When I got those two pink lines on that pregnancy stick I experienced more joy than I had ever felt in my life. I have wanted a child for as long as I can remember, always playing with Baby Dolls and Barbies as a young girl pretending to be a mother. But with those pink lines came an overwhelming sense of anxiety. I was not only anxious about keeping myself and baby healthy, but living in a one bedroom apartment with little storage left my OCD running rampant. I started to dream up plans of pinks and florals and our new plan of action was born.
Originally When I signed up as a Guest Participant for this Spring's One Room Challenge, I figured I would do our bathroom. I had an idea for simple cosmetic upgrades that any renter could do. When I realized that I needed to make more room for Baby Girl, I decided to redo our closet office to make a little Nursery Nook. Thanks to tons of inspirational ideas on Pinterest, I came up with a mood board and an organizational plan for the closet space, but before I get into my long winded explanation, let me tell you a little about The ORC. The ORC is an 8 week event where Featured designers and Guest Participants make over a room of their choice. There is no winners or losers, just a community of like-minded DIYers who support and cheer each other on. This year The ORC is partnered with Apartment Therapy. For a renter like me who designs spaces and furniture for a living for people who want to love their homes again (whether their name is on a deed or not) is an awesome opportunity. For more info on The One Room Challenge and the amazing Featured Designers visit this link.
Now before I revisit my ideas for the mood board, let me introduce you to the space we're working with. For most of you who know me, my house, let alone my closet, will never be this messy. Since realizing we needed to pare down our clothing stockpile and start removing everything not needed for the new planned space, it has become a mess. I designed our tiny closet office last summer and was extremely happy with it.
But since acquiring new things for baby it has become a dumping ground. I want it to feel light and airy with vintage floral wallpaper and a burnt pink wall color. The vibe is vintage boho with light wood accents like mirrors, cane shelving and and a diy-wood bead chandelier. My brother even made me a Baby Basket with decor he bought from Target for his new niece's tiny Nursery space. Even though she will be sleeping in our room in a mini-crib/bassinet, this space is designed with her in mind.
I am on a hunt for a dresser to fit where the desk was to put baby clothes inside as well as hang them on the rod above. I will sand it and bleach it like my childhood dresser that I redid for last year's One Room Challenge (which will now become my baby Girl's Changing table). I want this room to be an extension of the romantic, earthy bedroom I made for us last Fall, especially since we plan on removing the closet door so we can see the inside of the closet from the bedroom.
Since beginning Week one, I have purged and donated tons of clothing and am reorganizing my pre pregnancy clothes and winter attire in bins to put in the basement. This part is the most difficult for me. It's hard for me to let things go but in typical Marie Kondo fashion...If it doesn't spark joy, let it go. Our clothes that hang will be in here too, so I don't want the space to feel cluttered and mismatched. We plan on using tons of warm textured baskets for storage and my husband is itching to make custom wood risers so that our shoes can go in pull out cloth boxes under our bed in order for the closet to have more space.
I can't wait to share this journey with little girl so close to my heart and my bladder lol I'm hoping to get all of my ideas done within the 8 weeks. It surely will be a challenge with me owning my own business and still feeling so sick. I am learning now to take my time and recognize my health and her health is what matters most. Client projects are starting to take a backseat and I have come to terms with it. I am lucky to be able to pull back and focus on feeling comfortable and ready to share our space. She'll be introducing herself to us in September and I can't think of a better way to document this journey to show her when she is older.
xoxo- Jacqueline