My name is Haley! I live in Ohio with my husband, son, and little dog named Danger. I transitioned from working full-time as an occupational therapist in a hospital, to only a few days a month when my now, almost one-year-old son, Oliver, was born 6 weeks early and spent nearly 7 weeks in the NICU. I also love interior design and have been working on starting my own business. In my free time, I love to visit local coffee shops and go on walks with my family.

Warm, transitional, playful

I wanted to make Oliver’s nursery unique and challenge myself to try bold design elements that I haven’t used in the past. My goal was to add lots of colors and patterns into his room, but also to keep the design somewhat traditional and classic. I also wanted the “bones” of the room to be easy to age-up as he grows (i.e. the wallpaper/wall treatments).

It was really fun accessorizing his room. I loved choosing custom art for the walls and little knickknacks for his toy shelves, those small touches really pulled his room together and made it feel special! The most challenging part was probably finding a rug that coordinated with his grid wallpaper. I chose the wallpaper and paint color first and designed the rest of the room around that. I knew I wanted to find a rug that added warmth, but it was tricky finding the right pattern that blended well with everything else in his room. In the end, I think the pattern-mixing is what makes his room so unique!

A lot of the decor in Oliver’s room was intentionally chosen for him. I spent a lot of time dreaming about all the fun we would have playing in his room as he grows up and wanted it to be a place that sparked his imagination and creativity. There is a custom drawing of our dog, Danger, (who happens to be Oliver’s best friend), paper balloons on his wall that light up and came from an Etsy shop based out of France, and even a little teddy-bear tin that I found at a local thrift store. I took my time collecting intentional pieces throughout my pregnancy and continually add to his room as I see things that remind me of him.

I wanted Oliver’s room to feel very welcoming and almost “lived-in,” and thrifting is a great way to do that! The wicker lamp above his rocking chair was a vintage find at a local art fair. I often look to thrifted or vintage pieces to add new textures that the nursery is lacking. Actually, thrift stores are great for wicker pieces of all types! The wicker chest on his bookshelf was also thrifted.

Some of my first memories in Oliver’s nursery were finishing the final touches while he was still in the NICU. I spent a lot of time in his small NICU room shopping for little toys or decor pieces that, at the time I was only dreaming of him playing with at home in his room someday. Watching him play in his room with his wooden blocks now, that I bought before he came home from the hospital, is such a special full-circle moment for me and reminds me that I have so much to be thankful for.