Building a nursery fit for a princess

Well, it turns out that our baby is still a little lady!  There are some days where it almost feels impossible that things could be going this well.  The past few years have been incredibly rough.  In the last five years alone I lost my grandma, dad, and one of my best friends while my husband lost his stepfather, grandfather, and uncle, and our marriage came close to dissolving.  We battled infertility and made some incredibly difficult decisions along the way.  There were times when I honestly felt like life was out to get me and nothing was going to work out.

Now, everything seems to not only have fallen into place, but my dreams are actually coming true.  While infertility makes you recognize the importance of conceiving, carrying, and delivering a healthy child regardless of its gender, I still always dreamed of having a little girl.  I dreamt of silk, ruffles and lace, piano lessons and watching her from the stands at horse shows.  I am so grateful to be having a little girl that I really can't put it into words...at least not enough to do my feelings any justice.

After having a perfect anatomy scan, I finally felt comfortable enough to start having some fun.  Our little princess is developing as perfectly as can be.  While visiting my mom for Christmas, we had a girl's day out - all three of us - to pick out baby's furniture.

I knew early on that I wanted to spend more on quality furniture that will last until our daughter moves out someday (in the very far off future) as opposed to baby specific furniture that will need to be replaced in a few years.  I also didn't want anything that screams BABY FURNITURE!!! which is what I found at Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, and even Pottery Barn.  For some reason, stark white furniture seems very childish to me.  I wanted antique white.

When I first started looking, I fell in love with this set from Restoration Hardware.  It was exactly what I envisioned for my little girl.  However, I really don't know much about RH or the quality of its furniture other than the fact that it's gorgeous and expensive.  Brick and mortar stores are hard to come by in my area, so my mom and I traveled about 45 minutes to the RH closest to her only to find that they had a measly selection when it came to furniture.  The sales girl also told us that only a handful of stores in the country carry their Baby & Child items.  This wasn't going to work for me.  I need to be able to see and touch whatever it is I am going to buy - especially if I'm about to spend thousands on it.

Unfortunately, I found a consumer affairs website on which RH had consistently poor customer reviews when it came to quality, customer service, and delivery issues - and I only read through the 2013 reviews.  The complaints were too similar for me to think that it's just a few cranky people posting on a website because they have nothing better to do.  I can't say whether or not this is a reliable site, but it certainly deterred me from purchasing the bedroom set (although I am going to keep my eye on the Colette headboard just in case it should go on final sale within the next year or so).

While in Restoration Hardware, however, I was able to see and feel some swatches for a few of the crib bedding sets I've been eyeing.  I had already ordered several swatches (all free of charge) online, but they hadn't come yet (actually, I've only received one at this point).  My mom and I ended up ordering the crib bumper and skirt from my favorite set, which is called Antique Floral (in Petal), because it was on final sale with an additional 10% off!

Restoration Hardware Crib Bedding in Antique Floral.  Color: Petal

The quilt shown in the picture is the Heirloom Quilted Voile Toddler Quilt.  I wasn't crazy about the swatch or the color so I didn't get that.  It wasn't as soft as I'd like it to be.  In fact, the bumper and skirt aren't very soft either (they're a linen blend so that's not shocking).  However, the baby isn't ever going to be snuggling with either of those so I didn't mind that so much.  I am in love with the soft colors and elegant pattern of this particular set.  

The only downside to this purchase is the fact that I paid $21 for standard shipping.  I think that's a bit high since shipping to the store isn't even an option.  When all was said and done, I paid $195 for the set, taxes and shipping.  

Next comes the actual nursery furniture!  My mom and I went to the furniture boutique where both of our bedroom sets were purchased.  My favorite thing about this store is that most (if not all) of the furniture they carry is solid wood - no veneer!  In other words, it is built to last.  With that being said, you definitely have to be prepared to spend big money on furniture if you shop here.  

My grandmother was a very smart woman who taught me a lot about life.  One of the things I learned from her is to never skimp on furniture - always buy quality.  All of the furniture in her house was made of solid wood and some of it still looks/ed brand new at over thirty years old.  I actually have a set of her club chairs and her dining room set in my house (they need to be reupholstered, but the bones are solid).  My grandma knew what she was doing, so I have no qualms about spending more money on something that I know will last for years to come.  

The set I chose is by a manufacturer called Redford House.  You can read about them here.  All of their furniture is made here in America using American hardwood, and their emphasis really is on quality.  

The Isabella dresser and nightstand together retails for about $4600 pre-tax.  Of course, I never buy anything at full price and was lucky enough to catch a holiday sale.  After tax it came to $3400 which is a savings of AT LEAST $1200.  I only ordered one nightstand for now because her nursery is way too small for two.  One may be a tight fit.    

It is true that I could have bought an entire set for much less than that but again, our daughter will have this furniture forever.  The bedroom set I grew up with had been my mother's.  So I know that quality furniture can last at least a couple of generations.  I wish I had kept that set, but who knew? 

Because we planned on spending more money on a dresser and nightstand, we decided to go with a less expensive crib.  Once upon a time I spotted a sleigh crib on Pottery Barn's website and loved it.  Unfortunately, it's no longer available.  Also, it only came in stark white which I'm not crazy about - especially since the rest of the furniture is antique white.  

My mother-in-law suggested JC Penney (which I never thought of because I don't shop there) and what do you know?  They have an off-white sleigh crib called the Savanna Bella which, of course, I nabbed on sale and with free delivery!  Well actually, the crib is a gift from my mother-in-law so she nabbed it :)  I can't find a picture of the crib anywhere except for the horrible stock photo that I have posted below.  It has a God-awful blanket covering the front of it.  

The crib is set to arrive in about two weeks, the bedding in four weeks, and the dresser and nightstand in 8-12 weeks.  The only thing left to do is wait!  

Isabella dresser, nightstand (both in Raw Cotton), RH Antique Floral crib bumper and skirt, JC Penney Savanna Bella Crib in off-white