Su Casa member mianakao recently moved into a new home, and turned this dull room into something absolutely spectacular. Her fabulous results prove that even the most dull room can be transformed into a gorgeous, glamorous space with a little imagination and a lot of hard work.
She writes, "We just moved into our new house (a sprawling foreclosure), so I had free reign with this room! As you can see in the before photo, the room was dull, dingy, and needed lots of TLC."
The results are truly astounding. To see how mianakao turned this dingy, dull space into a beautiful nursery, read more.
Can you even believe it's the same room? I am truly amazed! Mianakao explains, "My goal was to use black and white in a tasteful way to help the baby's visual development. My first choice was stripes around the room, but I figured that might just make the baby dizzy after a while. So, instead, I went with a high-gloss black latex paint, and brightened up the room with tons of white. (The green is an after thought accent color to warm up the space)."
"Also, in an effort to be somewhat creative, I stuck a vinyl decal of a tree on the wall, painted over it, and then cut out the vinyl with an X-acto knife. Had I thought ahead, I could have incorporated the accent green on the tree. Sticking a vinyl decal on the wall wasn't creative enough for me . . . and I didn't want to deal with all of the air bubbles."
I also love that mianakao kept to a strict budget for this makeover. She writes, "Since we're in a tight economy, everything you see (with the exception of the crib and the chandelier) was found on Craigslist. Nothing was over $40! I also found items for free from the freecycle network. I just sanded the furniture and painted it flat white to match everything else in the room . . . well, my husband handled all the hard work. Small accents like the beautiful black and white crystal chandelier just added a touch of chic for our new baby girl!"
Take the full tour when you check out the gallery. I'm truly inspired!

Bric's
Giorgio Fedon
Elizabeth Arden
That's a nursery? Wow it's gorgeous.
1wow i can't believe that is for a child. it's super chic... very very creative!
i want to see the rest of the photos but it says i don't have permission :[
2holy moly i cannot find gorgeous mirrors like that on my local cragslist! (vancouver) and for less than $40?!
3You have exquisite taste on a realistic budget! I am blown away on the transformation. Great job, willing to consult in a few months??
4Well done!
5This is stunning!!
6LOL I agree, regarding the mirror comment, I stalk craigslist for mirrors and never find good stuff!
I would love to see pics in daytime. It's gorgeous but way too dark. The furniture is beautiful and my mom has that exact picture of the woman with the lillies! lol, i guess it's not as original as they told her!
7It's very chic and well done, really! but for a baby?...
8what about animals, flowers, cars, colors, letters, paintings... things that will make the room more childish?...
Oh my God, that is amazing! I love the wardrobe
9cannot believe so many items in this room were found for under $40!
10why is nothing this cheap in the uk!
It is a gorgeous room but just not for a nursery. To each their own but I am all about fluffy and frilly nurseries.
11Hi guys! Thanks for all the comments!! I know the black isn't for everyone, but I really wanted to make a room that our daughter could grow into...and one that would remind her to be a sophisticated lady.
As time goes on, the room will go through many transformations and I'm sure all of her toys, clothes, blankets, etc. will bring the "baby" dimension to the room flawlessly.
Thanks again for the comments!
12Mia
Simply stunning! I LOVE dark nurseries. I've always wondered why people impose gross, pastel color schemes on babies. Mianakao is right--her daughter will grow up with fantastic style!
13Also, this reminds me so much of the nursery/kid's room of Jenna Lyons, JCrew's creative director...it was featured in one of the last issues of Domino (RIP).
http://www.timelesstreasuressf.com/2009/01/we-spy-domino-magazine-showca...
14i loooooooooove this room!
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