This is the nursery of Rufus, the ridiculously cute baby boy of Lee and Dawn from Shutterbox Films. Having seen quite a few beautiful images of their styling on instagram I rather selfishly requested to see the whole thing in order to blatantly steal some ideas for my own current baby O’Shea project.

I love their use of colour, the clever budget ideas for storage and the personal touches that make the room so unique. Of course not everyone is currently designing a space specifically for a very small person (or even considering it) but even so, Lee and Dawn share some excellent tips and tricks that can be utilised anywhere in the home.

Rather unselfishly I am going to share everything with you folks, do let us know if any of the ideas appeal or if you have any suggestions for personalising a nursery up your sleeves.

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No Theme

Backing away from a theme we decided to keep things simple. Adding colour using toys, games, books and selecting key pieces of furniture that will grow with Rufus.

Handmade

The curtains were handmade by our incredibly talented aunty Janet. The Fantastic Mr Fox print is from the Ashley Wilde Roald Dahl collection and features the original Quentin Blake illustrations. Between ourselves, our family and friends we’ve managed to create so many handmade items including clothes, blankets, throws, cushions and soft toys.

Furniture & Storage

We picked up the Tallboy from a house clearance in Bournville Village, Birmingham. It is so practical with two top draws and a lower cupboard, it really does offer heaps of space. A great alternative to a wardrobe.

Finding a storage solution big enough for toys and games without being unsightly proved tricky. We noticed an old trunk whilst browsing for garden furniture at a reclamation yard and thought it was perfect. A great way of storing toys and hiding unwanted mess. The under-crib storage boxes were from Ikea and come complete with lids, something the crib versions lacked.

Toys

We discussed favourite toys and games from our childhood and decided simplicity was key. Wooden and windup toys offer an alternative to the sea of brightly coloured plastic now available in most toy shops. Fisher Price do offer replicas of their most famous toys but noticed the windup mechanisms have been replaced with memory cards and mp3 players. Luckily, we managed to source the original versions using eBay, Etsy and local Flea Markets.

The adorable Dog on Wheels, yet another second-hand find. It has an original steel frame, stuffed body and that ‘once loved’ charm. We had to have it. We added a leather collar complete with name tag. Ready for when Rufus decides to name him.

Walls & Ceiling

The walls are painted in Just Walnut by Dulux. Details include individual postcards from Paperchase (mounted within old frames), Animal Alphabet print from Rosy & Bo, battery operated Gummi Bear Light from Urban Outfitters, hanging Dinosaur T-Shirt from Zara and Dim-able Cloud ceiling light from Ikea.

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{Budget Display Ideas}

The small shelf is made from an off-cut of MDF and painted in bright yellow. Once the shelf was fixed to the wall we suspended a small branch (taken from the tree at the bottom of our garden) from the underside using yarn.

Each piece of clothing is hung with tiny coat hangers made from modelling wire. Fun to make, practical, accessible and also a great way of adding colour to white walls.

Ikea Spice Racks have been used for displaying an assortment of books, both new and old. They are inexpensive, incredibly simple to assemble and can be painted too.

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