How This Mom-to-Be Turned a Closet Into a Nursery

First things first, congratulations on your new baby! As a business owner of Lucky Collective and now a mother, how have you maintained a healthy balance of work and self-care?

Thanks so much! Finding a work and self-care balance is really tricky, even when you aren’t pregnant or have a baby. One of the very best parts of running my own business is that for the most part, I have the flexibility to work on my own schedule. This means I can take mid-day yoga classes or meet friends for lunch – both activities that I count as self-care! This also means that I sometimes work on weekends, but I don’t really mind as long as I get some “me time” throughout the week. When I was pregnant, I wrapped up my contract at Facebook and had more free time to prep for baby and just relax at the. I’m taking a pause on new client work at least until the late spring, so I can focus on existing clients and most importantly, soak up time with our little girl!

We loved your last home tour on The Everygirl! Since then, have there been any updates on your home or any changes in your design style?

Thanks – that home tour was so fun! I can’t believe it was a year and a half ago! I’ve always viewed my home decor process as evolving. I like the process of changing things and “growing up” different pieces and areas in our apartment. One example is that we replaced our IKEA dining table and chairs with a CB2 table and fun velvet chairs. Another example is that our bikes are no longer hanging in our kitchen, since we acquired garage space (a MAJOR win here in San Francisco). We’ve also swapped out a lot of art in the space since the last tour, as well as textiles like pillows and blankets. And of course, the biggest change is that we added a baby to the space, so we have lots of new baby-related items like a rocking chair, Moses basket and her entire nursery space.

As renters of a 700 sq ft apartment, you and your husband are no strangers to working with a small space. What challenges (if any) did you come across when designing a nursery in your home?

When we first found out I was pregnant, we decided we wanted to stay in our current apartment, and knew we would have to make some adjustments to fit a baby into our space. Thankfully, even though the apartment is small, it has two walk-in closets, so we did some strategic reorganization and moved my husband’s Eric’s clothes into my (now our) walk-in closet and the hallway closet. Initially, I was worried we wouldn’t have enough space for our clothes and shoes, but there’s actually been plenty of room. The other challenge was making the baby’s room not look or feel like a closet, but instead, make it a functional and bright room of her own.

Before we go on, we have to say the end result of your nursery is absolutely beautiful! Tell us the greatest lesson you’ve learned from this design process.

Thanks! I always love looking over into her nursery – it makes me so happy. I’ve learned the importance of being creative and open with the space. Obviously, it’s small, but can still be super functional and beautiful. I think it’s easy to limit ourselves and our thinking, especially in small spaces, so I’m glad I kept an open mind with this closet. I’ve also learned about the power of creative and strategic organization. For example, the seagrass baskets on the top shelf store larger baby clothes and we added a standing linen tower for additional storage and to hide the not-so-cute baby items. Lastly (sorry, this is more than one lesson!), I learned the importance of seamlessly integrating decor elements between the baby’s room and the rest of our apartment. Since the nursery opens into our bedroom, I wanted it to have a similar aesthetic to our overall space, but with extra quirky and whimsical vibes.

You converted a closet into a nursery by cozying it up with removable wallpaper – how did you think of this creative approach and what surprised you the most about it?

I’ve had friends use removable wallpaper for a statement wall in their apartments. It’s a great solution for those of us who rent and can’t permanently update a wall. There’s also some great examples of removable wallpaper on Pinterest. I found a shop I really like on Etsy that has a ton of different modern patterns and also does custom sizing. The shop owner was so helpful throughout the early stages of nursery planning. The biggest surprise was how precise, detailed, and semi-stressful putting up wallpaper is! Thankfully, Eric handled this job and I got to focus on the fun parts of decorating. 🙂

Since we’re on the topic, we can’t help but admire how the bold pattern on the wallpaper is still cohesive with the rest of the space. What’s your secret to successfully incorporating patterns in a room?

Thank you! I really like the modern feel of the wallpaper’s pattern. It definitely adds a “pop” to the space without being “too much.” And, I think it was really important to wallpaper the space so it didn’t feel so much like a closet and instead, became its own little room. Since the wallpaper has simple lines and black and white colors, it almost acts as a neutral backdrop in the room and I added more patterns and pops of colors with the animal heads, artwork and the bright mobile.

I also try to not be too matchy-matchy in the overall decor in our apartment. There’s a lot of pattern mixing in our textiles throughout our apartment, both in our living room and bedroom. In my opinion, the way to make it work without being overkill is to stick with a consistent color palette. For example, we have some bright pink kilim pillows on our bed and that color seamlessly ties into the pink mobile and art prints in the baby’s room, too.

Did the design of the rest of your apartment influence the way you designed the nursery?

I definitely tried to tie elements from other areas of our apartment into the baby’s room. I wanted the baby’s nursery to be an extension of our apartment and it was important that the style transitioned between her room and the rest of the space, especially because there’s no door to shut. Overall, I would describe our apartment as approachable, a little bohemian, colorful, and bright. I wanted the nursery to have the same overall vibe, just with extra whimsical and fun additions, since it’s a kids room, not a grown-up space. I wanted her room to also be approachable, like our entire apartment. It’s not a magazine or museum – it’s real life, so there are real, not-so-cute baby things in there, too.

With a small space, we also tried to limit the number of “baby things” we purchased and instead focus on the absolute necessities and items we loved.

What made you decide on a nursery with pink instead of the popular trend of gender-neutral nurseries?

Yes, we had a girl! My dad and Eric are certainly outnumbered, as I have three little sisters, too! We first started decorating the nursery with a gender-neutral approach and had the wallpaper put up, shelves assembled and the mini crib set up. The pink started with the bird print from Minted, which I thought tied nicely with some other pink textiles and prints in our apartment. And then I discovered the pom-pom mobile and was obsessed, so the pink spiral begin!

What’s your favorite part of this room?

I love all her bookshelves and all the adorable books we’ve collected! We both love reading, so I knew I wanted bookshelves in the room. We can’t wait to read to her.

To go along with the fun look of the nursery, the baby mobile you chose is so eye-catching! Where are your go-to places for baby/nursery decor?

I know, the mobile is so fun! Crate and Kids (formerly The Land of Nod) has really adorable baby items; the mobile, the quilt and several small toys (like the wooden blocks) are from there. I’ve found some great baby decor items on Etsy, but a lot of items, like the fun animal heads, came from Target.

The book collection you’ve started for your baby girl is impressive. Where did you find all of the books and how did you choose which ones to buy?

Almost every book we’ve received has been a gift — so apparently our family and friends have very good taste in books! We did add a few books we loved to our registry, which I found while browsing at different bookstores. I especially love the San Francisco based books we have! Here’s a blog post with details on some of the books we have.

Aside from the nursery, you also have a “nook” for your baby. Tell us the purpose of this area and what makes it special.

Yes, we added a rocker, side table, Moses basket and rocking stand to the bedroom corner. I’ve heard from other moms that having a dedicated space to sit and feed/spend time with the baby is important, so we decided to go for it. I love the look of this rocker; it’s functional for rocking the baby, but at the same time, the modern vibe fits into the rest of the space without it screaming “BABY ROCKING CHAIR!” My mom found that side table, which also has storage underneath (yay for cute strategic storage solutions) and I’m sure will come in handy when the baby is here. We’re using the Moses basket as a bassinet before transitioning the baby into her crib and I absolutely love it.

What advice would you give to the people who are also trying to design their dream nursery?

Be creative and work with what you have, whether that’s existing decor items or limited space. Make the space feel uniquely you, rather than just copying something you see on Pinterest. And have fun! I don’t think a baby’s nursery is a space to take yourself too seriously — make it a place that brings you joy.

When it comes to being a mom: what are you most insecure about and what are you most confident about?

I’m not sure if it’s exactly an insecurity, but it’s been a struggle to accept the lack of personal freedom as a mom (aka being able to do anything anytime, without planning or really considering anyone else). I’m slowly learning to accept what my “new normal” is and be okay with that. There are still parts of my “old life” I can do — trips, happy hours, coffee dates with friends — they just require a little bit more planning and patience. 🙂 It’s been tough to come to terms with that, but it’s also helped me become less selfish because I’m putting Lucy’s needs first. I’m confident knowing that I’m enough. Even on our hardest days, I am enough and the perfect mom to Lucy. I’m not a perfect mom by any means, but I am exactly what Lucy needs in a mom, right here, right now. <3

If you could only pick one, what has been your favorite memory from motherhood so far?

I love seeing the world through Lucy’s eyes. Her curiosity and wonder for simple things, like a colorful art print, the leaves on a tree, seeing her dad come home from work, the sound of rain – is really inspiring and reminds me to acknowledge and appreciate small, everyday moments.

Andi Teggart is The Everymom…

Your camera roll is full of…
Photos of my dog, Jack! Check out his IG @princejackpup.

Last show you binged on Netflix?
The Confession Tapes. And also the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (on Amazon Prime).

What you can’t leave the house without?
Chapstick/lipstick (my go-to is Fresh Rose lip tint), phone, headphones, keys, S’well water bottle, Cuyana wallet.

Typical workday outfit?
Black leggings and an oversize sweater or striped t-shirt.

Most recent splurge?
An ultra cozy black dress from Modern Citizen – it feels like I’m wearing pajamas, but looks sophisticated and put together. Major win-win.