Our little guy’s room looks different these days now that the crib is gone and we made a few updates. He’ll be four this April and decided in January that he was done with the crib—bittersweet, since we’d used that same crib in our home for nearly eight years (our daughter used it before him). Still, it was exciting because the room was finally ready for a refresh after being essentially frozen in time for the past four years. We originally put the nursery together back in April 2014, and you can read more about its original design in the reveal post on our blog.
When we first finished the nursery, nearly everything stayed the same for years: the chair, the rug, the curtains, the crib sheets, the green closet door, the bike art, the play baskets, and the items on the built-ins. A few small things changed over time—like the removal of the changing pad—but otherwise the room remained familiar for a long stretch.
At one point he discovered the little “T” wall decals we installed years ago were peelable, and over time some did come off. That paved the way for a lighter look once we added sconces and a large piece of art between the built-ins. Removing the decals helped the wall feel more open and airy.
We moved a daybed into the room after the crib came out. The daybed is a great transitional piece: low to the ground, with rails on the ends, and essentially a large crib without the front. It fits a regular twin mattress and helps the space feel cozy without taking over the room. We originally used this same style of daybed for our daughter when she transitioned out of her crib, and later upgraded her to a full-sized bed.
Those built-ins were a DIY that we planned to accommodate a twin or even a full bed, so it’s satisfying to see that vision fulfilled. We built the look by combining Ikea dressers with bookcases on top, then finishing them with crown molding and baseboard to appear built-in. It’s a project that’s very doable even for beginners and makes a huge difference in how functional the room feels.
One of my favorite additions are the brass and blue enamel sconces we installed on either side of the built-ins. I’d wanted sconces in that nook for a long time, and it finally made sense once the crib was gone. These are plug-in sconces, so there was no need to hardwire anything into the built-ins; the switch sits on the sconce base for easy access. We used adhesive cord clips to secure the cords along the baseboard, keeping them neat and out of the way. That setup has worked well for an older child in a bed where cords are less likely to be pulled on.
The art we added is another highlight. Our son is obsessed with rocks and bold color combinations right now, so a downloadable print that we had enlarged made a perfect, affordable focal piece. We purchased the digital file, printed an 18 x 24″ version locally, and framed it—together it was a budget-friendly way to get large-scale artwork that fills the wall.
To make the new bed cozy we used blue-and-white pinstripe sheets, a couple of bee pillows, and a long gray bolster with a zip-off cover. The duvet is the same simple Ikea cover we use in our bedroom. We also added a light pillow on the chair to echo the colors from the bed, and kept the side table, rug, and pouf that we’d found previously. Small, familiar pieces helped the refreshed room feel cohesive while still introducing new elements.
Even though the room moved away from many of the original forest green accents, we kept the cheerful closet door painted in Irish Moss by Benjamin Moore. That green ties in nicely with a large bike print that remains over the bookcase—a sentimental piece we rescued when a store changed displays years ago.
We converted the former changing table—an Ikea bookcase we wrapped in wood—back into a bookcase. Natural woven baskets stay in the cubbies, and I swapped out a couple of larger, baby-focused bins for smaller light-colored fabric bins that are easier for a three-year-old to pull in and out. The smaller baskets make toy cleanup more manageable and encourage independence.
One sentimental piece many people ask about is the whale we found at Pottery Barn Kids years ago. It still feels charming, and the shelf with the books was actually the first thing John ever built—he made it eight years ago, and it’s neat to see how his building skills have grown since then.
We also have a small sound machine that plays white noise from an old iPod—one of those everyday items that just keeps working and comforts him at bedtime. It’s become part of our routine and an amusing reminder of how some small things persist through sibling hand-me-downs.
Some readers have asked why we didn’t choose a full-sized bed right away. The room is much smaller than our daughter’s, and a full bed would feel cramped. He still uses the floor a lot for spreading out toys, so the daybed keeps the room balanced—sleeping space without sacrificing play area.
I also filmed a short video tour of the room so you can see it in action and get a closer look at the cord clips and closet. If you want to watch, the video is available on our channel and linked from the original post.
For a little perspective, below is a photo of the room when we first bought the house in 2012. It had old carpeting and pink trim at the time, so it’s been a dramatic transformation over the years. It’s fun to look back and see how far this space has come, even if it stays relatively unchanged for a while now that he’s settled into his big boy bed.
If you’d like to recreate the look, I put together a mood board of the items we bought and similar alternatives. For details about the nursery reveal, the built-in DIY, or how we wrapped the Ikea bookcase in wood, you can find those write-ups in previous posts on our site. For sources and paint colors used throughout the house, we maintain a Shop Our House page with those details.
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