My husband Hank and I are college sweethearts from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We were engaged in Charleston a couple years after we graduated and fell in love with that sweet city down by the sea. After a year and a half trying to get pregnant, we were so excited when it became a reality for us with baby girl Leighton Hope on the way this July. In creating a nursery, I knew I wanted it to be a space that would grow with Leighton while also having a nod to Charleston charm with a side of our alma mater.
We started with a fresh coat of toasty gray paint and sailed to it. Hank and I had a blast curating each and every item throughout these past few months. Hank is a talent at hanging frames so our gallery wall was the anchor for the rest of the nursery. Among the sailboats and pineapple on the gallery wall lives the happiest merman you'll ever see. It's my favorite art piece because Hank created the watercolor when he was just a little guy in elementary school.
Each month throughout our journey to having a baby, we put all that we could into Hope. Hope is Leighton's middle name and can also be found in a print on the gallery wall, a reminder to 'Let Hope Anchor Your Soul.' You'll see that the nod to our alma mater, with a ram as our mascot, is subtle but found in the felt ram head on the gallery wall - complete with a pink flower crown, of course - and the mobile above the crib.
I delight in estate sales, vintage shops and fields upon fields of antiques. I could not be more excited when I moved around a few things in an antique field to discover a wooden pineapple that we later set upon the dresser. As for the vintage books, Peter Pan and Fifty Fairy Tales, that was one of those u-turn when you see an amazing estate sale kind of moments. I love any piece in a space that is unique and tells a story.
There's a sweet mother and daughter duo in my area that finds the cutest pieces. I almost fell out of my chair when they posted a 'rockin' boat' they scored. It was bright red, yellow and blue, and I saw the potential right away. Hank brought it to life with mint, light blue and gold spray paint. For now it will hold Leighton's stuffed animals but soon she'll be rocking away in this playful find.
Children's books are really important to me so I wanted to be sure I tucked them into every nook and cranny I could. I cherish creativity and imagination so really enjoyed picking favorites that we can read to Leighton as soon as she arrives. I think that's one of the little moments I am most excited about.
When I was little, my room was entirely pink. For the nursery, we wanted to create a more neutral and serene space but definitely could not leave pink behind. We brought in a hint of pink with a felt flamingo head - who wanted to wear a flower crown just like the aforementioned felt ram head - and an art print featuring pink flamingos. Where can you go wrong with flamingos, pineapples and a day by the sea?
Hank's grandma completed our nursery look for us at our baby shower when she gifted us a painting of a beach she did. Grandmother art could not be more special. It was the last item we placed upon the shelf and not only reminds me of our favorite beach days in Charleston's neighboring Sullivan's Island but of the love found in family. We can't wait for this space to come alive as soon as Leighton arrives. Until then, we'll be soaking in the last few days down by the sea (and pool) that we can.
See the full 'A Down by the Sea' nursery gallery.
We started with a fresh coat of toasty gray paint and sailed to it. Hank and I had a blast curating each and every item throughout these past few months. Hank is a talent at hanging frames so our gallery wall was the anchor for the rest of the nursery. Among the sailboats and pineapple on the gallery wall lives the happiest merman you'll ever see. It's my favorite art piece because Hank created the watercolor when he was just a little guy in elementary school.
Each month throughout our journey to having a baby, we put all that we could into Hope. Hope is Leighton's middle name and can also be found in a print on the gallery wall, a reminder to 'Let Hope Anchor Your Soul.' You'll see that the nod to our alma mater, with a ram as our mascot, is subtle but found in the felt ram head on the gallery wall - complete with a pink flower crown, of course - and the mobile above the crib.
I delight in estate sales, vintage shops and fields upon fields of antiques. I could not be more excited when I moved around a few things in an antique field to discover a wooden pineapple that we later set upon the dresser. As for the vintage books, Peter Pan and Fifty Fairy Tales, that was one of those u-turn when you see an amazing estate sale kind of moments. I love any piece in a space that is unique and tells a story.
There's a sweet mother and daughter duo in my area that finds the cutest pieces. I almost fell out of my chair when they posted a 'rockin' boat' they scored. It was bright red, yellow and blue, and I saw the potential right away. Hank brought it to life with mint, light blue and gold spray paint. For now it will hold Leighton's stuffed animals but soon she'll be rocking away in this playful find.
Children's books are really important to me so I wanted to be sure I tucked them into every nook and cranny I could. I cherish creativity and imagination so really enjoyed picking favorites that we can read to Leighton as soon as she arrives. I think that's one of the little moments I am most excited about.
When I was little, my room was entirely pink. For the nursery, we wanted to create a more neutral and serene space but definitely could not leave pink behind. We brought in a hint of pink with a felt flamingo head - who wanted to wear a flower crown just like the aforementioned felt ram head - and an art print featuring pink flamingos. Where can you go wrong with flamingos, pineapples and a day by the sea?
Hank's grandma completed our nursery look for us at our baby shower when she gifted us a painting of a beach she did. Grandmother art could not be more special. It was the last item we placed upon the shelf and not only reminds me of our favorite beach days in Charleston's neighboring Sullivan's Island but of the love found in family. We can't wait for this space to come alive as soon as Leighton arrives. Until then, we'll be soaking in the last few days down by the sea (and pool) that we can.
