And here she is… introducing GALAXY GIRL and she’s OUT OF THIS WORLD! It took making a second baby for me to finally grab a hold of this whole “nursery” concept, pushing past the Pinterest norms of baby pink bows and chevron grey drapes that I (very naively) thought ALL nurseries HAD to be. No, really… for my first baby, I didn’t even know it was feasible to find crib bedding, decor, and vibes that spanned beyond that classic Pottery Barn/ Restoration Hardware look that is so extremely NOT me!

This nursery proved to surpass my expectations in so many ways.

First, take a 50 square foot room. Yes, 50 square feet! Roughly the size of small master bathroom, a large kitchen pantry, a laundry room. You get the idea. 50 square feet of pure love, made possible by a room dividing custom bookshelf that sections this space off of the living room. Gotta love the craftiness of tight NYC living! Here’s how it all went down…

I met well-known nursery interior designer Lisa Janvrin from @youthfulnest right when I found out I was pregnant. I reluctantly enlisted her help after I realized I was in way over my head trying to design a feel-good nursery in such a tight space. {I say reluctant because I had never worked with an interior designer in my life before, and as a super type-A Virgo, it was hard for me to accept another’s opinion about decor.} Well, let’s just say that Lisa is an angel sent from above, because I could have never done this without her!

I selected Lisa's Premium Package which comes with a floor plan, color consultation, room installation guide, and personal shopper! The process was flawless from start to finish!

We designed the room around our @rebelwalls space-themed wallpaper. The theme was a no-brainer for me. I knew I wanted a Galaxy theme since I was naming my daughter Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky! The rest started falling into place…

Lisa pushed me to choose black furniture, which was a homerun for the space (again, took some convincing-- thanks Lisa)! The mellow black allows the wallpaper, rug, and small decor pieces to shine front and center, without the eyesore of any bulky furniture in its way. This mini crib from @projectnursery with @rookiehumans galaxy sheets was a natural fit for the space!

For a small space, each decor item has to make a statement in order for the room to feel just right. @paynesgreyhome was my go-to for this gorgeous plush rug, swooooonworthy end table, and pop of color throw blanket that I put over the glider. I’m so relieved to have finally picked furniture that’s innately ME, instead of pieces that look “quintessentially nursery” …. SNOOOOZE! 

And then my heart skipped a beat when this burgundy pouf arrived from @burkedecor. Are you sensing a theme here? Theme: No need to stick to children-like furniture in a nursery! This pouf can translate from nursery to living room to foyer in the blink of an eye. Regal realness!

Let me put a little PSA out there. It really helps to have a baby daughter if you already have an older one! Vega’s closet filled up FAST with all of Sunday’s favorite old clothing. That was certainly a stress-reliever-- no need to shop. Um.... ok, ok, ok, don’t worry… I’ll still shop plenty!

We hired @Wall2WallNY to build a custom bookshelf room divider to make this nursery as space efficient as possible. Wall 2 Wall was able to build a realistic space around my exact needs, and it’s all temporary! When we move in a few months, the bookshelf will come down without a trace. They can build temporary walls, doors, bookshelves, and more. They were a dream to work with in NYC. Mention ELSHANE to them for 10% off your installation.

I did call on the classic nursery gods for one thing… my @PehrDesigns bins! Because, let’s be honest, what nursery is complete without them? These canvas bins are the perfect organizational tool for any nursery-- providing toy storage, diapering storage, and a cute laundry situation, in a plethora of color options. I went with navy and blush pom poms, a little yin and yang!

Styling the built-in bookshelf gave me all the mama bear vibes. A nursery can never have enough books, special plush stuffed animals, and @venusetfleur flowers. Also, I found these milestone blocks on @etsy and plan to use them for weekly/monthly baby photos!

And can you even spy my @googlenest camera? It blends in perfectly on the bookshelf…

Selecting art for the walls was fun… well, let’s be honest… this was all Lisa, too! These whimsical prints from @kiscoprintshop were the perfect addition to the space, and I framed them in these affordable gold frames from @target, then wove the colorful @shopleokids tassel garland in between the art. 

Of course, the V baseball cap from @reytoz gives the room a personal touch, and the @babyjives moon and star mobile is another nod to her special name.

Throughout our few months of decorating, Lisa and I joked that we belong in an episode of HGTV’s Small Rooms show (if that show even exists yet). Every inch of this space was precisely measured, built and executed around the most practical furniture that would fit. I’ll always look back on this nursery design and be proud of the larger than life feel of the very small space.

It’s a super small room, with a whole lotta LOVE.

Photographed in NYC by Chiara Mecozzi