
Its a long story but my boys {age 6 and 22 months} share a 9 x 10 room because I am too protective to let them sleep upstairs where there is more room..i am weird like that! And {knock on wood} its working, its actually very convenient to have all of their clothes and sleepin area and one spot and most toys upstairs. What is really funny is that before i could fully blog the room, i already changed it! I have painted one wall with vintage green chalkboard paint, changed the art over the crib a zillion times including wallpapering a map on the wall, and repainted the frame around the rhino. and have already changed out the dresser! Here are some more photos..see if you can follow!

The crib and bed are both white which i think helps with the small space. The walls are Laura Ashley STONE 2 from Lowes, they have been repainted this same color three times over the years!

BEFORE: BLACK CHALKBOARD DRESSER
This shot shows the short cowboy drapes (this fabric is discontinued sorry to say)..i love the length and you notice the rain boots are sitting on a black chalkboard dresser..it is now gone for the gray dresser that WAS in the dining room before the piano arrived!
AFTER: GRAY DRESSER!
{photography of my boys was done by Feather Nest Photography..thanks Allison..and the canvas were made by Color Inc..amazing job! we love them!}
I like the gray dresser better but wish it was larger! And after all you can’t have a black chalkboard dress and a green chalkboard wall right..too much chalkboard paint for even me! right? and i used the chalk marker and it wouldn’t erase anyway…a good reminder to season it correctly!

So the BLACK chalkboard dresser is in the attic awaiting its next mission in life and the gray dresser is being used until i find something longer and the wall is now chalk..follow that? ha!

Not styled. You can’t really see it here but there is a giant linen board leaning above the dresser to display schoolwork etc…

above the crib early in process

Cute monogram art from Small Words but my little man child kept pulling it off the wall!

SO now it is chalkboard paint..i used the cottage living recipe from their idea house (see it posted here on the Lettered Cottage blog!) BUT the Dutch boy color Dry Basil did not work for me… I used Martha’s Saguaro green paint color and just added grout! works perfect..its the perfect old school look! And i used dustless chalk don’t worry!

The baby blanket has also been altered since its beginning.remember the dahlia print, now it has been resurfaced in Thomas Paul’s OCEANIA fabric…this is a great fabric for boys..it has turtles, octopus, crab, etc…so fun! The cribskirt is from a twin sheet set i bought at target..i use the fitted sheet on Drew’s bed and used the flat to make (and by that i mean have someone else make) a cribskirt..i love it!


The mobile is from Spare Bedroom Studio and i love that the bookpage birds mirror the bookpage decoupaged rhino over Drew’s bed!

I love how this finally turned out…i tried the wallpaper map and he picked at it and it was too busy visually..i think the chalkboard wall will grow with the boys much better than the map though i still love the look.

You can see here where i used the other part of the sheet set on Drew’s bed..i hot glued burlap to the box spring to cover it!

oh yes i did!

And honestly i didn’t know how well this collage on the wall would “wear” but it hasn’t been knocked off….yet!

Its driving me nuts i don’t have a better photo to show y’all of the frame around the rhino painted a muddy FARROW AND BALL sample pot color (Charleston gray) Finally a use for the zillion sample pots of paint i have collected..use them to paint frames and other knick knacks that need “tweaking!”

So can you see the difference? its a fuzzy photo but the rhino frame looks so much better the greige color than the sick yellow don’t you agree? This may be confusing but illustrates how it really takes time and effort to get a room just right, or at least close enough you can live with it!..sometimes you have to repaint frames, and walls and change out dressers before things work! The details drive me crazy but make it work too!

Last but not least the light! I used a pendant from Barn light electric and it looks so boyish and just completes the eclectic vibe i wanted to go with…they have such a great selection and help you get exactly what you need to fit your space and install!

So there it is….imperfect, poorly photographed but lovingly executed and highly “used” by two rowdy boys…and all close in location so their mama can check on them in the night!