National Park Nursery

Jonathan(my husband) and I have always enjoyed hiking and seeing the differences in each trail and national park we visit. From the snow covered mountains to the desert terrain, it's all beautiful in it's own way.

The picture above was taken a few years back when we went out west and took a breathtaking hike at Rainier National Park. Believe it or not, the other side of this mountain was covered in snow! It felt like we were going into Narnia from one side of the mountain to the other.

The Design

When we found out we were expecting a

boy, we knew we were going to have a National park themed room. We don't live near national parks, so it's always an adventure getting to one. We wanted to expose Boden as soon as we could! Until he has a choice, he will probably get a few parks under his belt.

Originally I wanted to do a neutral nursery and add some texture to the wall with shiplap or board and batten, however, there are a few other places in the house we are planning to add one or the other, so I thought it may be overused if we add it here as well.

I've got to give props to Jonathan for the nursery because most of this room was his imagination and I just helped source everything.

Jonathan found a wallpaper that we both really loved. It is simple, somewhat neutral and outdoorsy. However, instead of wallpapering, we decided to save some money and recreate the scene with paint, thankfully, Jonathan is very talented with a paintbrush.

We started by taping where each mountain peak would land and then Jonathan freehanded the scene. If we ever choose to change this wall, we will have some sanding to do for sure, but for now, I love how it turned out!

Another cost saving feature is the dresser/changing table. I found it on Facebook marketplace for $50 and used leftover paint from the mountain wall to refinish it. This was a labor of love that we finished just a few weeks before Boden made his debut. It had a musty smell and some of the drawers were janky but thanks to some elbow grease, new drawer pulls, and peel'n stick drawer liners...which sound easier to install than they are (iykyk)...it has a second or fifth life and I am so thankful for the storage!

To add an element of fun, we mounted stuffed animal heads in the room; a deer, a moose, a mountain goat, and a bear. Thankfully, the animals don't scare the little man! We think they are fun and will slowly introduce him to what is sure to be his future, coming from a family of hunters.

In all, the nursery was a success. Boden stares at the mountains and smiles at the stuffed animals mounted over his changing table. Tonight I set him on my lap and rocked him for about 30 minutes while he took in his room and smiled periodically at everything he saw. It is the best feeling knowing we made a room that makes our little man smile!