Neyla's Room

I was thrilled when Janae told me she was pregnant. And even more so when she asked me to paint her baby room! Janae and I worked together to figure out what kind of room she and Bryan wanted. Unlike a lot of parents, they realized that this room was as much for them as it was for the newest member of the family. 

Expecting parents are so excited for the baby. They want it to look like this quintessential baby room filled with "things babies like". Well, you know what babies like? Nipples and clean diapers. They won't even know what a teddy bear or choo-choo train is for another two years. 

I think it's smarter to create a soothing space for the baby to grow up in and for you to spend a lot of time in. Because let's get real. When you're up at 3:45 a.m. for the 5th night in a row and your baby won't stop crying, you're gonna want PEACE. Not a choo-choo that's mocking you with a big toothy grin. 

I painted spindly trees in an old apartment a few years ago; Janae remembered them and that's where we started. There was a lot of negotiating what kind of trees they'd be - Bryan and I had a great back and forth about what made a tree look "happy". 

Here is the progression of the two trees in Neyla's room. 

It's been a long winter.

I made the mistake of outlining too much in the beginning. It took me about four hours to get these stenciled and with two coats of paint. You really just need a solid trunk. At a certain point, you have to trust yourself with the branch work. 

Spring has sprung! 

Summer summer time!

(Please excuse the apparent change in greens. The first two photos were taken at night with the lamp on. The last photo was taken in daylight only.)

If this looks too serious for you, get off my back for JUST A SECOND and let me finish. Instead of painting typical baby stuff on the walls, we chose to accent with framed art. In my opinion, the wall paint should be something solid that can be there for years. Then accent with artwork you like. These colorful photos (and a few more) hang over Neyla's crib.

And the best news? I get to paint my sister's baby room in September! I think we're going to try something more challenging which I'm really looking forward to. Right now, I'm taking a taking a painting class to help me prepare. It's wonderful and I love every second of it.