Yeah—it’s nursery time! The last time we shared a photo of this room it was fully newborn-ready, but now we’re starting fresh with plans for our newest little one.

We began Clara’s nursery in February and she arrived in May, so beginning now feels right: Claire’s nursery work started in winter and grew into spring, and with our barnacle due in April it makes sense to get things rolling in January. Since we recently found out we’re having a boy, we’ve had a flood of ideas, and letting them simmer for a few weeks helped the best ones rise to the top.

Our current plan centers on a bold green accent combined with graphic black and white elements, balanced by natural textures like wood furniture, woven baskets, and bamboo blinds. Small pops of other colors will probably appear here and there. We’ve already picked out a few meaningful toys and decor items: a mustache plush Clara chose for her brother at a craft sale, and the same green Plan Toys alligator she played with as an infant. Those small personal touches make the room feel like part of the family story.

The idea for the green accent actually came from some bike prints John framed in rich, homemade wood frames for our previous sunroom. We love the warm wood tones and the graphic quality of the prints, and we plan to use them as large-scale art in this nursery. From there we’ll add a black-and-white striped bench, a neutral rug, bamboo blinds, and built-ins flanking the crib. The built-ins will be spaced so a twin bed can fit lengthwise between them later, or even a full-sized bed across the width when the barnacle outgrows the crib. Practical and future-proof.

With the bike art as our starting point, our first actual purchase surprised us: an 8 x 10 100% wool rug by Martha Stewart for Safavieh. It was a HomeGoods find and immediately felt right—soft, subtly patterned, and not going to compete with bolder graphic elements. It was marked down and we couldn’t resist. After bringing it home and clearing out clutter, the room already felt more finished and inviting.

There’s something to be said for the ritual of photographing the space before and after we start work. We took our traditional “us in the room before we start” photo, which always feels like a little milestone. Looking back at photos from Clara’s nursery progress reminded us how much changes over a few months and how satisfying it is to document the journey.

We still have a lot to do, but the rug makes the room feel like the beginning of something. The wool texture and tone-on-tone pattern are exactly the subtle foundation we wanted. The walls are unpainted and the crib is half-assembled, but the room already has a new energy.

Here’s our current project list—a working brain dump that will evolve as the room takes shape:

• Paint the walls and ceiling
• Address the window with bamboo blinds and possible blackout curtains
• Add built-ins to each end of the long wall so the crib (and a future bed) can nestle between them
• Add sconces to the sides of the built-ins
• Create a slatted or trimmed accent wall between the built-ins for visual interest
• Get the ceiling wired for an overhead light fixture (none of the upstairs bedrooms currently have one)
• Find a comfortable armchair for late-night nursing
• Redo the closet for baby clothes (paint, add a second hanging bar, add cubbies)
• Consider painting the closet door a fun color similar to Clara’s
• Add chunky crown molding
• Bring in a dresser/changing table (we’re leaning toward a wooden hand-me-down)
• Build custom shelves as a small family tradition
• Create a rustic cuckoo clock as a sweet, woodsy detail
• Make a mobile
• Hang art, including one or two sea-faring prints to honor the baby’s nickname, “the barnacle”

We’ll document this nursery’s progress in real time, just as we did for Clara’s room—sharing updates as each stage comes together, from cleaning and painting to shopping, installing window treatments, and finishing the final reveal. Many steps will change as we go, especially because this nursery has different needs than the last one, but we expect regular updates over the next few months. Our loftier goals—built-ins, sconces, and chunky crown molding—might push us to the wire, but our aim is to have the space ready by mid-April.

It’s wild to think we’ll soon be a family of five (Burger counts!), and that this once-junk room will become a functional and cozy bedroom for our littlest member. I’m grinning just thinking about it. Are you working on a nursery right now? Do you have a long to-do list and a permanent smile while you plan? Or do you have memories of creating a special room for a child you’d like to share? We love hearing those stories.