Today is a VERY special day for me because today I get to brag about my wildly talented cousin Becca and the truly incredible job she did designing her precious baby boy, Sunny’s, nursery. Get ready for some chic DIYs that you’ll want for your own rooms! Becca is an EHD-alum (I owe her everything!) and has such a special eye for all things design so no one who knows her was surprised it turned out so perfect. It’s pretty awesome to have another design-obsessed weirdo in the family that only lives 15 minutes away from you:) The first time I saw this room finished I got really emotional. Becca was pumped lol. I think her exact words were “I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction.” Now, despite our family’s genetic disposition of being big sappy criers, I don’t typically cry upon entering a pretty room. But clearly, this was different. My baby cousin was having her first baby and the love and care she poured into this room was palpable. So when she mentioned she wanted to find a photographer for a newborn photoshoot I suggested EHD alum, Veronica. Her portraits are so special and I may have thrown out the idea that since she also is amazing at interior photos, maybe she could snag a few shots of the nursery since Becca had worked so hard on it. Was I selfishly thinking we could use them on the blog?? I’ll never say! But I mean…two birds amirite?? Becca admitted to also thinking the same thing:)

I sent Becca a bunch of questions so we could get inside the mind of this DIY/style genius. I started my journalistic deep dive with a pretty standard but I think, important question:

What was the inspiration for the room? Did anything spark the overall look?

“I think Sunny’s name was the initial inspiration. We knew we wanted to name our baby Sunny whether we were having a boy or a girl. We found out we were having a boy and I knew I wanted to create a fun, cheery, gender-neutral space. So much nursery decor is either some hue of pink or some hue of blue and I didn’t want to be boxed in – so I just looked for colors I liked from sources that weren’t specifically designed for children. I did A LOT of searching on Pinterest to figure out how I wanted to add color to the walls without it feeling overly baby, but still feel youthful and fun. I fell in love with the two pillows I found for Sunny’s glider and used those as the starting point for everything else.” 

Dresser | Floor Lamp (DIY!) | Red Spray Paint | Toy Giraffe | Glider | Sun Pillow | Stitched Cowboy Pillow | Curtains | Blackout Shades | Curtain Rod | Curtain Rings | Side Table | Rug

This is the view when you first walk into this room. The colors she chose are the ideal mix of a soft warm hug and happy pops of playfulness. It feels perfect for a nursery but since most of what she bought wasn’t baby-specific, almost all of the pieces have serious longevity. But now let’s get to the first high-impact DIY…

What’s the story behind the lamp and were you nervous to paint it? Any spray painting tips/how long did it take?

“So I actually found the red lamp on the street a few years ago, SCORE! It was black originally and pretty scratched up so I knew it needed a revamp before moving into the nursery. I watched the EHD unexpected red theory video on Instagram and was sold! I had to try it. It was actually pretty easy and quick. I did a little taping, set up an outdoor space with some cardboard to contain the mess, layered on two super intense masks (because I was very pregnant), and got to it! A couple of spray painting tips: 1) definitely follow the directions on the can, spray from a slight distance, and allow a little dry time in between coats so you don’t get drip marks. 2) don’t do it under a tree, I learned that the hard way. You get lots of fallen leaves and pollen stuck in your wet paint!”

Painting something you already have isn’t a new idea but man is this example a great reminder to go for it. When she asked me what I thought of painting it red after she saw our reel, I immediately said, “YES”! Plus, like she said it was a little beat up but the shape is so good that giving it a new very fun life was the perfect way to add that pop to the room.

Art (vintage) | Changing Tray | Checkered Changing Cover

Now, each piece of art has a personal story which automatically gives the room soul, charm, and personality. And this circus piece is one of my favorites:

“We found the circus painting at a vintage shop in San Diego. It was actually the first thing we bought for the nursery. The Ringo Starr art over the crib is an actual animation cell from The Beatles Yellow Submarine movie. I have a dog named Ringo and a husband who’s beyond obsessed with the Beatles, so it was his present last Christmas. All the little Beatles knick-knacks throughout the room were his as a little kid.”

Pendant | Crib | Mobile Attachment Arm | Mobile | Crib Mattress | Fitted Sheet | Cloud Mat | Baby Gym Frame | Baby Gym Toys | Ceiling Paint Color | Wall Paint Color

Ok first we’re going to talk about DIY #2 then we’ll touch on a hot topic I’m sure at least half of you are wondering about…why did she choose a white gilder and a white rug??

Did you paint the ceiling or did the painters?

“Yep! Another crazy pregnant project! I painted that bad boy myself, with a bit of assistance from Jason (I did it right after the closet, so I was tired!!).”

How did you decide on the width of the painted trim?

“I talked to my beautiful cousin, Jess!!! Her suggestion was to make sure it didn’t line up with any of the door frames or the curtain rods. So either go higher or lower. Of course I knew how high I was going to hang the curtains because of the handy-dandy EHD curtain hanging guide (can you tell I’m an alum/avid follower?). So I picked to have the ceiling color go lower to pack a bit more of a punch. Quick tip for painting this one because you DO want a perfectly straight line: after you tape, use the edge of a credit card and run it firmly along the edge of the tape to really get out any air bubbles and gaps.”

Ha. I totally forgot we talked about it when I asked her this question but so happy my advice was helpful!

I’m sure you are getting why the love was so palpable when I walked in because her literal sweat and maybe a few tears went into this room (no blood to my knowledge, thankfully!)

How has the white glider and rug been holding up?

“Ok I know this is going to be a comments topic – what was I thinking putting so much white upholstery in a baby’s room?! So impractical, right?! WRONG! I did my research, y’all. 1) the rug is washable, and while it’s way too big to actually fit in a washing machine, I have a similar one in my living room and it cleans like a dream. Plus, I read a ton of great reviews of it from other parents. 2) the glider is white, yes, but here’s my logic: so is baby spit-up! It’s already been projectile spit up on and you’d have no idea. Plus the boucle fabric is forgiving.”

Next up, isn’t a DIY but it is a Facebook Marketplace vintage find! But since she was clearly in a DIY mood she wasn’t sure if she also wanted to give this vintage tall dresser a little refresh. I thought it would be fun to show you our little text convo about it (while also revealing that I am a notoriously delayed texter and I can’t seem to stop (though honestly, only a day behind is pretty good for me). I wasn’t always this way! Maybe a good 2025 New Year’s resolution:))

Here’s the dresser’s origin story:

“Found the vintage dresser on Facebook Marketplace for $200! It was actually a prop on a TV show apparently, so that’s fun. I thought about refinishing it a bit but ultimately decided to leave it as is. Partially because I was entering my 3rd trimester and too freaking tired! But I think it was the right call. I like the warmth it adds to the space. I was a little hesitant about how many dressers there were in this room: the vintage one, the built-in one in the closet, and the one used for the changing table. That’s a lot of drawers!! But it’s been amazing – you can never have too much baby storage.”

Ah, it’s perfect! Her exhaustion really paid off because I love that the handles stayed light. Staining them dark wouldn’t have worked with how the room turned out. I also love how the body’s wood ties in with the wall shelves. Chef’s kiss Becca!

But the real chef’s kiss are those painted stripes. TO DIE FOR. The closet didn’t come with doors so they had to make the decision to either enclose or embrace. And ummm, embracing was the right choice if you ask anyone with eyes.

Let’s get into the process:

“I used 1-inch tape, but the width of each stripe is kind of in between tape sizes so I measured the width I wanted each stripe to be and made little tick marks in pencil across the bottom of the wall and then used a laser level to create a straight line up the wall and taped along that. It probably would have been much easier if I made the stripes the same size as an existing size of painter’s tape, but I like to make things difficult, so I had to layer multiple pieces of tape to get the width of each stripe. The closet stripes BY FAR took the longest of anything in the room. Taping was a big part of that”

“But before I started I got some tips from a couple of my favorite muralists (@tolahome) about how to create my imperfect stripe. Y’all ready? Start by creating a PERFECT stripe. Sounds like unnecessary extra work, but it was very necessary. Tape it all off, don’t worry about any little paint leaks under the tape that happen because you’re going to make them imperfect anyway. After painting remove all the tape, get a smaller angled paint brush, and then hand-trace the outline of each stripe to get it to look “imperfect”. Don’t try to be imperfect, because, believe me, trying to hand-paint it perfectly straight will be imperfect enough. And start practicing your hand painting in an area that won’t be seen easily (you don’t want to see what the stripes look like behind that dresser). Also if you’re 6 months pregnant like I was, it’s very helpful to recruit a partner or friend to get the hard-to-reach areas that your belly just won’t let you get into. Overall it took about a week of pretty long days to complete.”

Mint Frame | Hangers | Size Dividers

The imperfectness is so so perfect!

Do you have a favorite part of the room? Does Jason?

The stripes are definitely my favorite part. They’re just so fun! I specifically love the corner with all the cute hanging baby clothes, the framed photo of Jason’s mom, and the stripes in the background! The stripes are Jason’s favorite too. He says he loves how it ties the whole room together. So they were definitely worth the trouble.

Mini Basketball Net

Whose idea was the basketball hoop?

“Instagram’s idea. The ad algorithm knows me way too well. It’s clearly more for Jason and me right now, but eventually Sunny will appreciate it too.”

Wall Shelves | Pink Frame | Green Bench

How sweet is this little family!? All the photos Veronica took completely captured their essence:) If you live in Southern California hire her! Arlyn and Sara have also hired her for engagement and family shoots and they are just as special.

Ok back to Becca!

About how long would you say it took?

“Maybe a few months total. I’m already someone who constantly has home design on the brain, so when the nesting phase of pregnancy hit, it hit HARD AND FAST. I did an endless stream of photoshopping in and out different items to see what I liked best. The painting was the longest/hardest part – it took MUCH longer than I expected. Mainly because I was obsessed with the idea of “perfectly imperfect” stripes. Too straight and they wouldn’t have the whimsy that I wanted; too messy and they’d look, well, messy. And I couldn’t find wallpaper with the color/design of stripe I wanted so I decided I had to do it myself. While very pregnant.”

Now after having that sweet baby, is there anything you want/need to add?

“Honestly no! There are a few practical things we have in there that are missing from the photos: a monitor, diaper pail, sound machine, yoga ball (because this kid needs constant bouncing). But that’s about it!”

When you were designing were you thinking of longevity as he gets older?

“Yes! I think everything could easily transition to a fun toddler room and beyond. Jason was a little concerned that the ceiling was a little too pink and that Sunny wouldn’t like it as he got older, but pshhh! If he hates it, we’ll paint it a different color. Right now we just have to love it. And honestly, it’s my favorite room in the house!”

For some reason Becca “forgot” to answer my final question: Is it hard being so cool and beautiful and good at everything? I’m guessing it comes very natural to her:) Well, it was a pleasure getting to share a little piece of my heart with you all today. I couldn’t be happier for Becca and Jason and might be a little jealous of Sunny having probably the most perfect room. Becca, you nailed it (duh) and hopefully someday we can share more of your beautiful home<3

Love you, mean it.

*Design by Rebecca Butler
**Photos by Veronica Crawford