When we removed a chimney from the farmhouse, we not only gained square footage in the nursery, but we also had an excuse to give this little space a face-lift. Up until now Avonlee Rose has been in a vintage bassinet in our room. Though she is still not sleeping through the night, she has outgrown her bassinet and is ready to have her own space.

Avonlee’s corner of our room

Before I show you the nursery reveal, I think it is important to remind you of just how far this little room has come, since the day we bought the farmhouse. At 9ft x 11ft this room was low on space, but oozed with character! A curved ceiling, elaborate millwork, a chimney, and a row of hooks were the original 1893 details that caught my attention. Somehow they overshadowed the 1980’s fan, dirty carpet, make-shift closet, and the million nail holes!

The Nursery when we moved to the farm

After the initial makeover, our oldest daughter Camdyn enjoyed the nursery being her “princess room” for over a year. You can see her room reveal by clicking this link: Camdyn’s Nursery.

Camdyn’s Nursery

As part of our future kitchen plan one of our chimneys had to come out. We spent our 6th wedding anniversary and the few weeks following removing it ourselves. About 8ft of the chimney just happened to run right through the nursery! While it was messy and hard, it was also a rewarding experience!

When we drywalled the area where the chimney once was, the transition to 123 yr old plaster was quite noticeable. So, I decided to hand-paint a floral design to divert attention away from the lumps and add some interest to the space. I did NOT use a stencil. I simply used the trim color, off-the-shelf semi gloss white, and tried to make every flower unique. We also played with the layout taking advantage of the new square footage. Here is the result:

Avonlee’s Nursery Today

Everything in Avonlee’s vintage style nursery is handmade, hand-painted, refinished, repurposed, or thrifted. I love using everyday objects to create an inviting space too. For instance, you will notice I use Avonlee’s clothes and shoes as decor!

Baskets are a wonderful way to attractively store diapers, wipes, and other baby items. I also decorate with her toys and books. We actually use the rocking horse, the rocking chair and bear. I did remove the curtains and replace them with a shower curtain cut in half to let in more light.

Here is the book that inspired my daughter’s name. Both of my girls are a little young to understand it now, but I plan to read all the Anne of Green Gables books Avonlee is named for and all the Little House books which inspired her middle name, Rose. Using what you have as decor is both budget friendly and helps with storage issues.

We are now offering Personalized Hand-Painted Pillow cover’s like this one in our shop – www.etsy.com/shop/BryartonFarm

Believe it or not, we spent $0 creating a “new feel” in the nursery. By 1.Painting a pattern on the wall, 2.Changing the layout, 3.Trading the curtains for sheers, and 4.Decorating with Avonlee’s own clothes, books, and toys the nursery is transformed! We hope you try a few of these tricks in your home.

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Source List for the Nursery:

Wall Color – Wood Putty by Martha Stewart Living (We had Walmart match the swatch then make it with their super cheap Color Place paint)

Trim Color – Off-the-shelf Semi Gloss Color Place White – Walmart

Floor Stain – Expresso 273 by Minwax – Walmart

Crib – Refinished Secondhand Piece

Armoire, Changing Table, Rocking Horse & Rocking Chair – Refinished Antiques

Rug – Clearance – Walmart

Nursing Chair & Tall Basket – Clearance –  World Market

Vintage Embroidered Pillow & Wall Art – Yard Sales

Sheer Curtains – World Market – Shower Curtain (Cut in half and hung on tension rods)

Chandelier – Home Depot

Name Pillow, Monogram Art, & Wall Flowers – Hand-painted Original Art by Sara Jo and Michael Floyd

Crib Skirt & Crib Bumper – Hand Sewn by Sara Jo Floyd