I'm a huge fan of all things kittens, cute, pink, and lavender. I was perusing baby stuff at Baby Depot and noticed they had several Hello Kitty items. Target also has Hello Kitty baby stuff so the theme selected itself! (B also loves kittens to death...it's sort of funny.) I don't want to overdo the room. It'd be a little creepy having a Hello Kitty item in every corner.
After inspecting the Baby Depot Hello Kitty crib set I decided against it. My mother plans on giving me a blanket set, my sister has generously given me a bumper and bed skirt, and I already have sheets as well. They're generic girly patterns, but it shouldn't matter much. Accessorizing the room subtly with Hello Kitty plushies, a lamp, and maybe humidifier might be enough.
All is set for the theme, my furniture selections, and some accessories. There is a huge problem though. It's out of our hands and not much can be done about it: green carpet. The walls are neutral the room itself is full of light and windows. It even has its own bathroom. The carpet just ruins all my initial plans of pink walls and white trim. Having pink walls contrasted by green carpet should work hypothetically. The colors are actually textbook complimentary. It just reminds me too much of a watermelon or something though. Might be a cute theme, but not for my baby.My tentative future solution is to have a big enough rug to detract the "green effect" on the room. I want to brighten the room up by painting the largest wall a very pale yellow. The other walls will stay the neutral beige color they are now. Rugs are pricey. Really pricey. I'm not quite sure what options there are for a large rug under $100. I'm thinking maybe a bamboo rug? Still on the lookout for this one. Here's a list of the items for the nursery.
- Dresser- I love the Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser from Ikea. Surprisingly the insides of the drawers are not particleboard. The chest itself is sort of a glossy white. The design is a little on the traditional side but the gloss modernizes it. Plus, you can't beat the price. It's also the perfect height so that I can secure a changing mattress on top of it until it isn't needed anymore. I'll have to investigate options to secure it temporarily but save the finish. More on this when we get the dresser :)
- Crib- I was hesitant to order it online without seeing it in person but I just couldn't find a crib I loved in a store. Most are so "sled" like. I definitely don't plan on keeping baby E in the same bed until it converts to a full size bed. Ultimately, the conversion kits cost almost as much as a new bed on TOP of the inflated price of the crib itself. My parents were very kind and offered to buy the crib for us so I decided to take the risk. We just picked it up yesterday and are assembling it tonight: The BabyMod Parklane 3-in-1 Convertible Crib from Walmart. I'll definitely post pics once it is assembled but I have unpacked the materials and so far, so good. The parts look well constructed. In the end, if I do not like it I can return it to the Walmart store nearby. Whew.
- Lighting- I love the idea of having a less intense lighting source in the room. My initial request for a Siamese Cat Lamp was dismissed by B for being way too pricey. Isn't it cute though? I may opt for a less cute Ikea version. We'll see though.
- Window dressings- Since the room will be neutral/yellow, I'd like to find soft pink curtains with a fine white pinstripe. Here's an example at Pottery Barn.
