Our Space
Because Cole came 3 weeks early, not only did I have a few work deadlines that weren't finished yet but his room wasn't quite ready either. It took me a few weeks to receive some of the things I had ordered and get it all pulled together. Although I had wanted it to be done so that it was one less thing to worry about once he came, I am almost glad it didn't work out that way.As I sat in my chair (a heavenly swivel glider) feeding him six times each day, my creative process worked its way through each aspect of the room. I liked being able to "live" in the space before it was completed. I liked having the chance to think through what I wanted to do, envision it in my mind and let it perk a little before committing to it.
One thing that I knew from the start was that Cole didn't really care what his room looked like. Let's face it, he is barely able to focus on anything more than 12" away. No, the room is as much for me as it is for him - and probably will be for a while. That's why the title of this post is "Our Space" - I wanted a place that he could grow into but that I would love to be in as well. Since we just built the home last year and were hoping that we would have a little person to use this room, I had it painted a neutral, sandy-green (Benjamin Moore Historic Collection "Crown Point Sand"). I figured it would look great with blue for a boy or pink for a girl. I then used a variety of blues and whites - from light blue to navy - with some orange accents added for contrast.
I decided that because we have built-in closet organizers that I didn't want a changing table with drawers. That's why we put them in the closet to begin with - so we wouldn't need a dresser in the room. But I knew we needed something as a changing table so I chose to use a waist-high bookshelf that is deeper than standard pieces. It fits the changing pad and all the gear on top but then will be great for storing toys and books as he gets older. I got it through a local shop called Four Chairs which lets you choose how to finish unfinished wood pieces the way you want.I keep the everyday stuff there - diapers, burp cloths, wipes, etc. I also keep his current stash of clothes in one of the baskets with his future sizes of clothing stored in his closet. I measured the dimensions of the shelves of the changing table and kept them with me as I happened to be at different stores and finally found various baskets that worked at Target, along with the Diaper Genie and the cool lamp. The lamp actually takes three light bulbs but I only use one for a softer effect.
The photos above the changing table are from our pregnancy photo shoot and will be easy to swap out as we want to make changes over the years. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do pregnancy photos because I am a pretty private person when it comes to modesty but now I'm glad that Jason felt so strongly about it because I think she did a fabulous, tasteful job.
Jason has always loved the John Lennon song "Beautiful Boy" and in the movie Mr. Holland's Opus the father sings it to his son who happens to be named Cole as well. At the end of the song he sings, "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Cole." I designed this art piece for Jason because I knew how much those tender words meant to him regarding his new little buddy. I think that it is a sweet lullaby and wish for any parent to sing to their child and have decided to make a boy and girl version for a "Download Day" design so watch for that.
Being a quilter, I also knew that I wanted some kind of fabric creation on the wall to add texture and depth. However, I wanted it to be unique and serve as an anchor to the design of the room. I decided to create a wall hanging with a twist. I sewed strips of fabric of varying widths together horizontally, using all of the colors of the room. Then I found a glass-less frame at Michaels (50% off!) that was large enough to meet my needs. I painted the frame white and cut a piece of cardboard to fit the frame. This particular frame is actually twice as wide as what you see here. I wrapped my cardboard with my fabric piece and secured it at the back. Then instead of attaching it behind the frame I popped it into the front of it, covering up half of the frame itself so that you can only see this thin, raised area of the frame and the focus stays on the fabric itself.
Finally, Jason had the great idea to create a large monogram and found these fabulous wooden letters (click here) that came in a variety of fonts and could be custom made to be any height. We had ours made about 30" high and I finished them myself by painting them navy blue first, sanding the edges and adding dark stain. With the shelf of interchangeable photos above it, it has become one of my favorite parts of the room.
Space is always an issue when dealing with Jason's wheelchair so I had to make sure that even though the room is not very big, we had space for Jason to maneuver. I'm not much of a collector of stuff so I'm hoping that even as we acquire more toys and things as he grows that we will be able to keep them to a minimum so that Jason's access isn't limited. Although physically Jason can't lift Coleman out of his crib, we made sure that he can get to it or to the changing table to visit him, make funny noises at him or just watch him while Mommy needs to step away for a moment.
One of Jason's favorite things to do is draw little superhero cartoon characters for our nieces and nephews or other little kids. They always tend to become a keepsake for anyone who gets their likeness illustrated in his distinct style. Jason drew Coleman's first portrait for his room - complete with his chubby cheeks and what we think will be a little dimpled chin. I manipulated it on the computer to make it the same orange color I used in his "Beautiful Boy" piece and framed it with a store-bought frame. I think it looks just like his real photo sitting right next to it - and like the little monkey that we got at our Creative Escape shower!
I'm a planner and this room is designed to change as Cole grows. The crib turns into a toddler bed, the changing table becomes a book shelf, the photos can all be updated as time passes. My chair can even have a new slipcover put on it if we ever need that option. I love how his room is set up now but I relish the thought that we will adapt it as his needs change - because that means he is changing and growing, too. I know that we will delight in watching his personality emerge as he becomes his own unique self - and I can guarantee that this room will emerge right along with him.