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A Pretty Pet Friendly Nursery

Copy: Serena Faber Nelson

Photography: Serena Faber Nelson

Styling: Serena Faber Nelson

From the moment I discovered I was pregnant, creating a pet friendly nursery was on my ‘fun’ pregnancy to-do list. (On my not so fun list, throwing up more than I thought humanely possible, and having dreams about just how much I missed sushi. I really miss sushi.)

As Soda is such an integral part of our family, I knew I needed to create a space that was not only safe and comforting to our new two-legged addition, but mindful of our furry child’s needs and limitations as well.

So in amongst pinning the cutest and most impractical baby items for the nursery (Baby Moccasins? We NEED those! Elephant Rocker? She’ll use it when she’s 2! Decorative hats? We must make sure she starts out on the right side of fashion!) I also honed in on these pet friendly elements:

1. Puppy Rug

This one was a no brainer. It’s simply a comfy mat or rug that becomes your dog’s safe space when they are invited into the nursery.

In our case, our nursery has previously been used as a spare room, so Soda has rarely spent any time in there. But obviously, as we all start to spend more time in there she will, of course, want to be with us.

By taking the time to train Soda to ‘go to her mat’, if gives her a clear space where she can safely sit or lie down without being banished from the nursery. With Soda safely on her mat it then allows me the freedom to move about, nurse etc without tripping over Soda or having her jump up at an inappropriate time.

The funniest thing? Her puppy rug is now one of her go-to places for naps! If I ever can’t find her, I’ll go to the nursery and guaranteed there’ll she’ll be – all snuggled up.

A Pet Friendly Nursery | Baby Girl Nursery | www.prettyfluffy.com

2. Drawer Storage & Toy shelf

I specifically chose drawer storage for the baby’s items as open shelving holding clothing, wraps, nappies and baby goodies would just prove too enticing for Soda.

Same goes for not having a Toy Basket. After years of our pup having the only toy basket in the house, introducing a new basket full of plush, squeaky toys just seemed like an open invitation for trouble! Instead I opted for shelving for toys and books, so there’s no confusion as to who’s toys are who’s.

To be honest, I think Soda will quickly learn that the baby’s items are not for her, however by putting these design elements in place, it just makes things easier for everyone from the get go.

3. Locked Nappy Bin

I am not looking forward to nappies. Not one bit. One of my highlights of getting married was outsourcing Soda’s backyard poop patrol to my husband who doesn’t mind it as much. (And before you call me a princess, I did Soda’s poop for 9 years without complaint…and lets not even mention the time she vomited straight into my hands…)

So when I heard that dogs often have somewhat of an ‘affection’ for used nappies I went out and got a lockable nappy bin straight away. Soda is NOT getting anywhere near those things – no way, no how.

Tucked just behind the change/table dresser, it fits perfectly with the streamlined look of the room.

4. Baby Gate

For the times where Soda needs to be outside the nursery, I knew we needed a baby gate. With my last trimester to go I’m still in the deciding stage of which one to go with.

We considered doing this fabulous DIY Gate by Yellow Brick Home…but then realised our tool kit consists of a few screwdrivers and some pink craft paint. It might be just out of our league….

So I’m currently considering just a standard, white baby gate that allows Soda to look in and see/hear the action while being outside the nursery.

A Pet Friendly Nursery | Baby Girl Nursery | www.prettyfluffy.com

SHOP THE NURSERY

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PET FRIENDLY NURSERY – GET THE LOOK

I had SO much fun putting together our baby girl’s nursery. I tried to combine new pieces from my favourite stores and online small boutiques, with vintage pieces that had sentimental meaning. Here is the full list of stockists:

Dresser – 2 x MALM Chest of 3 Drawers from IKEA

Dresser Top – MALM from IKEA

Drawer Liners – Love Mae

Change Table Topper – Changing Pad and Chamois Cover from Pottery Barn Kids

Plush Rabbit – Jelly Cats Bashful Bunny from Seed

Painting – Elephant Parasol Art from Pottery Barn Kids

Storage Baskets – Nito Storage Baskets from Freedom

Glider – Graham Glider from West Elm

Ottoman – Graham Glider Ottoman from West Elm

Rugs – TEJN Faux Sheepskin from IKEA

Cot – Kendall Cot from Pottery Barn Kids

Love Heart Blanket – Incy Interiors

Laundry Basket – Nito Round Laundry Hamper from Freedom

Floating Shelves – Handy Shelf from Bunnings

Nighlight – Elephant Night Light from Infancy

Dumbo Print – Disneyland

‘Girl’s Best Friend’ Print – Coming to our NEW Pretty Fluffy Shop next month!

Books – Various Vintage

Bambi Figurine – Vintage (from my Nana)

Nappy Bin – Angelcare Nappy Disposal System

Bathtime & Grooming Kit – Hello World Gift Pack from Milk & Co Baby + Towels, Washcloths & Hooded Animal Wrap from Pottery Barn Kids

HANDY HINTS

  • For the higher end items in our nursery, they were nearly all bought on sale. I’d highly suggest signing up to newsletters for West Elm, Freedom, Pottery Barn Kids etc so you can nab your favourite items at 20-50% Off.
  • Look outside the square for reusable or repurposed items. One of my favourite features of the nursery are the cute drawer liners – they were a DIY project using the gorgeous gift wrapping range from Love Mae. To see the full DIY tutorial of our dresser/change table visit my Small Space Nursery DIY post over at IHeart Organizing.
  • Remember to include cruelty free nursery goodies where you can. For baby’s bath time and grooming kit I opted for the divine Milk & Co Baby Range as their products are all natural, come in 100% recyclable packaging and are not tested on animals.

If you have any tips for a newborn nursery, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Copy: Serena Faber Nelson

Photography: Serena Faber Nelson

Styling: Serena Faber Nelson

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Comments (71)

71 responses to “A Pretty Pet Friendly Nursery”

  1. What a beautiful nursery! I think it’s a lovely that you designed it with Soda in mind. Good luck on your last trimester!!! 🙂

  2. Gorgeous nursery! And I promise you can make the gate – or bribe a friend to do so with drinks and dinner 😉

  3. Such a gorgeous space. That mat sounds PAWsome.

    Given I was just over 12mths when The (Now) Toddler was born I was pretty hard work on mum so some things that we did:
    * Mum got a playpen that sat in the corner of the lounge room. Nope it wasn’t for me but for The Noisy One (as she was known as back then). Meant she could have tummy and floor time without having to worry about me stepping on her. (ps Mum also needed to cover the gap underneath the playpen as I kept pushing tennis balls under there to get attention).
    * Kongs and other food toys were used a LOT. Mum would often make a kong with kibble and peanut butter the night before so when she was doing that feed at 6 or 7am-ish when we used to walk I would have something to do. Having it made up the night before meant she wasn’t trying to get that ready and deal with a hungry baby.
    * I learnt to do a pretty good “drop-stay” (with treats telling me I was being good) while The Noisy One was spending time on the floor outside of the playpen… supervised by mum of course.

    Such an exciting time is coming Soda! And wait till they start eating and drop food on the floor!

    • Oh – these are such AMAZING tips – thankyou Bodhi & Mel!

      I was planning on the playpen too, but didn’t think of the tennis ball trick – too funny.

      Thankyou so much for the advice – love it xx

  4. This is a beautiful and soothing nursery! You made wonderful choices in everything.

  5. liz says:

    Serena! It looks beautiful! How exciting! xxx

  6. Kerry Martin says:

    WOW – so beautiful and pretty!

  7. Such a stunning and sweet space, lovely! Every corner is decorated with love and it shows. I am so excited for you guys. I can’t wait for her to arrive. <3

  8. Kelsey says:

    What a gorgeous post Serena! I love all of the thought you put into Soda for this upcoming chapter you are all about to embark on. It is so exciting and the tips are great for new moms … who were dog moms first! xx

    • Thanks so much Kelsey! It’s funny, being a dog-mum first has helped so much so far in preparation. I think its that knowledge that no matter what you’re all going to love each other to bits x

  9. Charlotte says:

    This is an amazing post! I am very much single without a dog, but I certainly plan for both baby and dog one day, and this made me very inspired! You have the coolest dog blog, of all the ones I have visited 🙂

    • Thanks Charlotte – your comment made my day! It reminded me of the days before I had a dog – I would stop dogs in the street to pat them! 🙂 I love being inspired and in turn inspiring others – so glad you enjoyed it xx

  10. Sara says:

    Beautiful! Perfect for your mini fluffy xx

  11. Eileen says:

    Your nursery is fabulous! And of course Soda is precious 🙂 I just love her! She’ll be a great dogsister….

  12. The perfect nursery! What is the color on the walls?

  13. Jennifer says:

    Do you have any idea how much I love the carpeting? Do you know what it is called? Thank you!

  14. Katie says:

    Super cute! Did you just tape the paper/liner in the drawers? Thanks!

  15. Julia says:

    The nursery turned out so beautifully! Awesome work! I’m so thankful for all of the tips in this post. We’ll definitely be getting Daphne her own special mat (love the one you chose! and so affordable, too!) and good idea on the toy shelf and addition of a baby gate! I love the one you linked to but it looks way beyond my skill level. I wish I could just buy it! You’ll have to let everyone know what you decide on for the baby/Soda gate! Congrats again and OMG you’re almost there! xo

  16. Wow, I love what you created Rene, it looks beautiful! I adore the arm chair in the corner and all of the muted pink tones paired with the grey – absolutely stunning. It’s great Soda has her own spot too + that she loves it – she’ll be spending a lot more time in there I’m sure! xx

  17. Victoria Cook says:

    This is by far the most beautiful nursery I have come across! As a fellow ‘crazy dog mama’ I love seeing other people as in love with their dogs as I am and not abandoning them when a baby comes along. Congratulations! xxx

  18. Alisha says:

    Hello
    Beautiful nursery! I was just wondering how the Graham Glider from West Elm has been holding up with comfort and spills?
    I’d love to get one just trying to justify the price!
    Thanks

    • Happy to report it’s been a godsend! My husband is literally using it right now as our bub loves to rock to sleep to it if she’s woken from a nap.

      I don’t use it for feeding as much (as I use the football hold); but I ADORE it for cuddling, reading time and gentle rocking.

      The fabric has held up so well and despite daily use for 3 months now it still looks brand new. It did develop a squeak at one point, but a quick spray of WD40 worked that out.

      Two big thumbs up from me!

    • Oh and PS. Don’t feel you must get the matching ottoman – it looks gorgeous, however you really could use any footstool as I found the rocking ottoman doesn’t make a difference to the rock of the chair – a stationary ottoman/footstool would work just as well x

  19. M.Klein says:

    How easy have your Malm chest of drawers been to slide in and out? I am doing another nursery for our second and am considering using these but know I need fast drawers for diaper changes! Thanks!

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