Olivia Jeanette

Space is at a premium when you live in the city. Some of you might even remember Sebastian’s small NYC nursery. It brings back so many memories. While we have a little more room this time around, we’re still dealing with the reality of NYC real estate. I didn’t want it to just be about strategy and practicality in the design. The aesthetic of the room was really important to me. When you wake up for a late-night feeding it helps to be in a calm, relaxing space. Here’s a look inside Hugo’s small but gorgeous nursery along with some tips we used to make it our own.

Keep it Light

Working with a small space can be challenging. I’ve seen many nurseries use gorgeous color palettes but in the end, it would look too heavy and take away from the space. Keeping it neutral with earthy tones and fabrics helped me take advantage of some of the natural light coming in through the window. It creates the appearance of more space and allows you to add more items. For us, those additional touches were a mirror, light drapes, and open shelving, which helped keep the space light and airy.

Storage

Storage is so important and valuable here in the city, especially for a small room. A good storage system will help keep you organized through the chaos and keep the room clutter-free. Clutter is the number one enemy of any small space. We had a little built in closet already in the room and removed the door. This gave the appearance of more space and gave us easy access to the closet. We added some contrasting wallpaper and the perfect fitting shelving from The Container Store. Utilizing storage baskets and bins give you the flexibility to mix and match. We found the perfect ones from Serena and Lily. They are super convenient and add additional texture and color to the room. It also helps keep everything uniform.

Newborn baby clothes

Natural Seating

For seating, we weren’t working with much space. We wanted a chair that was light and comfy and if possible folded up.  Welcome the Palisades Chair from Serena & Lily. The natural woven rattan frame blends perfectly with the aesthetic in the room and is extremely pleasant to slip into. Matt bottle feeds little Hugo in the chair as well and loves it. It’s foldable design has built in carrying handles to make it super easy to move around the room or take with you. We finished off the chair with a pillow and throw from Serena & Lily as well. They have so many cute accessories to go along with their stunning furniture with a lot on sale! Still can’t get over how we were able to find a chair that fit the space and worked with the overall theme of the room.

Wall Decor

The big inspiration for this room centered around the walls. How can we make this tiny little room scream nursery? We knew wallpaper was going to be important for us and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We used the Kalahari wallpaper from Serena & Lily for everything except the interior of the closet. For that, we used their Feather wallpaper. I still can’t get over how cute the little elephants are all over the walls. I absolutely love sitting in the chair and nursing Hugo when he wakes up. It’s so peaceful and puts me at ease. Thinking about topping the room off with this wall elephant. It is so cute!

Technology

Anytime we can add product that makes life easier or gives us peace of mind, we tend to go for it. For Hugo’s nursery, we used the SNOO for his crib. Sebastian loved it when he was just a baby and we kept it so we could use it again. Outside of it being an amazing crib that gives us peace of mind, but it fits the aesthetic of the room really well. You can also now rent them too if you don’t want to buy one outright. For Hugo’s camera, we absolutely fell in love with the Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitoring System. Not only is it sleek and offer multiple ways for set-up, but it monitors your baby’s breathing using their breathing wear. They have a band that fits under their arms and one that is a swaddle. The camera monitors the breathing based on the shapes that are on the band & swaddle. It’s really interesting how it works and is not at all intrusive for little Hugo. No wires or anything to get in the way. Through the app, you can of course keep an eye on your little one, but you can also take pictures, turn on sounds or a light, get notifications on movement in or around the crib, and more. It has been so neat to have and something we wish we had with Sebastian as well. For circulation and clean air, we use our trusty Dyson fan. We have their products littered throughout the house and the Dyson Pure Cool Me is perfect for his little nook. Also, for the air within the nursery, we are trying to keep it keep it humid to help with his early skin dryness. The Fridababy 3 in 1 Humidifier Diffuser & Nightlight is great and fits in perfectly right on top of his table.

Prioritize

We’re very intentional now about what we bring into our home because we know once it enters the house we have to have somewhere to put it. It’s very easy to get carried away when it comes to shopping for your baby. How could you not? Everything is adorable and you want to give them the world. This time around it has been much easier to recognize the must-haves and the items that end up sitting un-opened or un-used. When you prioritize what you have in the room, you’re helping to alleviate issues with clutter and waste down the road.

I hope you found some inspiration from peeking inside Hugo’s nursery and some of the tips will be helpful for you. Would love to know how you decorated your nursery or what you have planned? Thanks for reading!

xo, Olivia