Pepper Design Blog

Project Nursery: A Much Needed Lighting Update

What happens when your family comes into town for Easter? Little projects that have been shelved for months get a bit of attention.

We’ve finally installed a much needed lighting update over the changing table! If I could move the entire sconce down and a bit to the left I would… but given the previous state of the light I’m loving the improvement!

My parents visited us for the weekend and decided to help tackle a few projects around the house, changing out the light fixture was at the top of my list.

I’ll apologize right now for the horrible lighting in the room (especially at different parts of the day, like above).

But yay for a new light! And the new sconce sits so perfectly below the little nest that Aunt Karen & Momma Eileen painted. The little birdie is Liv, and Kevin and I are the poppa and the momma flying down to the nest. So sweet.

The added butterflies (from a baby shower gift) are a neat little detail and will tie into the new mobile project. Now when Liv is on the changing table she stares up at the bright, shimmery colors.

So the hunt for the new light began a while back but I couldn’t settle on the look that I was going for. You might remember the makeover we did on the pendant in the center of the room and it brought such a wonderful, modern update to the space.

But… all of the modern sconce options were a little too modern.

Lamps Plus George Kovacs

I love these vintage industrial-style lights, perhaps to nicely balance out the modern pendant in the center of the room? But they might be better suited for the new office.

Lamps Plus

We decided that we liked the style of the swing arm sconce. We can easily move the light over the changing table or the reading area with the glider, and little toys (like the butterflies) or a mobile can hang from the arm to entertain Liv.

Why the randomly placed sconce was installed in the first place makes us curious (here’s before pics of the room). Actually, the previous owner has found this blog, Hi Patt! and there’s probably a great reason behind it, like perhaps a desk or bed used to sit below it, or perhaps it was even installed many owners ago. But by happenstance the changing table fits nicely beneath it’s current placement, so we’ve found a good use for it.

Lamps Plus, Target, Pottery Barn

I was on the search for a sturdy, low priced version and had finally resigned to pay $100 plus when I scooped up this version for $40 from Lowes!

We modified it to hard wire straight into the existing electrical box and I left off some of the more ornate bulb decor (is that what you’d call them?) for a cleaner look.

So one big item crossed off of the nursery list. Just a few more to go!

More Project Nursery posts: basket liners part 2, basket liners part 1, the great glider makeover, sewing the curtains part 1, part 2, part 3, nursery fabric board, curtain fabric selection, rocking horse find, new pendant light, vintage wall art addition, changing table makeover, nursery wall striping tutorial, painted animal project, the initial inspiration board and the before picture posts.

Project Nursery: Basket Liners Part 2

Back with a quick update on the nursery… it’s nearly finished (as Olivia rounds her 3 month mark!) but I’ve learned that sometimes these projects just take a while (sigh). Most of what I’m waiting on has to do with little DIY projects that I need to find time to sit down and knock out.

Speaking of DIY projects, remember when I shared the changing table basket makeover? Well Kevin’s Aunt has done it again with these adorable basket liners from extra nursery fabric (pearl trellis and baltic stripe by Thibaut):

The original plain brown fabric boxes looked fine, they blended in well with the Ikea Expedit bookcase and held all of Liv’s fun toys and stuffies. But there’s just something special about these colorful liners that add a little ‘pop’ to the bookcase! And I love that it ties into the rest of the room in such a subtle way that it doesn’t appear matchy-matchy.

As far as storage goes, we keep her bath time toys in that water-friendly green pail, her snuggies and stuffies tucked away in one of the baskets while rattlers and other noise makers go in the other – that green lidded box on the lowest shelf holds all of her keepsake pieces such as her birth announcement, cards from family and her footprints from the hospital (having it easily accessible means I don’t forget to store away important items). Her library really grew when books were substituted for cards at one of my baby showers. Instead of signing a card with their gift, guests were asked to bring a book with a special message written inside!

To create a really simple basket liner pattern, check out this post. Thanks, Aunt Laurie!

As for that bookcase, it’s a piece that I spruced up by adding a fabric backing for this design show last year, where I presented a few fabric remnant ideas for quick decor updates.

The step-by-step for adding the backing to the backless Expedit bookshelf is posted here.

That beautiful fabric is Flower Field Sand Dollar, I noticed that Calico Corners carries it in pink now too.

Working on Liv’s mobile now! I’m working on a felted project that will tie in perfectly with the theme… but that’s all I can share for now .

More Project Nursery posts: basket liners part 1, the great glider makeover, sewing the curtains part 1, part 2, part 3, nursery fabric board, curtain fabric selection, rocking horse find, new pendant light, vintage wall art addition, changing table makeover, nursery wall striping tutorial, painted animal project, the initial inspiration board and the before picture posts.

Project Nursery: All Lined Up

Remember back when I first started the nursery curtains only to discover a little snag in the plan when the fabric arrived? The back-up fabric for the curtains worked out beautifully, but I was left with five yards of a great fabric that I needed to find a project for.

Enter basket liners part 1. Our changing table (which received this makeover) holds four baskets from Amazon that fit it perfectly -  but the white liners were lacking for looks.

When my aunt (an excellent seamstress whose skills I envy) asked if she could sew something for Olivia’s nursery, I asked her opinion on the liners and a couple of other projects (soon to come).

Liv loved the idea!

And the baskets look amazing, just what the space needed!

To sew liners for your own baskets, create a pattern by using a seam ripper to take apart the current liners. If your baskets are empty, use the measurements of the width, depth and height of each edge and the base of the basket to create a pattern out of paper (don’t forget to take into account the hem and overhang on the outside of the basket). Use the paper to cut your fabric pieces and sew each edge. A little elastic in the outside hems around the corners will help keep the basket liners in place!

Easy! A quick makeover that changes the entire look of the baskets.

That’s our hanging diaper pail from our cloth diapering adventure hanging on the right side of the table next to the hanging hamper that we love. Dirty cloth diapers go into the wet pail (which keeps all smells out) and dirty clothes are tossed right into a washable hamper.

Liv digs it.

Thanks great auntie Laurie!

More Project Nursery posts: the great glider makeover, sewing the curtains part 1, part 2, part 3, nursery fabric board, curtain fabric selection, rocking horse find, new pendant light, vintage wall art addition, changing table makeover, nursery wall striping tutorial, painted animal project, the initial inspiration board and the before picture posts.