ORC Fall 21 REVEAL- Attic Playroom & Movie Theater

It’s here - reveal day! Well, technically, reveal day was on Thursday. I got an email from One Room Challenge that if we needed a few more days to finish up that we should use them, and it came at just the right time. I definitely needed a couple of extra days, and I really think it made all the difference! This room has been a labor of love. 

*All sources are listed at the bottom. If anything is missing, let me know and I’ll add it! This post contains affiliate links.

As you may remember, this room was previously my office space. It never quite felt right, so when I thought about how to fix up the house it just made sense for this room to become a family space instead of being just for me. I was always trying to get people to hang out up there with me, so I guess that was sort of a sign that I wanted to create a space that the whole family could enjoy. 

I think the biggest change for this room is the new floors! I have been (impatiently) waiting to replace this floor since we purchased the house five or six years ago. I was giddy on Halloween as we ripped up the old carpet. We replaced the carpet with this Beaumont Eco Resilient Flooring. So far, it’s been holding up great to our various kids and pets. Did I mention that for some reason Hailey decided to pee on it one day? Yea… she did. It cleaned up perfectly! I think these floors are my favorite design element of my whole house, hah! This was the first real renovations we did on this house (and any house I’ve ever lived in!) so it was really exciting to make the decision and see my vision come to life. My husband installed the floors himself (with a little bit of help from me- I’m mostly the designer in this duo) and it took him 3 tries to get it right! It’s beyond perfect though. I love these floors.

Let’s talk about this amazing sofa that I got from Bob’s Furniture. I wanted to replace the old grey futon that we had for our makeshift den, which honestly reminded me of the seat of a car. First, we were thinking a sleeper so that it would be a good guest space. Then, since it’s a movie theater room, I thought it would be great to have recliners. I wanted somewhere that we can get comfy and watch a movie and truly relax. Finally, we landed on these two loveseat sleepers (a left and right side) which means that we have a large sleeper bed for when guests come over, as well as four chaise lounges! Although the shape of the sofa is pretty traditional (I was going for something a little more Art Deco up here) the sofa really is perfect for the space. I love that the chaise goes back in and folds down, which means that the sofa takes up less space when we’re not using the foot rests. It’s perfect that we get to host guests up here too. This sofa is the Playroom model in blue (perfect name!), and the configuration was recommended by the sales rep. It was available to be delivered super fast- we took some time because we were getting the floors done, but I think it could’ve been here within a week!

Now let’s talk rugs. Picking out rugs caused me so much stress. I wanted a washable rug that was large, affordable, and matched my style. I was pretty much set on this Target Opalhouse outdoor rug from the start, but it didn’t seem like it would hold up well to two kids, two cats, and a dog. I decided to put it up here anyway and I loved the way it looked. I kind of threw logic out the window, and within a few days a cat had already scratched it and ruined a large part of it. So, this rug will probably be going outdoors where it belongs and I’ll find a new rug for the space. 

As for the playroom rug, I ended up using the yellow rug from the original playroom downstairs and placed a smaller rug on top that my sister had given to me. I love the layered look since it ties in all the main colors of the room, even though the combo of leopard print and boho is atypical. I also keep a play mat for Travis handy, since he loves tummy time and I want to make sure he’s on something fairly clean. These rugs get furry with all out pets and he’s been known to grab tufts of lint/fur from the floor and put it in his mouth. Kids, amiright?

Most of the artwork in here was things I already had. I tend to buy things I like without really knowing where they will go, so I have a stash of items that I love that are homeless… within my home. Hah! Most of this artwork came from the playroom downstairs (like all the animal prints) and then I added a vintage Carters ad that I had gotten from the thrift store. I LOVED it and intended to put it in the kids shared room, but it didn’t quite have a spot. I passed by it when grabbing things and realized it would be perfect up here, appropriately next to the baby care center.

The large Yes You Can! sign is from Home Goods. I had gotten it for my craft space up here to cover the AC unit. I’m so glad that it works so perfectly for the playroom too! I attached it with 3M velcro strips for now, but I plan to put it on more permanently with the cable hidden. I hate the eyesores of the house (like old AC units- ugh) and my goal is to try and hide them or disguise them.

The original playroom downstairs was always a mess of toys, so I decided that this one would have limited toys and a toy rotation. I have a few bins in this Ikea cube unit and picked out a few toys and sorted them by color. While I love how clean this looks, I’ll probably be more practical in the future and display toys with their relevant parts and pieces instead of by color. I’ve also got 2 baskets of toys for Travis. I didn’t know what to place on top of the cube units, so I took a cue from the library and placed some upright books. This allows Hailey to grab books on her own, while ensuring that the top of the cube unit doesn’t become a dump zone. Next to all of this, we’ve got her tent & reading nook filled with cute pillows.

And Hailey’s favorite toy- her play kitchen! This was another FB marketplace find for only $15 and it was practically brand new! I gave it a makeover with white and pink chalk paint, plus some gold spray paint. I also plan to add some cane accents and a backsplash but that’s a project for another day!

I knew I wanted to have an art table up here, since Hailey and I love to do crafts together. I wanted this pottery barn table but I felt hesitant spending so much on a kids’ table that would probably get destroyed. So, I went to FB Marketplace and found both tables that I wanted (in brown) for only $40! Can you believe it?! One can of Sherwin Williams Pro Classic in Creamy and I was able to give these a new look (plus my tv stand) with plenty to spare for future projects. I hung Hailey’s painting that we made together above the table. I loved the way she placed down her paintbrush when she finished, so I made it part of the artwork permanently. The “tray” is one of my paintings, while the zebra tray is a DIY that I did way back. These bow chairs were the perfect addition. I literally could not put them into the cart fast enough at Home Goods! They ended up being a little too tall, so my husband cut them down to size and they’re perfect now. The don’t even wobble. I don’t know how he does it.

I’ve always loved the idea of a home theater, but I definitely don’t love the colors they usually have. Black and red? No thanks! So I decided on this pastel Art Deco theme. There are a few elements that I didn’t quite get to finish in time for the reveal, but I am so excited with how it came out so far! 

Now, let’s talk stars! One difficult design element up here is the sloped ceilings. I never knew what to do with them because they always looked so bare. I knew I wanted to do a half painted wall up here (though I did want to do a scallop shape too!) so I needed something for the upper part of the wall. When I saw the post that Laura made for A Beautiful Mess, a lightbulb went off. It was perfect! I spent entirely too long trying to find a shape that was similar and colors that matched, then had to figure out the sizing and cut it on my Cricut. But the end result is amazing and one of my favorite parts up here. The best part is that it cost less than $50 and I still have plenty of vinyl left over!

I handpainted the accent wall using Frog Tape and a sample of paint I had left over from the kids’ room mural (more on that soon!) The yellow stripes are varying widths while the white ones are all the width of the tape, which helps it to look whimsical but consistent. I also wanted it to be imperfect so I only did one coat and eyeballed the lines to try and get them straight. In the end I think it looks perfectly vintage! I added these amazing movie-themed sign language flash cards that I framed with a mat. We have a deaf family member so as soon as I saw them, I knew they were meant to be in this space. The play sign is a “play” on words (no pun intended- seriously) since this is a PLAYroom but you also PLAY a movie. Pretty clever, eh? The arrows I’ve had for a long time- I think they were from Target for Valentine’s Day. I’m glad they now have a permanent spot!

The tv unit was purchased in our apartment probably 8 years ago. It came with us to the house and sat in our den for a while, then kinda ended up homeless, then came up to my attic craft room. It was black so I ended up adding wallpaper to the drawers, then sanded it down to wood, then we painted it white. I had my husband add the half-rounds to the drawer fronts which then got a fresh coat of Creamy by Sherwin Williams to match the rest of the unit. The pulls look so modern and minimal which allows the half rounds to take center stage. I gave the tv a makeover using Tasha’s tutorial and mine definitely did not come out as well as hers did. Rub n Buff is harder to work with than I thought! I added artwork as a screensaver and now the tv is a Frame TV’s ugly cousin. 

I knew I wanted a mini fridge up here for snacks and drinks, so I got this gorgeous retro-inspired one! It also comes in blue which would have been more fun, but I thought this cream one would work better for the space. I had to get some seltzers- rainbow colored La Croix, of course! A popcorn maker, gumball machine containers, and cute bowls add the finishing touches.

The lesson I learned in all of this is that we think that people’s rooms are “done “after doing a challenge like this, or any kind of renovations. The truth is that all spaces are a work in progress. There are many things that I love about the space, and a few things that I probably will still tweak as time goes on and we use the space in a new way and adapt. I think that was my favorite lesson of all. I tend to be such a perfectionist and spend so much time looking for just the right thing, and the truth is that sometimes the right thing comes along when you least expect it. So, I love that I have a little bit of room to play with what’s up here and to switch around some of the items that don’t work out for us in the end.

That concludes the tour! Be sure to follow me on instagram while I share more DIY projects for this space and more budget-friendly home renos and reveals!

Sources:

Playroom:

Cube Unit- Ikea

Cubes- Amazon

Tent- Amazon

Curtains- Amazon

Pillows: Mermaids- Home Goods, Circle- Walmart, Ice Cream- Target, Rocket, Moon & Mouse- Amazon

Yellow Rug- Target Opalhouse,

Pink Rug- NuLoom

Baskets- Home Goods

Kitchen- KidCraft with a makeover; Hardware- Amazon

Rainbow Baskets- DIY project

Heart Ottoman- Oh Joy! For Target (discontinued)

Tulip Basket- Target

Sequin Pillow- KailoChic

Table- Pottery Barn (Purchased second hand on FB Marketplace)

Bow Chairs- Home Goods

Zebra Tray- DIY Project

Camper Pen Cup- Home Goods

Decals- handmade with the Cricut (vinyl from Hobby Lobby)

Art:

Alphabet- DIY

Tiger Head- Amazon then spray painted

Tiger/Zebra/Giraffe - DIY

Disney Castle- Etsy

Yes You Can- Home Goods

Cheetah- Hobby Lobby

Babies- Carter vintage ad (thrifted)

Movie Room

Couch- Bob’s Playroom

Rug- Opalhouse by Target

Coffee Table- Pottery Barn (Purchased second hand on FB Marketplace)

TV Unit- Ikea Hemnes

Mini Fridge- Best Buy

Media/Snack Cabinet- Home Goods

Popcorn Machine- Dash SmartStore

Gumball Containers- Hobby Lobby

Bowls- Striped Popcorn, Pink & Stars- Target 

Blanket- Home Goods (Novogratz brand)

Pillowcovers- Amazon Blue and Orange

Shell Pillows- Target

Art: 

Play Sign- Hobby Lobby

Frames- Target

Sign Language Art- Vintage flash cards from Maliasmark on Etsy

Light Fixtures- Target (discontinued) & Amazon

Flooring- Floor & Decor

See the other participants here: www.oneroomchallenge.com/orc-blog

One Room Challenge- Week 1 Attic Playroom/Movie Lounge

I’m so excited to announce that I will be a guest participant in the Fall 2021 One Room Challenge, hosted by Better Homes & Gardens! I’ve always wanted to join, but I never knew what room to make over and didn’t quite have a budget that felt worthy of a whole room makeover. I think I was just nervous and scared. However, when I realized that the timing of my attic play room remodel would be at the same time as the One Room Challenge, I decided it was fate to join this time!

A little backstory- in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, I decided to create a play room for my daughter on the main floor of our home. The whole floor is open concept, and the playroom ended up by the door because that’s where the nicest window light was plus we could easily block it off so that the toys stayed contained. I planned out where things would go and set everything up. I’ll share more about that previous version in a full blog post, because I loved the way the design came out.

For a little while, everything was great. As Hailey got older though, she could reach more of the stuff on the higher shelves, and of course another Christmas and birthday came along. Suddenly, it seemed like toys  were always on the floor of the playroom, with a trail leading to the living room where you could find even more toys.

No matter what I seem to do, the mess is never-ending. I seriously contemplated moving because I didn’t see how our house would ever function. While Hailey’s playroom was being torn apart, my craft room was constantly hit by Hurricane Hailey. There’s no door to the attic, and also sloped ceilings. There really wasn’t any way to keep things out of her reach, and it got frustrating that in addition to my mess I had to constantly clean up her mess. 

I was thinking about how my house looks almost exactly the same as it did when we first moved in, aside from paint colors. I felt frustrated that 5 or 6 years had passed and yet nothing had been majorly changed. I thought to myself, if the house had been empty when I saw it, what would I have thought to do? I had the bright idea to put both kids in a shared room, create a big play room/family room in the attic, and move my craft room into one of the kids bedrooms. I also planned out a reorganization of the first floor living space, which never seemed to work. 

The kids rooms and my craft room are 90% done (more on those later) but I’m shifting my focus to the playroom!

Isn’t the mood board for the space dreamy?! Since this is the first space that’s truly getting a renovation (new floors! Paint! Adding doors! New furniture!) I wasn’t sure where to start. I was thinking about everyone else and I realized, you know what? It’s my home too and since I’m the one with the eye for design and the one spending most if my time there, it might as well be something I love that can inspire others! The result was a colorfully boho, vintage movie theater vibe. I’m planning to keep about 75% of Hailey’s toys in the closet and only bring out a weekly rotation of toys. I can’t handle the constant mess! Her play kitchen, baby dolls and doctor toys will probably be out all the time since she plays with those every day. But the rest will be swapped out so that she can have fun and hopefully keep it clean by herself. Travis doesn’t have many toys now but I’m sure once he does, it’ll be mayhem. This toy rotation will help with that issue. 

I’m still working out some final design details so who knows- maybe things will change. But I’m SO excited for this new room, and I’m hoping it’ll have a totally new vibe when it’s all said and done!

What’s your favorite element of the space? I think mine is the dreamy rug and the yellow stripe wall I added at the last second!

To see what the other participants will be doing, click this link and browse through. There’s some really amazing ideas coming to life!

Colorful & Glam Holiday Kitchen Upgrades

I took a look at my kitchen the other day and realized it needed a facelift. The counters were filled with all our junk, various appliances, dishes, baby items… you name it, the counter is covered in it! The issue with our kitchen was the same as everywhere else in our home- I didn’t love the items we had displayed in there, and therefore it didn’t matter that everything was covered with junk. What I mean by that is… when you’ve random stuff on your counter, it’s SO easy for the random stuff that should be there to get mixed up with clutter and suddenly you can’t see your countertops. Also, if there’s more stuff than there are places to put things, you end up in the same little pickle!

During the holidays, this problem gets even worse. Between the bake sales and guests coming over, it feels like the counters always get covered in items that don’t ned to be there! To combat this issue that we all face, I’ve rounded up 14 gorgeous, functional kitchen items that will elevate your whole kitchen and have you WANTING to keep it clean. Because when your kitchen accessories are a show stopper, you need to make sure everyone sees them!

*This post contains affiliate links

1. Chip Clips- Ah, the item that started this whole post! My original chip clips were an assortment of adorable, cheap plastic ice cream cones, bows, animals… essentially, whatever someone found at a register and gave me because they thought of me! And of course, a few that I bought impulsively as well. But when we ended up losing and breaking most of these clips, my husband asked me to order a new set on Amazon. I was originally planning to get a plastic set again (because that’s what I’m used to!) and then I saw these beauties. They felt too fancy for my stale chips but you know what? My chips deserve to be fancy too.

2. Wire Bread Basket- I think this basket is so cute because it’s gold and gorgeous. However, the wire design ensures that you actually SEE your bread and therefore are more likely to eat it. I’m one of those “out of sight, out of mind” type of people so even something like bread can get forgotten! Right now, our bread is just tossed on the counter but prior to that we somehow acquired a black basket that had our bread in it. Neither was a very pretty solution! Now I’m antsy for a new basket!

3. Utensil Cup- I have a cute utensil holder on my counter that’s actually a large canister (minus the lid) but I love the idea of this cool, simple white and coral one. It feels so glam and upscale for a fraction of the cost! It adds such a subtle pop of color.

4. Keurig Cup Holder- In my kitchen, the Keurig just feels like an eyesore. We have a large black one that isn’t even made anymore. We need an adaptor just to use regular k-cups! We have a drawer-style cup holder which accentuates the dark hole that it creates. While I may dream about replacing my old keurig, I figured getting a nice k-cup holder to go next to it could be fun! I love this one because if you organize your k-cups in color order, you’ll have a glam little rainbow on your counter!

5. Re-usable K-Cups- If you want to reduce your kitchen clutter, save the environment, AND make your kitchen glam in the process, try switching to these pretties! I love the gold color and the fact that you don’t need to fill up a landfill with k-cups. (I should note- I don’t drink coffee and therefore don’t use a Keurig. But my husband does!) You can pop these in a cabinet or drawer since they’re so tiny which would save some much-needed counter space.

6. French Press Coffee Maker- If you prefer to get a little fancier (and more eco friendly) with your coffee, you can grab this french press! I love it’s gorgeous gold finishes and I think it would look amazing on your counter or stove. It also comes with a set of cups that matches which makes it perfect for guests during the holidays!

7. Ceramic Mixer Bowl- give your mixer an upgrade with this gorgeous bowl! Mine has a clear glass bowl and I know a lot of them have metal bows. Since they’re big and always sit on the counter, they could use a nice and spiffy bowl to catch everyone’s attention! 

8. Gold Serving Utensils-My bamboo serving utensils are literally falling apart (they’re breaking apart into pieces!) so I’ve been debating getting a new set. These gold ones are gorgeous! I can only imagine how pretty they’d make my countertop look as they glimmer in the light. I don’t like to cook, but these might change my mind!

9. Canister- I love using canisters in my kitchen for hiding the less-than-pretty stuff that needs to be accessible. Whether you fill it with rice, coffee, tea bags or sweeteners, this canister will perk up your kitchen while hiding your eyesores! I also love to place these in cabinets so that those look nice too.

10. Phone Stand- between recipes, kitchen timers, and text updates from family, we need to keep our phones handy all holiday season! This holder will keep your phone in place and safe while you do everything you need in the kitchen. No more crying over spilled milk- your phone is up and off the counter so it’s safe!

11. Garlic Keeper- before we got a garlic container, it always sat in the fruit bowl looking funny. This container fits your garlic perfectly and still looks adorable. If you keep a lot of garlic at home (like we do!) try this larger size.

12. Pet Canisters- Few things are as hideous as pet items. Between cardboard boxes of treats and giant bags for food, these items are totally necessary, yet very ugly. Since they need to be accessible, they often end up on the counter taking up space and being their ugly selves. So, I recently switched to canisters for our excess pet food and everything looks prettier now! You definitely don’t want to go for anything clear, except maybe for cute dog bone treats. I love how colorful but glam this canister is. I think I need one for Lexie’s treats now!

13. Electric Tea Kettle- ok while we are on the topic of morning drinks, let’s talk about tea! I love tea and have several cups a day. I have a stovetop kettle which looked cute in the store and became ruined within a month of regular use. I guess they can’t withstand the heat and turn black! I love the idea of a countertop version, and this one automatically turns off when it’s done instead of whistling! Paired with a tea bag storage box you’ll be serving your guests tea easily with less mess! 

14. Utensils- if you’re anything like me, all your kitchen tools are random items you acquired over the years. Upgrade to a gorgeous matching set that will make everyone jealous! This set comes in a variety of handle colors, like navy, mint and pink. It’s sure to match any kitchen! It’s also very reasonably priced so you don’t even need tot talk yourself into it!

With a few small updates, your kitchen and countertops will look amazing once again. I find that with less on the counter and having things there with a purpose, I’m able to keep it clean much more easily. And also, I WANT to keep it clean! I love to show off the gorgeous items I find, rather than my extensive collection of junk I tend to keep.

What do you think of these items? Will you be ordering some? Any tips for keeping a counter clean or items you love? Let me know in the comments below! 

The Simple Solution For Ruined Chairs

When we first purchased our house, I was going through a very gray phase. I had seen some cool homes that were very monotone and I liked the idea of purchasing neutral furniture so that I could add any color through my decorating. I figured, if I had gray furniture, I could add some colorful rugs, throws, pillows, etc. and swap them out for the seasons. But I mean… everything I got was gray. And I mean EVERYTHING. Couches, chairs, curtains, even the wall colors! It was never-ending and earned my home the nickname “50 Shades of Gray”. I couldn’t even be mad at that nickname… I’d earned it and within just a couple of months, I started to hate all the gray in my home. 

I sat there for 3 years, dreaming of a day when we could re-decorate. Getting all new furniture wasn’t in the plans so I just had to wait. In the meantime, I loathed my home and my furniture, especially my dining chairs. You see, we have 3 cats who were very well behaved in our apartment. They never scratched anything. However, as soon as we moved into our home, they decided they loved to scratch. Their top choice? My brand new (very grey) dining chairs. Within a few months, they went from pretty, fancy-ish chairs to destructed Western chic. My cats had shredded the edges which looked like bad fringe. Some of the chairs even had the foam sticking out! 

Once again, I planned for a day when I could replace the chairs I had JUST spent several hundred dollars buying. And every time I would walk by that table, I would think about it. One day, I was perusing Amazon for a couch cover since our dog Lexie had been getting our (gray) couch super stinky, and that’s when I stumbled upon these awesome chair covers. I was so excited- I could get new chairs, without having to buy new chairs?! WHAT?!! The price was right, the style was perfect, and now I just needed to pick a color. 

Oh, I forgot to mention the reason why my house was gray. You see, I went through a period where I was afraid I’d regret picking something in a specific color. I vividly remember it starting one time in college. I was trying to figure out which awesome iPod nano color I wanted, only to settle on the gray one because I was too afraid I’d end up regretting the blue. It only got worse from there, as I always picked a neutral color from then on. It was almost a way that I hid myself and my childish nature. The truth was that I loved colors, I just lacked the confidence to pick one.

Fast forward to the chair covers. I didn’t know which way to go. Did I choose gray again? But ugh… how about aqua blue, like the rest of our home? Meh. White? Taupe? Nothing in my house is taupe. So, I bookmarked it and put it aside for later. Here’s the thing- these chair covers are easily removable and affordable. So you know what I did? I BOUGHT THE FREAKIN PINK ONES. I thought they were so pretty and I imagined my husband being annoyed but I did it anyway. I figured, worst case, I can buy another set later to replace it with. I thought the pink would be SO cute with all my holiday decor!

When the covers first arrived my husband was a little confused by the pink. But, once they were on, he said that it already looked so much better than before. No longer did we have shredded chairs that informed everyone that came to our door that we had 3 naughty cats. Instead, we were classy folks again.

These chair covers are machine washable, easy to put on, and come in so many colors. They’re really affordable (about $8/chair) and so soft! I no longer have to worry about guests coming over and dripping on the chairs, or having Hailey wandering around with her sticky fingers. If a cat lays down on the chair and covers it in fur? Eh, that’s ok too! I feel like I not only got a new look for my dining room, but I got some peace of mind too. If one cover gets horribly ruined, I can replace it. Much cheaper than if a chair gets ruined!

I love our “new” dining room now. I’ve been covering our black Ikea table (that I also hate!) with a sequin tablecloth which is breaking up some of the darkness over there too. Slowly but surely, I am making changes to our home with a small budget. Although I may dream of having my amazing, Pinterest-worthy home some day, I can make small steps to improving the one I have. I guess from seeing everyone overhauling their furniture regularly, it made me feel like that was the only way to get a new look. Turns out, I could find my own way. A much more affordable way ;)

PS- You can find the DIY table runner here and the floral pumpkin DIY here!

I do plan to go back and smooth out some of those wrinkles, since I think I pulled them down a little too much which left a bunch of excess at the bottom. But overall, I’m SO happy with how they look! And, I love that I can give my living room a new look with ease.

So what do you think of these chair covers? Will you be getting a set for your chairs? They’re honestly great for cat owners and parents!

Hailey's Nursery Organization Tour (Ideas On A Budget!)

I’m so excited to finally be sharing some sneak peeks of Hailey’s room! It only took 9+ months but hey, better late than never! I want to start by talking about how I organized Hailey’s room. My goal for her room was to be girly but pretty- something she could grow up with, instead of needing a total refresh as soon as she wasn’t a baby anymore. And, I wanted it to be fully functional, organized and GORGEOUS. I wanted everything to have a place and I wanted that place to be pretty. It definitely seemed silly at the time, and my husband thought it was ridiculous. However, every person that comes into her room comments on how pretty it is, including her closet. I leave the door open- it’s THAT nice! I even open up the drawers to show people how nicely everything is folded. My husband, who thought I was taking way too long to fold her clothes, recently said he wanted me to teach him how I fold her clothes because they definitely fit better when I do it. It’s the small victories.

I mean….. LOOK AT THAT CLOSET. It’s been several months and I still swoon over it. It’s gotten fuller since I took these photos a few months ago, but it still looks great. My favorite part of her whole room is those closet doors. I wanted to add a pop of color to her room without painting everything a bright hue. Originally, we were thinking to paint an accent wall but I couldn’t figure out which wall it should be. Mostly because I didn’t think any of them would be good for it! I remembered how much I loved the beautiful doors back in Greece and I decided to gather up some courage and ask my husband if we could paint the doors. Surprisingly, he agreed! I honestly think it was the best decision I could have made, because these doors make a statement without being cheesy.

Baby Closet Storage

Let’s venture inside the closet now. Hailey received a bunch of cozy blankets, so I decided to display them on the left side by hanging them in her closet. This area was pretty high up for anything other than blankets, since everything looked comically small in that corner. I folded the blankets in thirds to make them thin, then in half so they hung nicely off the hanger. Below all the blankets, I put this amazingly adorable pom pom basket (similar here) that I couldn’t resist getting! It holds miscellaneous breastfeeding items- nursing pads, my breast pump, etc. along with the chalk markers for her monthly updates. It’s essentially a catchall basket, which helps to keep the room tidy.

See those polka dot baskets there? Those are smack dab in the middle, and they hold all of Hailey’s clothes in bigger sizes. I put her 0-3 & 3-6 month clothes in her drawers, then made one cube of 6-9 and another of 9-12. Anything over 12 months was put into a giant storage bin for later and stored in the attic. These bins made it really easy to access new clothes as Hailey got bigger. I washed everything while I was pregnant and I’m sooooo glad I did. Those tiny clothes have more little plastic attachment pieces than should be legal. Plus, I can grab things from the bins without having to wash them, which is amazing now that I have a tiny human to care for. She makes more than enough laundry as it is!

At the top right, I have some transitional pieces. We plan to put some shelves up, so right now her decor and jewelry box are up there. The piggy bank was from her Oma (grandma) and belonged to her mom before that. When you put a coin in, it plays an Irish song! The jewelry box was a gift from my sister to me. I didn’t need it anymore, so instead of tossing it I decided it would be fun for Hailey to use. I can just imagine her storing her little plastic rings in there someday, and looking into the little mirror with lipstick smeared all over her face like a beauty queen.

Below those items is her fancy clothes- dresses, little coats, and tutus. All my favorite frilly things which are gorgeous! I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of just these little dressy items, because they’re that pretty! Everything is hung on tiny pink velvet hangers.

Let’s go down to the bottom of the closet. I used a structured bin or hamper (similar here, here and here) to hold even more of Hailey’s blankets. I had 2 comforters from her bedding set, plus her muslin swaddles and handmade blankets from family members. I folded everything up nicely and placed it in this bin for safekeeping. Above it, I have some of her extra hangers ready to go.

I knew we’d have to store Hailey’s bathtub in her room, since our bathroom is extremely small. I didn't want to remove it every time I wanted to shower, so it just made sense to keep it in her room. But again, I wanted everything to be pretty and this was no exception! So, I bought this oversize fabric hamper (similar here and here) to hold it when it’s not in use. After Hailey’s bath at night, I leave it in the tub to dry. Then, I put it back in the hamper until its next use. From the front, you can barely even tell what’s in there!

Now I’ll talk about all the other random bins I didn’t mention before. The pink striped bin at the top holds extra diapers and wipes, so we never have to worry about running out while she’s naked on the changing pad. The bins underneath it are her bath toys that she won’t be needing quite yet. The wooden box holds her very small shoe collection, and the pink bin at the bottom (similar here and here) is for clothes that no longer fit her. I get so sad when something has to go in that bin, but it means she’s happy and healthy which is a GREAT thing so I get over it fairly quickly.

The Book Shelf Storage

Over to the left of the closet is all of Hailey’s books! After seeing everyone else’s adorable book walls, I decided I wanted one for her room too. It fit perfectly on this narrow portion of wall underneath the AC, since anything bulky would block the closet. You can see a teensy portion of the door down there!

I organized all the books by rainbow order, which made it visually appealing. These wooden book shelves from Ikea were painted white so that they provided a nice, simple place to hold the books. At the bottom, I placed my dollhouse bookshelf which houses some of her smaller books and toys, again in color order. Off to the right side, I have a small basket filled with some of her stuffed toys and dolls. Hailey has quite a few unicorn toys, along with a mermaid and singing Mother Goose!

I can’t wait to show you the full room reveal, because those curtains are pretty epic too! This room is my favorite in the entire house.

Baby Dresser Storage

Off to the right of the closet is Hailey’s dresser! I chose this dresser because it was wide enough for our changing pad and was still a decent height for her changing pad. PS- I love this changing pad because you just wipe it clean if there’s a mess. No laundry needed. Just go ahead and order one now- you’ll thank me later!

Hailey’s dresser has 6 drawers. The top left holds her hats, headbands, and mittens along with her collection of socks. I kept everything neatly organized and accessible by putting in some smaller bins to help corral everything.

The top right is where all of Hailey’s diaper changing supplies go. On top of the dresser, I have an organizer that holds diapers, wet and dry wipes plus all her ointments. There’s even a drawer for her brushes and combs! We use vaseline to prevent diaper rash, and put it on using this diaper cream brush. The drawer below this organizer contains spare diapers, wipes, and body lotions.

Clothes Storage and Folding

I folded all of Hailey’s clothes nicely and neatly into little cubes, and placed them into these drawer organizers to keep everything contained. Her clothes are so small that without the drawer organizers, they felt like they were flopping around in a giant drawer.

The bottom 2 drawers hold Hailey’s blankets, bibs, and burp cloths. Again, I folded everything nice and neat and placed it into smaller bins. On the left side I placed all her blanket toys which she didn’t care about at first but now she LOVES them, especially the pink cat we nicknamed Kitty. Super creative, I know ;)

The bottom right holds burp cloths and bins. Ironically, we got WAY too many bibs and not nearly enough burp cloths, which we definitely needed more! I ended up ordering most of them myself, so if you’re unsure what to get a new momma, try burp cloths. The bottom drawer also holds some wrap sweaters they gave us at the hospital which were essential in the chilly hospital where she only wore a swaddle. They became a little less necessary at home since she wore sleeper pajamas, but they are helpful when she’s wearing a t-shirt.

Over on the other side of the room, I have fabric dresser drawer that matches the bin in her closet. It holds Hailey’s bath supplies like towels, soaps, and washcloths. It also holds all her medicines and personal care items like thermometers and nail clippers. There’s also a drawer that holds all her fitted sheets and bassinet pad covers. Can we talk about how neatly those fitted sheets are folded? Stand back folks- I’M A PROFESSIONAL!

PS- I realized these pictures were taken when Hailey was only 6 weeks old. For reference, she’s now 9 months old! Look how tiny she was, my little lumpy baby.