Thank you for all the kind words and well wishes! I don’t know why, but I was nervous about announcing my pregnancy. Excited, but nervous. I think announcing it on the blog was the closest thing I could experience to telling one’s employer – not that it’s the same, but still…
Anyway, no I have not planned the nursery yet. Now that I’m feeling better though and the little blob is here to stay, you can bet I’m gathering ideas! The design I did for the first installment of Making it Yours (Sophisticated Nursery) is gorgeous, but it’s not the style I’m going for in my own house. Although I do love the crib that I used.
We do have a dresser for the room, but it currently looks like this…
Yikes. Brandon primed the main part of it, but the priming needs to be finished and then the actual painting. At this point I’m thinking white, but I might hold off because I think it would look pretty great in a glossy bright color.
I started looking at changing tables too. I had something in mind, and I found exactly what I was thinking of at Land of Nod and Target. I’m a little confused though, because they have the same name (Jenny Lind) and look nearly identical, but they have very different prices. So which one?
Actually, I think the changing table would be really cute in a bright color too. I like the small size and the open look, since the nursery (currently our guest room) is so small and oddly shaped. It will take the place of the black table that’s in there now.
This is fun! A whole new room to work on…
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I’m a big fan of Craigslist for furniture like that. Where I live (Seattle) there seems to be so much on Craigslist that if you just wait a little while you’ll find what you need for about 10% of retail. Especially changing tables. (In fact, I just pulled up two under $20 of a similar nobby style to the Jenny Linds. Plus more.)
Oh. And a big congratulations! It’s a great adventure.
Oh, good idea! I just checked the Chicago listings… nothing right now but I’ll keep an eye out.
If you are in Chicago you can totally snag some fantastic stuff off of craigslist. First of all, congratulations! Second of all I think you have the best taste of any human being I’ve ever seen! I LOVE your guest room. Do you mind sharing where you got that little table with the vases on it and the carpet? Also what color is that grey on the walls? Just painted a room grey but like yours better! I can hardly wait to see your nursery – I know it will look amazing.
Thanks, Grace! I sourced everything when I posted about the guest room here. The table was from IKEA about 12 years ago, the carpet’s from Crate & Barrel, and the paint is Behr’s “Wheat Bread”.
so then can i have the black table? ;) i love it!
I’m not sure that this is what you’re asking in your post, but Jenny Lind is just a style of crib, not a brand. I think that’s confusing to a lot of people (including me until I read that in Baby Bargains, the baby follow up to Bridal Bargains).
In our nursery, we ended up going with a setup more like you have in your Making It Yours post – a changing pad on top of a dresser. Changing tables are cute for sure, but after a while (for us it was around 9 months), they’ll get too strong to change up high (now we change him on the pad in the crib or the floor) and you’re left with a very specific piece of furniture that you don’t need any more. Whereas with the dresser, as you have shown, you can keep using it in many ways. Just something to keep in mind.
Ah, that makes sense. I should start looking through Baby Bargains – my sister-in-law gave us a copy.
I would go with a changing pad on top of a dresser, except the dresser we’re using is too tall and I don’t need (or have room for) two in the room.
That’s crazy! Those are exactly the same. We bought a Jenny Lind crib for my girls from Penney’s and it was the same thing– almost identical crib at Pottery Barn Kids for more than double the price. Go for the Target one. I’ve bought lots of furniture from them and it’s just fine.
I didn’t get that Jenny Lind was a style until I started shopping for nursery furniture. In fact, I had a Jenny Lind crib when I was a baby too and would have used it but the slats were too wide to be safe.
Can’t wait to see what you do. Congrats– very exciting.
Yay for babies! Congrats!
I second what Sarah said: our ‘changing table’ was just a JC Penney dresser that came with a (removable) changing pad on top of it. It’s still in one of the boys’ rooms (ha!), and I can’t remember if I originally bought it for the now 22- or now 17-year old! I think I just kept all the dipes and wipes and lotions on a shelf above it.
Your dresser looks kind of high, but you’ll be spending a lot of years hunched over chasing after the little one, so that’s not really a bad thing. ;)
OK, just read this in the Baby Bargains book:
So I wouldn’t be suprised if it’s the same with the changing table! And here’s the DaVinci changing table on Amazon.
oooh babies make me happy :)
and yees…for my son i shopped around almost the ENTIRE 9 months! it was well worth it!
yeah, i was going to post that jenny lind is a style too, not a brand name. i had the same confusion when i was looking for the boys. we have a jenny lind crib that has been great. we didn’t spend a fortune at a place like land of nod and it’s held up beautifully. so i’d go for the best deal, like you mentioned they’re all made by the same people anyway. good luck in your search!
Check out mini cribs from Target! They are GREAT for smaller spaces, and they convert to twin beds instead of full size later on down the road. We got one for our DC nursery “nook”, and it’s wonderful!!
Ditto on the mini cribs – we splurged on a full size crib and it’s wayyyy too big for our little apartment (plus totally unnecessary). A baby will never know the difference and be just as comfortable.
I’d also go for a cheap changing table or just use the top of a dresser. Babies learn to roll off of them quickly (two months for mine!) and it stressed me to use mine. Just plop a changing pad (cheap at stores) on something of the right height and you’re good to go.
we ended up using the top of a dresser as well. and putting diapers etc in the drawer. we also had a regular bed in the nursery and ended up changing on that as well. just put a lap pad down and you dont have to worry about things getting on the bed. i am guessing that your nursery is upstairs. the only time you will really ever use your changing table up there is at night. so have a designated space downstairs that will work too. you wont want to travel upstairs for every diaper change. i got to where i hardly ever changed my little people upstairs, except when they were tiny little wee ones and were sleeping in their bassinet in my room.
as for the crib, we went to a baby store that sells high end baby furniture and they had a close out shop in a warehouse nearby. so ask for those as well! and there was nothing wrong with it. it was already assembled too! HOWEVER, looking back, i prob would have just gone to target and bought one now. i think the most important thing is its sturdy and the side comes up and down easily and quietly.
hope this helps. :)
I worked as a sales rep of baby and children’s products and in a baby boutique retail environment. I’m with everyone in advising against a changing table. Especially in a small space, you shouldn’t have anything that can’t serve multiple purposes and age with the child. Also, you will probably end up changing the baby on the floor or bed or couch most times anyway. I would spend your money elsewhere.
Also, I’m so jealous of your egg chair! ^_^ I look at your picture on it and then imagine it’s me!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I was born in Oak Park myself (well, acutually Maywood, as Loyola isn’t in Oak Park).
Honey, get yourself to the only Land of Nod Outlet in the country. It is Northbrook, on Shermer. They consistently have a nice selection of cribs, dressers, bedding, and all of the other adorable items in their catalog at 30-80% off. You can even call them and ask if they have something specific. I know, because that is just what I did.
I bought the Jenny Lind crib, changing table, bookcase, and end table all from the outlet at a significant savings last year. I went back and forth on the Target thing, here’s the deal. Land of Nod paint/finish is the real deal. It is applied, and sanded nicely on all of the edges. It is more solid/substantial as well. I liked that the bookcase would match (Fourth girl = a ton of books).
I have the Jenny Lind highchair from Amazon, and it just isn’t made as well. You are welcome to come to my house and check it all out. Just e-mail me!
I second reading the Baby Bargains book. They give you very practical ideas. They also have a blog in case you’re interested in looking there too. My problem was, yes, you know you don’t “need” lots of things, but you “want” them. Then the baby comes and you realize, they knew what they were talking about when they said you didn’t “need” them.
I just can’t wait until you get around to nursery decorating, and post the pictures…
I always said that if I were to buy another crib (or had it to do over again) I would get the Jenny Lind style because it is so classic and simple and will fit in with anything. Keep checking craigslist but even so the Target prices aren’t bad compared to the real thing and they do look very much alike! Preparing the nursery room is definitely the best part of being pregnant!
I bought the changing table from Target used from a friend and it worked great – stayed sturdy and nice looking until I quit using it at about 12 months old. I even managed to get $15 for it at a garage sale – not bad since I think that’s what I paid… I’m always a little worried about buying inexpensive furniture but this was a great way to save some dough, and provided tons of storage space. Good luck with the decorating!
I would recommend forgoing the changing table all together.
I just use a changing pad and change my son wherever we are in the house.
By the way here’s the crib I bought and I love it:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8810319
Congratulations again!
Hi,
Not to rain on your parade, but I didn’t buy a changing table; saved the changing table money and spent it on something else. I bought one of the cozy foamy mat things seperately, (with a cotton liner-pad)and kept it on the floor. Slid it under sofa when we didn’t need it. have two -one upstairs, one down saves room in your nursery for better things, like a nice rocker or nursing chair. Plus it’s safe, they can’t fall off :P Just an idea for the frugal lass.
I ADORE the hungarian baby tub, and is it just me, or would that make an AWESOME planter?
Congratz Nicole, you’re gonna be a lovely creative mummy.
Christina
I agree with some of the comments. As icky as it might sound, we have a second hand changing table tucked in the corner of our dining room downstairs. It would be a pain (literally, once your baby starts getting heavier) to have to carry him/her upstairs everytime you want to change a diaper.
please check with your local consignment for kiddies shops, they always have these there, bought ours for $20-30, you can paint your special color and you can buy a new pad, etc. to match your decor. you can always use it for storing things after he/she gets older..enjoy–parenthood is wonderful!
How fun! After your pregnancy announcement I have been *waiting* for a fun peek into what you have planned for the little one’s room! :)
I’m a fan of the Target changer. It’s nearly identical and less expensive. The little blob will enjoy it I’m sure.
Just to add another thought to the changing table discussion – whether you need a changing table or whether a changing mat on the floor will work just fine for you will depend upon who might be babysitting.
My sister needed to go back to work nearly full time to retain her job (she has an amazing cool job with lots of people in line who want it – she works at the zoo, and exhibits animals at schools and special events. Kind of like the folks who appear on late night TV with aminals from the zoo.)
So our Mom (Gramma) and I (Auntie) split the baby sitting of my niece during the day so she could go back to work. My mom’s 72, and getting down on her knees is a thing of the past. I’m only 40, but I was in a bad car accident when a drunk ran a red light and smashed into me nearly head-on a few years ago which massively messed up my knee and ankle, (My family calls me Humpty Dumpty because they put me back together again…) and I can’t kneel either, anymore. Knee just doesn’t bend that far.
Sooo…we had to have changing tables to be able to care for Wee Niece ™ when she was very small since the floor wouldn’t work for either of us. I even bought a small side cabinet coordinating with the living room that a changing pad would fit atop, for times that I had her at my house. Kept the changing pad in a closet, when she wasn’t there, and put changing supplies like wipes and diaper cream and whatnot on one shelf behind the doors, and my extra DVD’s that needed organizing anyway on the rest.
Just a long winded thought about picking your furniture with likely friends and family member baby sitters in mind, too…
We just had a baby. I would strongly recommend you nix the changing table. A complete waste of money and space. At 6 months it is to dangerous to use, they wiggle too much you are better off on the floor. Definitely keep the dresser, you will need it. We have a shoe box size nursery so we got very creative with our space. There is a crib that comes with a changing station that sits on top of the crib by Oeuf. I highly recommend you either buy the changing table and crib together ( a bit expensive) (http://www.shoptadpole.com/Detail.asp?ID=6723&CID=33) or buy a cheaper crib (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5983290) and buy the changing station separately like we did. The station works on any crib that is basically the same dimensions as the ouef crib. It goes into storage easily and it is stylish. Remember they only use their crib for two years and then they move onto a bed. So definitely buy a crib that transitions to a toddler bed and go with a decor that can transition to a busy little toddler. I highly recommend Flor carpet tiles. They are perfect for baby and toddler, you can have fun with the colors.
God, please don’t get an ugly glider. You only use it for about a year and then it just hogs space-get an eames rocker they are perfect for nursing and light enough you can position it yourself.
Enjoy! We are having a blast. I have pics of our nursery if you want some ideas.
Also consider buying a kid size chair from about 8 months on they love to sit in their own chair. We got a few kid size eames chairs from this site http://www.parklife.com.
I have a Jenny Lind Crib. I got the cheapest one from Babies R Us and it looks and functions great. Don’t spend more than you need to. Congratulations and have fun planning the nursery!
The dresser with changing table on top has an advantage over the open shelving with changing table on top – the kiddo will still be needing to get changed on top of the table when they are big enough to take everything off of the shelves underneath. Drawers or doors means stuff stays where it should be. Baskets are pretty, but turn into a mess.
What theme are you going for? Have you decided yet?
Im super excited about seeing how your nursery turns out. Im not ready for babies yet, but I still like to daydream for the future.
I’ve been an admiring lurker since the very first days of this blog, and just wanted to come out of the woodwork and let you know how very happy I am for you and Brandon. Congratulations!!
skip a dedicated changing table..try to incorporate it into another piece of furniture (chest or dresser) maybe reconsider the dresser and find a shorter one. save money for moses basket and/or pak n play crib for your bedroom and downstairs..this can double as napping place and changing venue. Neat open shelves are not sustainable.
Congratulations! What a wonderful thing. I just had my first baby last week.
Craigslist is a great resource for baby gear, however, I wouldn’t buy a used crib and no one should ever buy a used car seat. Why not a crib? Well, you never know how many times that crib has been put together, if the screws are stripped, if there are cracks, if the baby has chewed on the rail until it’s just close enough that your baby will get a splinter…it’s just not worth it, IMHO, when you can buy a perfectly nice crib that meets all federal guidelines for $100. DaVinci makes cribs at that price, and I know that IKEA’s cribs are very popular with people who are interested in both style and price. If you like modern style cribs, Target has a line from Dwell, but I’ve heard bad things about them (check out Ohdeedoh.com or the online Target reviews.) Much better are the modern cribs from Walmart–yes, Walmart. It pains me to write that, as I hate Walmart and boycott them, but their modern cribs are well-made, attractive, and inexpensive. Do I have one? Actually, no, I was given the one I fell in love with, Nurseryworks’ Loft crib, by my employers, who are the best.
As far as car seats are concerned, the rule is never to buy a used one or even to use one from a friend or relative that’s more than a few years old because the padding deteriorates over time and because safety standards change frequently.
I know nothing about baby products but just looking at those photos I say go with the Target one. It looks sturdier.
Hiya… I’ve been reading your blog while breastfeeding my 8-week old baby… congratulations! It’s a wonderful thing. Babies are cute. Just to add to the changing table discussion, I assure you that you absolutely do not need a changing table. We, like many others, are using the top of baby’s dresser (and we sunk money into a nice dresser because as you proved in MIY she’ll have it for a lifetime) with the changing pad on top. We have a plain vinyl pad and put a flannel receiving blanket on it (to prevent chills), and keep the diapers, wipes, and cream in a nice linen-lined wicker basket next to the pad. It’s working out _just fine_ and we don’t have a superfluous table knocking about.
Although we _are_ using a secondhand crib (with a new mattress), and I can vouch for its reliability. If you check it out thoroughly and clean it up very well, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a hand-me-down crib, considering baby will only need it for a couple of years, and you can get a quality piece of furniture for nothing (the previous owner of our house threw her old crib–a $1000 solid oak drop-side–in with the sale). Initially I did feel funny about it; I wanted to buy one of my own, my own style, etc., but now that we’re using our hand-me-down crib I couldn’t be happier, and can use the money earmarked for it to buy her a really special big-girl bed when it’s time.
Take it easy and don’t work too hard… nap in the afternoon. You’re going to need a lot of energy when bambino makes its first appearance!
Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! I’m sure your nursery will look fabulous. I know nothing about baby products either although the styles you’ve picked here are lovely. I’d go with the cheapest option because a nursery on top of general expenses is a big expense!
Hi Nicole… congrats on your pregnancy! Love your blog. I do have to weigh in on this changing table discussion. We have a 4 month old and a 2 1/2 year old (girls) and have used, and USED, our changing table consistently since the first one was born. It’s similar to the Jenny Lind with open storage shelves, (we have baskets for organization)… and we have loved it (PINK from an older, discontinued PBK line). It’s nice to not have to bend over constantly or be down on the floor all the time changing diapers. It’s the open storage for all changing-related essentials, extra packs of diaps and wipes, and now even toys and other stuff that makes a difference vs. a closed-drawer dresser. I say do whatever makes you feel comfortable. OF COURSE you can live without one, but the question is more about what you think the space can handle and estimating it’s usage, IMO.
Hey! Congratulations on your new blob! I have been stalking your website as well. My husband and I bought our first house 6 mos ago and your style is almost identical to ours. I learned a lot from your website and got some really great ideas. When I actually clean up (we just had an oktoberfest/housewarming),I will send some pics along!
Best of luck to you! And, as for the changing table poll…Go for the Target one! It’s almost identical and you will have money left over to buy tons of really cute outfits for your tot! Best of luck to you and if you need and medical advice – I am a nurse!
Cheers!
Congrates on the baby news and I just wanted you to know that I love your style. I am a decorating fan, and love to see what other stylish people are doing.
Happy decorating.I hope to create my blog as lovely as yours!
nicole, i just redid a lovely one for our furbish sale {we still have it if you’re interested?}: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foohqwah/2922341468/
Damn, that is cute! I don’t know what colors I’m going with yet though.
I would go with a low dresser. Couldn’t you finish painting you tall one, sell it, and then buy a lower one with that $?
Congratulations! I would selfishly love if you kept that gray color in your nursery because that is exactly the color in my own daugter’s nursery and I’m sure your ideas would be great inspiration. Right now we have bright yellow and little pops of dark deep purple that looks great with the gray. Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
I like changing tables and especially the one you picked out because once they aren’t being changed anymore, they still make cute shelves.
Whoa! Hold the bus!
I remember reading your blogs about decorating this room… as a guestroom! Since when is this a nursery… congratulations, first and foremost!!!
I cant wait to see what you do with the room. I LOVE oddly shaped rooms for nurseries… they always yield the most creative results!
Wow, who knew changing tables would spark such debate! From my experience, it’s really a personal preference. My sister never used a changing table, but my husband and I loved ours and used it until we started potty training my daughter. We never had a problem with her squirming or rolling. She’s pretty active, but we were always right there. As to whether to get the expensive version or the bargain, I think that depends on your future plans. If you plan to have many more kids, go ahead and invest in quality. If not, go for the more inexpensive version. After all, pretty soon you’ll just be selling it or passing it on to a friend.
All in all, you have amazing taste and I’m sure whatever you decide will be perfect for your little one!