the luxury of choosing exactly what sort of storage solutions you need most.

I walked you through the step-by-step process of designing a custom ClosetMaid closet in an earlier post, but what I want to highlight today is the versatility you can only get with customization.

When beginning the initial design, I wanted the closet to be versatile enough to function for a baby – but also be able to grow with our little girl into her teenage years. As you’ll see next week, we’ve added lots of shelves, drawers and rods for a totally custom organization.

Here’s a sneak peek of the progress – without any of the bells and whistles just yet.

That brings us to another idea: storage boxes.

I’m still debating whether we should completely remove the closet doors or not. In the event that we do end up doing so, I’ve stocked up on the prettiest storage boxes to keep the closet organized when on display. These canvas bins are a lucky Target find and are currently on sale!

They’re also available in cream and gold. But I figured this was my chance to add a little color to the space, so blush pink it was! They are as sturdy as they are pretty – and perfect for storing everything from toys to clothes to extra blankets.

Speaking of color, let’s chat about the curtains.

Not only do they add depth to a space, but they offer the perfect opportunity to showcase a little personality.

We finally hung the curtain rod and curtains earlier this week – and I have to say, I am even more in love with them than I was at first sight.

First, the blackout feature is amazing. The room is pitch-black when these are drawn. But more than that, the top layer of tulle is oh-so-chic and perfect for a little girl’s room.

Another way to add personality to a nursery (or any room, for that matter!) is with DIY projects.

I planned far more DIY projects than I could complete in the six-week timeframe, to be honest. But one that I wanted to cross off my list in time for the ORC was a pom pom garland.

With the help of this nifty little tool and a couple episodes of “Fargo”, I was able to create something special and unique that can only be recreated by hand. These garlands are so precious as decoration, and they double-up as toys when the little ones get a bit older.

Plus, they make the cutest props for the monthly baby photos – can’t you just imagine?!

I’ll be sure to add a detailed DIY post after the challenge for anyone interested in recreating this darling piece.

Because this room is teeny-tiny, I’m also getting creative in how I display the necessities.

Take, for example, this two-tier cake stand from Lamps Plus (currently on sale!). By adding non-traditional elements to the decor, you’re keeping things interesting without compromising on the function.

My baby shower isn’t until June, so not a lot of items to display just yet. I imagine stocking the stand with diapers, creams, wipes and small toys to keep at hand’s reach.

I don’t want to give away too many details just yet. So you’ll have to come back next Thursday for the full room reveal!

I do have quite a bit of items still arriving later this week, so tune in to Instagram Stories to see it all first.

Oh, and wish us luck on finishing that closet… This weekend’s shaping up to be quite busy, with graduations, birthdays and, naturally, lots of get-togethers to celebrate both.

If you missed the previous weeks of the One Room Challenge, catch up here: week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4. You can also tour our living room from the previous ORC round to get you all excited for next week’s big reveal!

Shop the Room

Thank you to Linda from “Calling It Home” for organizing the One Room Challenge. To see the other bloggers’ transformations, check out Week 5’s “One Room Challenge” linkup.

Another thank you to this round’s sponsors, including ClosetMaid, Walls Need Love, Lamps Plus, Minted, Rockabye, Freshly Picked, and Sproutling + Co. for helping me bring our nursery vision to life!

Most of all, THANK YOU for continuing to read, share, and comment on FOXYOXIE.com. You make this blog (and projects like this!) possible.

About the One Room Challenge

The One Room Challenge (ORC) is a wildly anticipated design event hosted by Calling It Home in partnership with House Beautiful.

Twice a year, 20 featured designers along with hundreds of guest participants are challenged to transform any room they so choose, but they must complete the entire project in six weeks.

Learn more.