Our Home - A Minimalist Boho Nursery for Emilia

John and I are not big into the stereotypical "girly" stuff. We had no intention of painting our baby girl's wall hot pink with rainbows, butterflies and unicorns everywhere, but we still wanted a room that had a feminine feel. The nursery gets the best light in the house, and we wanted a nice, warm, minimalist design with only the essential items and accents that held specific value to us.

I started Emmy's design with a muted colour palette and a sort of modern minimalist take on a boho chic style. We painted the walls in a perfect white that captured the daylight beautifully (I was totally realistic about all the baby photo selfies I'd be taking in there once our monkey arrived) but I also wanted to bring in some warmth with an accent wall. I opted for a full wall peel and stick decal in a vintage floral pattern that I had shipped in all the way from Poland, which happens to be where John's family originated.

We didn't want a ton of stuff in the space, and really wanted the details we brought in to have meaning and purpose, so we focused on keeping the details to a minimum and ensuring each piece brought value to the space.

Growing up we used to make dream catchers to hang in our rooms to keep the bad dreams away and I always loved them so it was an absolute must for Emmy's room. After countless hours pouring through Etsy options, never able to find quite the right dream catcher, John and I stumbled across Kelsie, an Indigenous Artist at the Seaport Market in Halifax, who makes authentic dream catchers with locally sourced items from around Nova Scotia. We had her create a custom dream catcher mobile using driftwood, representing where I grew up (Nova Scotia), grouse feathers, representing where John grew up (Nipigon), old mans beard, representing both of our upbringings, and howlite crystals, which promote tranquility and calmness (hello sleepless nights).

I was (and still am) really obsessing over king protea flowers and wanted to incorporate one as some kind of art piece for one of the walls. As a baby shower gift, my talented friend Joanna, painted the most beautiful watercolour protea using the exact colours of the nursery design. We also framed a couple of our faves from our maternity session with Photos By Emma to adorn the shelves in Emmy's room. We added other little personal pieces scattered throughout the room, such as the oversized teddy bear, which I used to play with as a little girl whenever I visited my grandparents, and a mini bear that another lovely friend brought all the way from Ireland, where my family originated from.

The furniture was a chore of its own. I spent a ridiculous amount of time searching for the perfect crib (holy hell these things are expensive!) and the perfect armchair. I finally settled on the Babyletto in white/washed natural which paired beautifully against the white walls and the warm laminate wood floors. The nursery is a pretty awkward layout and not very big, so a rocking chair was out of the question. Instead I got a wingback chair that is so comfy but also supportive and a cute little ottoman that opened up for added storage. I finished the space off with lots of cozy pillows and a throw, perfect for all of those late night snuggles.

The only thing left was the little darling herself, who made us wait a whole 2 weeks extra past her due date before we could meet her. She's strong-willed and stubborn AF like her mama, with a quiet observance and goofy charm like her daddy, and the sweetest little smile that she offers readily to anyone who catches her eye.

Photos - Photography by Emma

Furniture and decor:

Crib - Babyletto Scoot, Buybuy Baby

Armchair - Polo Armchair, Structube

Ottoman - Brittany Storage Ottoman, Wayfair

Side table - Partingt End Table, Wayfair

Dreamcatcher mobile - Dream Webs

Wall decal - White Vintage Floral, Coloray Decor

Dresser + change table - South Shore Cotton Candy Change Table, Wayfair