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Three years have passed since I first started this blog and my very first post and main reason to start the blog, was about our son’s Nursery Project and how we created a beautiful nautical retreat to welcome our first baby.
Transitioning the space from nursery to toddler room was easy to do. The hard part was to acknowledge the fact that my baby was growing up and I had to let go of some pieces that made the room still look like a nursery.
The first thing we had to move out of the room was the rocking chair. We replaced the empty space with a much needed 9-Cube Organizer. These organizers – also called cubeicals – are inexpensive, very easy to assemble and to me, the best storage system for kids’ rooms.
We added some fabric drawers to hide away the hot-wheels clutter {really how many race cars and race tracks do they need ???} and kept some open shelves for displaying bigger toys, puzzles, etc.
I am trying to figure out what to place on top of the organizer to make it look prettier but I still don’t want to put anything that might tip over his head while he plays near the area.
I actually had an arrangement of stuffed animals on top of it but for now, they call the dresser-changing table home.
Our goal is to remove the small rails that used to contain the changing pad in place but once we do that, the surface has to be redone. That means we have to sand and spray paint the dresser all over again and we definitely don’t want to do that inside the room, so… good luck finding the right time to get that project done!
Oh well, nothing is perfect.
Yes, there is a Hello Kitty in there. It’s actually mine.
When our son was 20 months we removed the rail off the crib and converted it into toddler bed. We took this step earlier than most parents do, particularly because our son was – and still is – very tall for his age. I think that the majority of the parents transfer their kids to a toddler bed after they turn two, but in our case the crib didn’t work anymore.
Back in 2010 when we created his Nautical Nursery, we purchased the Charleston Classic 4 in 1 Convertible Crib from Graco. We loved the bead board design on the headboard that matched his nursery wainscoting. The fact that we could use the headboard and front rail for a full size bed was a plus.
Fast forward three years and this is the final result:
The initial thought was to purchase a conversion rail kit but for now, we prefer the convenient height of a full size box spring and mattress. The box spring is sitting directly on the floor so the bed is not even 2 feet off the floor. We don’t have to worry about him falling off the bed and getting hurt, the room has carpet.
I purchased the white coverlet as well as the nautical pillows at my local Home Goods store. We put the bed together right around summer, so the seasonal and nautical items were trending at the store at that time. You can find a similar white coverlet and nautical throw pillows here.
I love the clean look of the white coverlet and the contrast with the navy blue bed skirt. Both are easy to wash and dry at home. The bed skirt I found at Walmart for cheap!.
The bunting banner hanging on top of the window, I made and you can purchase it here. Mention this post and I will send you a unique coupon code for 10% off.
The boat bookcase is perhaps the only piece that did not change purpose. There are a lot more books now, than before and I placed a small basket in the bottom shelf where I store loose ends I find scattered on the floor every.single.night.
I switched things around the crown molding shelf, and I moved all the books I mentioned in my post My Favorite Books for the Nursery to the shelf in order to keep them in good shape until our son is old enough to treat them gently.
Two items I keep close to my heart and I haven’t moved from this shelf in three years: One is the wood sailboat my dad carved by hand out of a tree branch he found in his backyard, the boat proudly waves an Italian flag. The second item is our son’s first portrait at 2 days old.
Those two things make me giddy and smile every time I see them.
The little boat keeps my dad’s memories alive, bright and clear in this room, and to say that is an understatement, but I will leave it there before I get teary eye.
Logan’s first portrait on the other hand, reminds me of the best day of my life when I held him for the first time and felt the biggest, deepest love of all. So, I guess even with transitioning this room from nursery to toddler room, I still can’t let go of my baby boy!
If you have pictures or a blog post about how you transitioned the nursery into a big kid room, leave me a comment with a link, I would love to see the transformation!.
Once again, thank you so much for stopping by!