Room Tour: A Vintage Americana Nursery

03 Jul Room Tour: A Vintage Americana Nursery

I have been so excited to show you this beautiful makeover, and it is perfectly timed.  In the spirit of the Fourth of July, I present to you,

a Vintage Americana Nursery.

My friend, Kelly Kay, and her husband, put together this thoughtful nursery for their baby boy, and I couldn’t wait to get it photographed (heartfelt thanks for all of the lovely photos to Kat Phillips, of TheGrayAttic.com) so I could display all of the special details for you.  (I’m so happy they allowed me to put it on the blog!)

Since “after” photos are just not the same without “before” photos, let me give you a little history of the room.  Kelly Kay and her husband live in a 1920’s home in an older neighborhood – it is a charmer, but of course, it needed some loving rehab.  They previously used this room as a guest room.

You can see the little closet door on the right in the above photo.  There is a window right next to that space, and they knew they wanted to transform that area into a window seat with lift-up storage.

The old doorway was moved, and the new closet and window seat was created.

There was originally a nineteen foot ceiling in the room, but Kelly Kay’s manly, tool-handy husband added a bedroom above the nursery, lowered the ceiling to nine feet, and fashioned a bulkhead in the nursery due to the new stairs.

If you were to open the door to this room during its transformation, it would have looked like this.

But now, it looks like this.  Welcome!  (don’t you love the cute little framed tie on the door?)

A unique feature of the room is the wall of beetle kill pine.  (read more about this environmentally friendly wood here)  After seeing photos of its gray-blue grain online and loving it, Kelly Kay and her husband ordered it.  However, when the wood came, it didn’t have quite the hue they desired, so they stained it with my very favorite stain color, “Sunbleached”.    It turned out fab, and is a real showstopper in the space.

Did you notice the sweet glider above?  I love what they did with it!  It used to be a regular ole’ wing chair, and they liked the size and comfort, so they added a swivel glider mechanism to the bottom.  A custom slipcover in a neutral linen completes the look.  Smart, right?

The blue and white striped ottoman and rug are fab Home Good finds.

And that little window seat space?  Yes, I want to sit here and snuggle pillows and read a book.

Kelly Kay loves God and country, and of course, her little son.  All of which are clearly displayed in the room.  The details, the details are what make a room memorable.  There are many to take in here, linger awhile.

Another special moment in this room is the gallery wall and changing table area.  The french provincial dresser belonged to Kelly Kay’s grandmother, and the art has been lovingly collected over time through friends, family, and Kelly herself.

You can see the care that was taken in the placement of each item.   

The wire shelving came from Home Goods.  I love the practicality of these, and they clearly show that everyday items can look great when displayed well.

Kelly Kay’s silver baby cup graces a shelf.  Vintage baby blocks representing the baby’s initials, and a vintage embroidered piece are sweet touches.

I am especially fond of the family boots photo.

Norman Rockwell prints further solidify the vision of this room,

along with this precious cross stitch I found at the Chelsea Flea Market in New York (see my Flea Marketing 101 post here).

There is plenty of interest across the room, too.

The vintage shelving unit (also from KK’s grandmother) reveals vintage postcards full of encouragement and well wishes from family and friends, given at Kelly Kay’s baby shower.

Precious stuffed animals (some handmade) also guard the shelves.

Perfectly placed on the wall near the glider hangs this cross stitch (another flea market find).  This quote is a good reminder, yes Moms?

Above the crib hangs sweet visions of soaring airplanes.

But perhaps you cannot take your eyes off of the gorgeous American flag art?

Well, prepare yourself.  Kelly Kay is not only a sweet wife, a great momma, a loyal friend, and a terrific room planner, she is also an amazing artist.  She bought the vintage tin tile at a local salvage store and painted the flag HERSELF.

In fact, she runs Kelly Kay Paper, “hand drawn artistry for all your correspondence”.  She creates stunning paperie, all of which is printed in America, and the artwork behind it makes it feel so personal, like it was created just for you.

You should definitely hop over to her site and look around – I think her designs are truly unique, and there is something for everyone and every occasion.

Oh, want to meet her?  And her little bundle?

Yes, they’re adorable.

I’d say the little guy is happy with his room.  As he should be.

Can you feel the love and sweetness here?  I do love nurseries.

again, a big thank you to Kat Phillips of TheGrayAttic.com for the pretty images

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Did you miss Kelly Kay’s Vintage Americana Baby Shower?

See the invitation.

Check out the decor.

And the food.

(not to mention her reaction, priceless)

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Vintage Americana Nursery Sources:

Crib Bedding – Pottery Barn Kids

Vintage Airplane Mobile – Restoration Hardware Baby & Child

Rug – Home Goods

Antique Brass Lamp – Home Goods

Side Table – Home Goods

Ottoman – Home Goods

Dresser and Shelving Unit – vintage, belonged to grandmother

Chandelier – Restoration Hardware Baby & Child

Sheep Rocker – Pottery Barn Kids

Wire Shelving – Home Goods

Wall Paint – “Quiet Moments”, Benjamin Moore

Ceiling Paint – “Seashell”, Benjamin Moore

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