rooM to Grow

local moms share their nursery inspo as they prep space for newborn and beyond.

By Shana O’Malley-Smith

FFrom reading stories and rocking your baby to sleep to getting dressed and starting the day -- your baby’s nursery is where you’ll spend a good amount of time together during those first years. We talked to some Northeast Ohio moms who shared a few of their must-haves for making baby’s space comfortable and stylish.

WWhen Kelly Joles found out she was having a girl, she knew she wanted her daughter Becca’s room to have splashes of pink and feminine decor.

She went with neutral-colored paint and added a statement wall filled with pink, gray and white hearts.

“We tried so long to have her and hearts are a symbol of love and we were so excited for her to come,” Joles explains. “Plus, hearts to me, is something that can always be used. I think it's just something that can be used when they're little and when they get a little bit older.”

Other girly touches include a white dresser with crystal knobs, pink curtains and a pink rocking chair and ottoman.

“I definitely wanted the rocking chair pink, that had to be 100 percent pink,” she says. “I have a little lamp that has a heart on it. I really wanted more things that put the room together, I wanted more like little touches.”

Another must-have for Joles was the Newton Baby 100% breathable crib mattress and a non-absorbent, wipeable changing pad.

Joles also chose a crib that converts to a toddler bed and hopes that 1-year-old Becca will be able to use her furniture and the room décor into her toddler years and beyond.

Lexxie Hall of Massillon was also thinking pink when plan- ning the nursery for her now 5-month-old daughter Loftyn.

Hall chose a boho rainbow theme for the room, with muted shades of dusty rose, coral, tan, beige, white and brown.

She went with natural wood shelving and a side table, and a white dresser/changing table which was from Loftyn’s oldest sister’s room.

The crib is also a natural wood and converts to a toddler bed.

She added a large boho wall tassel above the crib, a flower shaped mirror over the dresser, a wooden rainbow and framed photo of Loftyn with her two big sisters.

“Decor overall will remain the same until she wants to change it or early elementary age,” she says.

For gear, Hall says she found the Diaper Genie convenient for nighttime diaper changes as well as a wipe warmer. A few other “must haves” for her are a sound machine, and the Owlet video monitor which can be used from your phone and also pairs with the Owlet sock (a sock that monitors baby’s heart rate and oxygen while they are sleeping).

Another pro-mom tip she shares is to keep “multiple diaper caddies stocked with diapers, wipes and cream for convenience of changing wherever you are.”

“My boys’ rooms are my two favorie rooms in the house,” Cuevas says. “I made sure it was a space that I felt the coziest in, and I want that to be their safe space when they go to bed. I want them to feel comfortable and relaxed.”

A popular nursery trend is keeping the main parts of the room neutral such as using neutral-colored paint and neutral furniture and adding detailed pieces that are easily changeable as your baby grows into toddler and childhood.

That’s just what Rocky River mom Aubrey Cuevas recently did for her almost 2-year-old son Ace.

“I used light tones with pops of color in his room, so he has a gray-blue wall and the rest of white,” she says.

Cuveas initially decorated his room with black and white animal photos but when he transitioned to a toddler bed, she updated his room with dinosaur-themed accents, which is one of his favorite things right now.

“It's cool with him now because he's at the age where I can decorate it based on what he likes rather than just my aesthetic pleasure,” she adds.

Cuevas, a social media influencer who is known for style, welcomed sons, Ace in 2021 and Axton in 2022, and it’s no surprise that their rooms match the aesthetics she’s known for.

“My boys’ rooms are my two favorite rooms in the house,” Cuevas says. “I made sure it was a space that I felt the coziest in, and I want that to be their safe space when they go to bed. I want them to feel comfortable and relaxed.”

Cuevas chose neutral tones for both rooms and each child has an accent wall with their names spelled out in large letters.

One-year-old Axton’s room is travel-themed, decorated with a globe and a map. She adds that both rooms are minimalistic so the boys associate their rooms with comfort and winding down.

“They don't have toys in their rooms yet because I try to distinguish when we go in our room, it's time for a nap or bedtime,” she explains.

They each have comfy chairs and some books that they use for their bedtime routine.

A few other baby room must-haves for Cuevas are the Hatch sound machine and the Vava split screen baby monitor so she can watch both boys on one monitor.