I am so excited to blog an official tour of Ireland Jade’s whimsical unicorn-themed nursery!
As someone who loves decorating and is very influenced by the aesthetic of my surroundings, a beautiful nursery was a big priority for me! When we found out we were having a girl, my mind went crazy with the possibilities. This meant getting the chance to create the ultimate whimsical shrine and I wanted it to be nothing short of MAGIC!
I had already been pinning ideas on Pinterest since the moment we found out we were expecting (and honestly, way before that too!). After our gender reveal, my mission began. The only thing that I was sure of from the beginning was…. UNICORNS. I have always loved unicorns. The fact that I was having a baby when unicorns happened to be super trendy was perfect timing! I already had an epic gold unicorn lamp that one of my clients had gifted to me, which became the first piece of the nursery.
Although my vision was grand, my budget was not. This means that it came together slowly, as I scoured for sales and clearances. When money is not an object, it is easy to create a vision board and purchase everything to fit it perfectly. However, when you’re ballin’ on a budget there is a lot more waiting around to find something that you can afford and make work. I truly love the challenge of bargain shopping! I am an avid thrift shopper and nothing beats that thrill of getting an amazing deal.
With lots of help from our family, we were able to get Ireland’s nursery complete well before her arrival. I have enjoyed it everyday since it has been finished. It is definitely the best room in our house!
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes of the process….
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…and the finished product!
The first thing that I purchased for the room was the pair of light-up trees. I saw them the week after our gender reveal. Although I didn’t have my nursery plan together at that time, I knew that it was going to be whimsical and these would fit it no matter what! I’ll be rearranging the room now that Ireland is going to be sleeping in her crib, but I just love how they look here!
The next purchase was the crib. I had been falling in love with some gold cribs on Pinterest and thought that these were only available from crazy expensive designer brands. Much to my surprise, I found this really affordable one on Amazon. Andrew’s mom bought it for us and I absolutely love it!
My choice in bedding was a bit more on the “splurge-y” side. I adore the whole Monique Lhuillier line for Pottery Barn Kids. I knew that I had to have this blush bed skirt and I stayed dedicated in my hunt until I found it on eBay for a good price! That’s also where I picked up the crib sheet.
Next up was the dresser…. ohhhh the dresser. What a labor of love this was!
I had found my inspiration on Pinterest (see a pattern here?) and I was on the hunt for a vintage lowboy dresser that I would paint blush with gold hardware. One day I found the perfect one on the Facebook marketplace for only $100! At the time, it was Tiffany blue with black hardware. I took one look at it and knew that it had the perfect detailing to fit the look I was going for…. all it needed was some paint!
This thing was heavy and HUGE. Poor Andrew had to pick it up for me one evening after a long day at work. After we managed to get it home, then the real work began! My awesome father-in-law took on the project and spent several days sanding and painting it. I think that my obsession with this gigantic dresser for a tiny baby had everyone questioning my sanity. But once it was done… talk about a statement piece!
Another thing that was quite the struggle was the paint color. Painting your walls gray sounds super simple until you realize how many shades of gray there are and how hard it is to find the right one! I think it took 3 trips to Home Depot and about 8 paint samples before we found THE COLOR. Ultimately, it ended up being a custom color. I found one that I loved, but it was just a bit too dark. I explained this to the person working at Home Depot and they told me that they could lighten it for me. I had no idea that was an option, but it ended up being the perfect solution. I love the color!
This floral letter was a fun little DIY. I used some vintage flowers that were in my craft stash.
One of my favorite baby purchases… my House of Flynn diaper bag. I have had my eye on these since they first came out. They are now discontinued however, their backpack camera bags come in a variety of styles and are the same build as the diaper bag (just without the changing pad and accessories).
Amazon was a great resource for finding decor for Ireland’s nursery. Head to my curated Whimsical Baby Girl Nursery Amazon List to shop items pictured + even more options!
Gold spray paint is such a gift. Any object can be made 10x better with a couple coats of gold spray paint. I should really start buying it in bulk!
I found these bunny shelf brackets about 8 years ago at a thrift store. I had no clue what I would ever use them for, and I almost got rid of them a few times. I am so glad that I listened to my inner hoarder and kept them for all these years. A couple coats of gold spray paint and they made the perfect complement to a plain white Home Depot shelf. In fact, they are one of my favorite parts of the whole room!
Pinterest strikes again!
I’m a lover of books and wanted baby girl to have her own little library. I found the idea for this awesome book holder and my Dad was able to recreate it effortlessly. Ireland has some awesome grandparents!
Originally, I had no plans for the wall space behind the door. I am so glad because it ended up being the perfect little nook for these amazing gifts that I received at my baby shower!
To sum up a long story…. the ragged stuffed rabbit in the top frame is NeeNee. NeeNee never left my side from age six months till about twelve. Once upon a time, he had fur and was white but over a decade of love has turned him into a different bunny. For the longest time, he has sat and collected dust on a shelf at my parents’ house. My aunt Lori surprised me with the most amazing gift by preserving him in this shadowbox. She even dressed him up to look pretty for Ireland. She combined this with the adorable shadowbox below it that contained a Peter Rabbit dress. I plan to take that dress out and photograph Ireland in it so that she has photos to match the lovely keepsake.
The “Ireland Jade” sign is a piece of decor from my baby shower, created by the talented Collette of Brier Rose Design.
I loved using Amazon not only for decor, but also for Ireland’s baby registry! Head here for my newborn baby must-haves.
Be sure the pin the image below to save this whimsical unicorn-themed nursery inspiration!
I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Ireland’s corner of our home! Here is a list of all of the details that brought it together.
Credits
Crib – Little Seeds
Light up trees – Twinkle Star on Amazon
Rug – Safavieh on Amazon
Unicorn bust – Hobby Lobby (Similar one, here on Amazon)
Dresser – Vintage find, painted with Pink Elephant by Behr
Ottoman, unicorn lamp, and most pillows – Target
Bedding – Pottery Barn Kids
Wall paint – Silverstone by Behr (custom lightened by 35%)
Sparkle sign and “My girl” pillow– Hobby Lobby
Floral letter and book case – DIY
Bunny shelf brackets – thrift store find, spray painted gold
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