Arielle’s Nursery

I know a lot of mamas post photos of their little ones’ nurseries before the baby comes. Though I had it ready for Arielle’s arrival a few weeks before her birth, it felt empty without her. And then after she came, life just seemed too busy to do any kind of big nursery reveal. Now I am so excited to share these beautiful photos of Arielle’s Parisian-inspired nursery captured by my good friend, Jessie Wyman of Jessie Wyman Photography.

Right as you enter, we’ve hung the letter board that we used in the hospital to announce Arielle’s birth. Above it are two special edition Little Mermaid Minnie Mouse Ears. I actually have the same two pairs hanging in my closet!

Because I am on the shorter side, we decided on the Kendall Low-Profile Convertible Crib as well as the matching dresser, both gifts from Alex’s parents. The sign above her bed was handpainted by Alex’s cousin and features various sea creatures, a mermaid and a merbaby! After all, her name is Arielle. Hanging above her head is a mobile full of gold stars which is a reference to part of our wedding theme. 

About two month before she was born, I found a paper dress made of an 1960s map of Paris. I had it matted and framed to hang in her room. It is one of my favorite details and I’ve already said that if she decides to take it down some day it’s going up in my room!

We ended up with so many special outfits and items, that we decided to move my old dresser, the one from my own childhood bedroom, into her room to accommodate the overflow. On top is a framed photo from her first birthday shoot, part of her bank collection (strangely that was a common gift at our shower), her headbands which she now refuses to wear, and her jewely armoire from her godparents, my sister and brother-in-law. I also bought this Eiffel Tower lamp, adding to the theme of the room. 

The shell crown I found on Etsy and it went perfectly with her Stella McCartney Mermaid Dress which my mom gave to Arielle for her first birthday. The brass teddy bear it’s hanging on was actually another piece from my childhood bedroom. Above we hung a shadow box to keep her Little Mermaid First Birthday Cake Topper, another Etsy find, protected.  

The Parisian-print curtains were made by Alex’s mom and they really complete the theme. Hanging from the curtain rod is one of the centerpieces from my baby shower. My mom and I spent an entire week hand assembling the cetnerpieces to look like hot air balloons. The star hanging from the bottom of the “balloon” was actually a part of my wedding decor!

Even though Arielle’s crib converts to a toddler bed, we already have a big girl bed ready for her, covered in stuffed animals, some of which were mine. The map on the wall is to encourage her sense of exploration. 

We are so lucky that she has already shown a real interest in reading. Often times when she toddles into the room for a diaper or outfit change, she’ll grab a book from her bookshelf. And we always read a book before bedtime. The bottom few shelves house her favorites while the top hold more memories and gifts from her baby shower, birth and christening. 

The “My First Year” frame, filled with photos to commemorate each month of her first year of life, was a gift from my sister and brother-in-law for our gender reveal soiree. Below it is a photo taken at the Beth Israel Hospital when she was just four days old. I’ll often look at these photos and think to myself, “How in the world is she already getting so big!”

Last year Alex took apart the existing closet and, with my design expertise, crafted this incredible oasis. I think Arielle’s closet is what many grown women dream of! Not only does it feature plenty of hanger space, but there is also a shelf where I keep some of her treasures and a built-in dresser from Alex’s childhood bedroom that is cedar lined for all of her woolen wear. 

I also insisted on a chandelier, because no closet is complete without a chandelier! She received this darling chair from my mom and once she gets a bit older, I am hoping she’ll use this as a little reading nook. 

While the room is full of memories and momentos, the chair is extra special. It was one of a set of chairs my Aunt Betty purchased in the 1980s. My Nunny had given me the pair when we moved into our home over eight years ago. After a while, we had moved them up to the attic. But when I was looking into furniture for Arielle’s nursery, I knew we already had a comfortable chair. 

We had it reupholstered from a teal velvet to a water-proof, baby-proof woven blush material. Every night I sit in it to read Arielle her bed time story and sing her her lullabies. It reminds me of my Nunny, my Aunt Better who I miss so much, and also of my mom who always sang us to sleep. The white cat was mine as a child, as was the quilt thrown over the back. 

I hope that you enjoyed this tour of Arielle’s Nursery. It was so much fun to put it all together and I am so thrilled with how it came out. Thank you so much to Jessie for capturing the room as well as a few sweet moments between Arielle and me. 

My hope is that this will be a fun space for Arielle to grow and play for years to come. I think Alex and I created the perfect Parisian-inspired paradise for our petite fille!