CT Mommy Blog

Disclosure: 76th and Newbury provided me with a complimentary canvas in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.

We recently built what we hope will be our forever home. It’s perfect. I love it. The one thing I don’t love is how long it’s taking for it to feel like home. I had the idea in my head that it would be filled with beautifully decorated rooms, but that hasn’t quite happened. The truth is that after being here for 6 months most walls are still bare and there are plenty of unopened boxes crowding the closets. I knew that I needed to start making this house into a home so I started with one of the most fun rooms in the house. I transformed Andrew’s boring little walls into the ultimate Adventure Themed Toddler Room. I’m so excited with the final product and happy to share it with you today.

Andrew’s safari themed nursery was my favorite room in our old house. It had a striped focal wall, custom name art, and a gallery wall of pictures. I knew that many of the elements from his old nursery could easily be transformed into a toddler room. I wanted the new room to be an adventure theme. We took away some of the animal prints from the safari room but I knew that I needed to keep his 4-foot-tall giraffe. It was the first thing I bought for him when I learned I was expecting. It holds some sentimental value even though it has quickly become one of his favorite wrestling partners.

The room is painted in a medium gray tone. I love that the color goes with everything. We have dark hardwood floors throughout the house, and yes they show every scratch! Andrew’s floors were quickly covered up by a rug once I heard him dragging his toy box across the floor (Eeek!). The rug is awesome and I highly recommend it. It’s a shaggy rug which is super soft, hides dirt, and most importantly doesn’t shed- because who has time to clean up after a rug, too?

The gallery wall was the first thing completed in the room. Many of the prints and pictures are from the old nursery. There are even his baby footprint and newborn photos that I can’t imagine not including in his big boy room. I purchased a few new pieces that helped tie-in the adventure theme. Gallery walls are super popular now and you can find pieces everywhere. Most of our frames and prints came from Hobby Lobby, Target, and Etsy.

One of the new features of the room is the large world map canvas that hangs above the toy box. The canvas was made by a fellow Connecticut company, 76th and Newbury. I chose a piece from their large assortment of personalized gifts online and worked one-on-one with a designer (AKA Design Guru) to design a custom canvas. Through the design process I was able to choose the print type, colors, name and birthday. I’ve bought plenty of personalized products from comparable websites in the past but none of them have given me this kind of personal attention. I was given as many edits as I needed to get everything just right.

The vibrant colors on the canvas give a layer of whimsy and the printed name and birthday give a personal touch. I also really love the quote on the bottom (I’m pretty sure it’s from a Coldplay song). The quality of the canvas guarantees that this is a piece that Andrew can keep with him always. He can one day document his world travels with miniature flags and push pins. It matches the adventure theme of his room perfectly.

One obvious change from the nursery to a toddler room is the transition to a toddler bed. Andrew’s crib easily transitioned into a toddler bed (and then a full size). I added a new blanket to match his previous nursery sheets and a fun new pillow case. Above the bed I have his named spelled out on fabric covered canvas. I love the combination of the soft fleece fabric up against the dark colored wood letters. I’m still debating whether to add a striped wall behind the bed as in his nursery, but for now I’m content with the final product.

Andrew’s favorite addition to the room is the fun new teepee. It’s a great space for him to play, relax (as much as 2-year-olds can relax) and hide. I’m planning on filling it with pillows to make it a super comfy space and maybe adding some lights or garland around the top. I love the idea of him curling up in there and reading as he gets older. I’m also in love with the the little campfire pillow that I found for the space. It’s the details that make all of the difference.

I’m thrilled with the final product. I love how all of the patterns and textures work together (I was a little worried). The space is functional, yet still so much fun. I can really see this room growing with Andrew as he gets older.