Gray's big boy room

Let's start with the toddler bed that Paul built from SCRATCH! We had a twin bed in this room and had always planned on using it for Gray when he moved from his crib. But it was pretty high off the ground and took up quite a bit of space, plus Paul had a hankering to build something. We found a picture of a toddler bed that we liked on Pinterest and just like that, Paul decided to build it. He had no plan to go by for building it, just a picture. He had not built many things before this and certainly nothing even close to this big or complex. Nana and Grandpa generously offered to pay for the wood and supplies for the bed, which we were and are so grateful for. We could have bought two or three toddler beds from IKEA for what this puppy ended up costing, but they wouldn't have been real, sturdy wood and definitely not as special. It took Paul about a month to complete the bed but that was having very little time only on some days to work on it. Since we have no garage or work space, he couldn't do much after Gray went to bed because the cutting and sawing was so loud. I'm not gonna lie, it was a little hard on my type A personality for a bed to be being built in our living room for a month but it was sure worth it and I could use all the refining I can get anyway! ;) We couldn't be happier with how the bed turned out. The drawers underneath are huge and I could just about pee myself with excitement thinking of all the storage space we have in his new room, especially when compared to the closet size nursery he has been in. We didn't want to get another changing table so we will store diapers and wipes in one of the bed drawers and just change him on the bed or floor until he is potty trained.

I put this picture on my last blog post but wanted to have it on this post about Gray's big boy room too. You know, for the sake of the second Hickster Happenings printed blog book one day.


Top picture-Pinterest bed, bottom picture-Daddy's amazing work!

Here is another angle of the bed...

We've known for a while we wanted to do somewhat of an African animal themed room, without it being too theme-y. Gray's second love in this world is for animals-his first being tractors and although I think that would have made a cute room too, we already had several things to make the animal theme work easier. My mom got some canvases made of animal pictures that I took on safari in Kenya a few years ago. We already had a giraffe stool that we'd picked up at Homegoods a year or so ago. We also wanted to use the four hand-knitted animals my mom made back before Gray was born, along with a sweet elephant chair Paul's parents got Gray this past Christmas and also some animal masks and other wood carvings from Kenya that I've wanted to use for years.

This room is not big by any means but is much bigger than the nursery. We knew we didn't want the bed near the window so all along it's been on the long wall opposite the wall when you walk in the room. We ended up getting two pieces from IKEA that are a dresser and shelves combined. It wasn't what I originally wanted but takes up less space and I am very happy with them. We had them right next to each other on the wall across from the bed, which is right to the right when you walk in. Then we had the IKEA toy box in front of the window. I was pretty satisfied with the room but it just felt smaller and more closed in than I'd been imagining it would be. I got the idea to put one dresser/book shelf piece on each side of the bed. I told Paul I was certain I wouldn't like it but wanted him to arrange it like that and let me see if it grew on me for a few days. As soon as he moved the pieces we both loved it. Now the toy box is where those pieces were and the elephant chair is in front of the window. I wish I'd taken a picture of it that way for comparison sake but I didn't and it wasn't worth moving back for. The room looks SO much bigger and open and he has a lot more floor space to play. It also solved the problem of needing a night stand for a lamp and his books to be next to the bed. We were both thrilled about that because we hadn't been able to find one we liked that matched and that didn't seem to cost way more than a nightstand should. The only negative of this arrangement is that we had a perfect place for each animal canvas the way it was before and we had to get creative with finding a good way to hang them all on the same wall with the way his room is now. My BF Lindsey told me that she'd learned when you have pictures that aren't proportionate or even, you are supposed to square up the outside edges and then it doesn't matter if the space on the inside is even or not. I would have never thought of that but I think it looks great.

My Gram was sweet and generous to buy Gray's bedding, which is from Pottery Barn Kids. I'm usually not a big fan of monogramming-I love monogrammed things, it just never makes sense on our budget to put Gray's name on something knowing we won't be able to use it for long or again. But I (or should I say Gram?) splurged and got a small pillow sham with Gray's name on it and also one with Walker's name (in case they stop making that particular bedding by the time he transitions to this bed). Paul took the bedding to Lowe's and matched up a can of spray paint for Gray's letters that had been a soft blue to match the nursery. We left the same white ribbon so it was a quick and easy project to almost finish off his room. I still need to put some recent pictures in frames on his shelves, find a shelf or way to hang/display the animals my mom knitted and maybe a few more little knick-knack things but the room is pretty much done. I really couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

I think it looks much better and bigger in person but here are some more pictures anyway...

This is from the door walking into the room

 

I definitely want to find a few little things for this shelf, though I'm sure it will be completely filled with books in no time.

Thankfully the right closet door still opens all the way even with the shelf/dresser that close to it.

We will probably move Gray into his new room next weekend or the next. I think the transition from his crib to his new bed might be somewhat challenging because he loves his bumper, loves to stand and jump in his crib (he won't be allowed to do either in this bed) and with the way he moves around in his sleep, I won't be surprised if he falls out while he's getting used to it, even with the railings. But hopefully he will adjust quickly and I know he will love having the space to play in his new room. The Lord continues to remind us that we have all the space that we NEED (and more). I never would have thought we could have two kids in this townhouse. Speaking of, we just listed our house last week with a fifth realtor and have already passed the FIVE year mark of when we first listed it before we were even married. Paul did a lot of little home improvements that will hopefully make our home stand out and be more desirable. And if not, it at least makes us enjoy it more as long as we are living here. I'll post more on the house if and when we have any news to share!