Whimsical Woodland Nursery

Walking through Babies R Us with the scanner in my hand trying to determine what “theme” I wanted my future child’s nursery to be, I realized that everything is so cartoonized and predictable. There were varying shades of light blues, greens, pinks and yellows. Cartoon animals, hearts, nautical and underwater scenes. I wanted something different, something my child could grow with and continue to enjoy. It was clear I was on my own but knew with my creative abilities I could make it something great.

I finally landed on “Whimsical Woodland”. Our color scheme is grey, white and navy blue with pops of gold. I wanted it to feel rustic and have non-cartoonized woodland animals.

For my baby shower I wanted something different – I wanted each person to have a “piece of the painting” to hang in Gunnar’s room. We bought 4X4 canvases and provided paint in blue, grey, gold and tan and gave general directions and had each person paint the canvas to their desire. We then hung them all together to form one larger painting – here.

For the most part it’s completed and will change and grow as Gunnar does. Photos with details below.

12208749_10101619022707647_4579612527264769775_nCrib, Bookself, Antlers – Homegoods and spray painted gold

IMG_3494Recliner – already owned, Giraffe, Pouf – Homegoods, Shelves – homemade

12208400_10101619022617827_7827110594595617397_nRug

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Growth chart – homemade cedar, Rocking Moose

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Dresser, Changing Pad & Cover, Basket & Letters – Hobby Lobby, Paintings – homemade

12122768_10101619022652757_2137931644072321345_nKnobs – Deer, Wood, Fox – pulls came with dresser spray painted gold

12118677_10101619022847367_4926602705483063477_nHomemade – pattern

IMG_3495Wood Sign – won in an auction, can purchase here

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DIY Rustic Farmhouse Table

Does anyone else fall in love with something ridiculously expensive, put it in your online shopping cart knowing you’ll never spend that much on it, then obsess over it for a while? Just me? It’s OK – you don’t have to raise your hand, I know you ‘serial shopping cart abandoners’ are out there.

I knew I wanted a rustic farmhouse-esque table for our dining room, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend the $1500+ they are at Pottery Barn or West Elm. So being the amazing Supervisor/Forewoman that I am – I knew this was the perfect job…for Leep.

It all started with a butcher block counter top we found at our local home goods store. It was about 9 feet long, which was too big for our space so we first cut it to size – about 6 ft.

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Once it was cut to size and the edges sanded, it was time for a couple coats of stain and sealant.

Now, to make this beauty stand! We used 2 – 4x4s cut to the appropriate height for our chairs. This is not the place to use an exact measurement others use, but better to “sit” at it with your chairs and cut the legs to your desired height as some chairs sit taller than others. We also used 2 – 2x4s to create an under-edge and supports. We probably didn’t need so many cross supports since the table isn’t huge – but what can I say, Leep likes a sturdy table.

Once everything was ‘measured twice and cut once‘ to the proper length, it was time to stain the underside pieces to match and put it all together. We used wood screws to attach all the parts together and L brackets to attach the bottom structure to the underside of the table top.

Voila! I say this beauty can stand tall and proud next to those $1500 tables. We were able to make it custom to the size that best fit our room & chairs and choose a stain that matched our decor. Costing about a total of about $220.