Twin Boy Nursery with Arhaus
I am so thrilled to finally share our finished nursery in partnership with Arhaus. My plan was to post this BEFORE the boys were born, which I am so thankful for, as it’s the only reason that it was complete before their surprise early arrival.
We had previously used this room for Nell’s nursery but had already converted it to a guest room after we moved her into the larger bedroom since we didn’t think we’d be able to have more children. Funny enough the second bedroom (now Nell’s room) is abnormally large because the people that built this house had twin boys and a girl! We didn’t want to move her again so we decided to make the smaller room work for the boys as their nursery. For the third time, we contemplated painting it but fell in love with the color so we patched a few nail holes and saved ourselves a paint job (it’s Green Tint by Benjamin Moore and was here when we moved in). We still loved the window treatments and light fixture so we were able to work with those as well.
Our main objectives for the room were to maximize the space noting we needed two full-size cribs and to create a room that would grow with them as they get older. Our partners at Arhaus were up for the challenge and gifted us a few thoughtful pieces that ended up being the cornerstones of our design:
The Helen Six-Drawer Dresser: this is my favorite piece of furniture in our house. The marble drawer pulls make such a statement and are also handy for opening drawers with one hand when navigating changing squirmy babies. Most importantly, it’s solid wood (quality that will grow with them) and the drawers are SUPER deep. Shallow, tight drawers are my #1 pet peeve with modern-made furniture and this dresser restored my faith in continuing to invest in a few newer pieces. The drawers are so large that I’ve been able to use one drawer per size of clothes and STILL have plenty of room to spare. They are also tall enough that diapers fit in the drawers standing up which makes restocking super easy. I also just really liked the design of this dresser - it’s so different but the simple lines make it an easy classic that I know we will use for the boys for years.
The Myles Martini Floor Lamp: The name of this one cracks me up but it’s easily the hardest working piece in the room. It’s substantial and very solid with the marble base (not tippy) and eliminated the need for a side table by our rocker. This was critical in helping us maximize the space without sacrificing functionality - it hold bottles during night feeding, books for bedtime stories, really any thing you need to put down while holding baby. Everyone told me that I absolutely needed a table with a drawer when we had Nell but I have to tell you I have found this piece to be much more useful.
The Round Channel Leather Pouf: We knew we couldn’t accommodate an ottoman with both cribs but also knew from Nell that we needed a sturdy footrest for late-night rocking. We had a simple stool for her and it wasn’t heavy enough - it slide around and drove me crazy! This pouf is nice and heavy so it doesn’t move while rocking but can easily be slid out of the way. The leather is the most beautiful shade of cognac and will last a lifetime.
The textures and finishes of these three pieces were the foundation of room, building off of the one-of-a-kind vintage rug. I love the balance of the warm brass floor lamp, rich leather ottoman, and the cool marble knobs.
The rest of the room came together easily - my favorite crib sheets from Burt’s Bees Baby, a cushy velvet pillow in the perfect shade of green and linens for the boys in a neutral ticking stripe (unable to link as the store is now closed - they are a small Danish brand). I love little touches to really make a space feel special and our friends at Monogram Mary added sweet custom embroidery to their keepsake pillows. My heart still skips a beat when I see “Hall Boys” written out :) Lastly I added a special heirloom stuffy for each, a floppy bear for Clark and a goose for Penn.
I used to be super intimidated by art but have gotten better about not taking it too seriously and just having fun with it! This Yuki Osada Bunny Print was my biggest splurge but I absolutely love the subtle nod to twins and know that it will look great in other places in our home when the boys no longer want bunnies in their big kid room :) The large landscape is a antique store find, it hung in a law office at some point! The dog picture is a playful “family portrait” Etsy find representing Nell and her two new buddies. Speaking of Nell, the final piece is one of her original paintings and I think it’s the perfect touch.
The sailboat photographs over the cribs have lived in several places in our homes over the years - they are original photos from our friend Matt Albiani’s amazing store Mate Gallery and are so special to us. If you look closely you can see each boat is manned by two men and you can see one boat in the background of the second photo. I love the nod to brotherhood and thought they’d be right at home in the twin’s room for now!
Wall color: Benjamin Moore Green Tint
Bookends and other accessories: vintage
Small blankets: gifted + Homegoods
Please feel free to ask for any other sources in the comments!
Thank you to Arhaus for generously partnering with us on this special space and providing the lamp, leather pouf, and dresser that the boys will enjoy for years to come. We are lucky to have several pieces from Arhaus in our home and greatly appreciate the quality and workmanship of their family business. If you live locally - they are opening a store at Westfarms Mall soon!
All photographs by Pat Dugan
