Baby Gear
Turning Your Closet Into A Nursery + A Huge Stokke Giveaway
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Maria Del Rio
Aug 5, 2015
Space an issue in your home? We’re assuming the majority of you are nodding your heads. Such was also the case for Angela Tafoya, Refinery29’s San Francisco Editor, when she found out she was (unexpectedly) pregnant. Faced with being forced to move out of her centrally located, open-plan apartment, she and her artist fiancé Eric Bailey got inventive with what they had, eventually converting a walk-in closet into a roughly 65-square-foot nursery for their baby girl. Luckily, skimping on space didn’t mean sacrificing style. The couple set the tone of baby Talula’s tiny room with Stokke’s ultra-modern Sleepi Mini crib, which sits at a mere 26-inches wide, with the ability to grow with your child (all the way up to 10-years-old—just add extensions!), as well as Stokke’s sleek matching dresser. The result? Nothing short of miraculous.
Check out the space in our slideshow, and enter to win your own Stokke Sleepi crib and matching Stokke Care changing table (a combined $1298 value!) by doing ONE of the following: Visit Stokke.com and check out the goods, then leave a comment below with your dream color combo. Or Instagram an image from this post, with the hashtag #StokkeSleepiGiveaway and tag @StokkeBaby and @mothermag. One lucky, random winner will be contacted at the end of August. Good luck!
This post comes courtesy of Mother + Stokke
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- A look at Angela's closet before the transformation into her baby's nursery.
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- Another glimpse at the wardrobe-and-vanity combo.
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- Now, revamped as baby Talula's 65-square-foot nursery! Keep clicking to find out how they did it.
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"It actually wasn’t. My first reaction was that we were going to have to move, which stressed me out, especially considering how high San Francisco rents are. It really wasn’t until a few weeks in when I took a look at the closet one day and a lightbulb moment happened. After that, I searched Google for closet nurseries and was so surprised to see how many people made it work! And, since mine was a walk-in (many online pictures weren’t), I was confident we could maximize space and make it a livable area for our baby."
Stokke Sleepi Mini, $599, Stokke.
Stokke Home Dresser, $549, Neiman Marcus.
Mangas Mini Caramelo Area Rug by Patricia Urquiola for GAN Rugs, $600, AllModern.
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"I’m not super big into themes, but we did want a loose one for the nursery just so that it felt cohesive. I decided to stick with a tropical feel—bright colors, fruits, prints. I’m really happy with the theme we decided on, because it allowed us to be creative and we weren’t restricted to gender-specific designs or items. Since I’m not really into overly girly décor or clothing, I knew I wanted something that felt bright and interesting, and didn’t take the traditional route. My last two vacations were in Mexico, so I think I was still really inspired by the art and vibe there. I added little things like a watermelon-shaped Land of Nod pillow (which I saw on Mother!), a Group Partner boob vase, and other little objects that make it feel vivid. The main focus was really around the bright, gender-neutral colors and interesting textures."
Acapulco Rocking Side Chair by Innit, $450, AllModern.
Saelfie Pillow, $59, Aelfie.
Sustainable Threads Sunset Cotton Throw Pillow, $31, AllModern.
String Lights, $39.95, Bright Lab.
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- "We got a print from Minted, which has her birthstone on it. It’s a really pretty green and goes with the tropical vibe well. They have a line of birth gem prints that are so perfect for a baby’s room." Framed Peridot Print, $68, Minted.
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- "The space is probably about 60 or 70 square feet. Organizational concerns came to mind: Where am I going to store all my stuff? Is this really going to work? And, of course, the concern with putting the baby in the closet—like, is this safe or are we weird for doing this?! But once we spruced it up and took out the shelving and got it looking like a real room, it actually made so much sense." Venice Sunrise Basket, $88, Eliza Gran.
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"We ended up removing all the shelving, building a curtain barrier to actually cover my clothes, so we didn’t need to figure out a new spot for them. Stokke makes an amazingly functional (and gorgeous!) mini-crib, which we put in the space. And surprisingly, I had enough room for the matching Stokke dresser, which gave me a place to put all her belongings, and a rocking Acapulco chair. Really, once the shelving was out, it all came together. I was actually shocked at how it felt so much bigger as a nursery versus a closet. We gave the ceiling a very light pink paint job, which opened it up."
Stokke Sleepi Mini, $599, Stokke.
Stokke Home Dresser, $549, Neiman Marcus.
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"I am obsessed with the crib—honestly it’s like it was made for our space! It’s Stokke’s Sleepi Mini Crib and the great part about it is it extends, so it can grow with her, as she gets older or when we move into a bigger space. But, really, it is the perfect size for a closet nursery right now. The design is really up our alley, too, and is so unique and like no other cribs I’ve seen. Since we live in a loft-like space, the fact it has wheels is nice, too. So, we can move it around the house. I love the little mobile stand attached. I ordered the Themis mobile to hang on there. It was one of the first pieces of décor for the nursery and kind of set the tone for the palette (teal, coral, orange)."
Stokke Sleepi Mini, $599, Stokke.
Themis Prism Mobile, $45, A+R.
Watermelon Pillow, $19, Land of Nod.
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"The dresser has been so amazing to have. As mentioned, we don’t have a ton of storage space, so being able to place the dresser in the nursery so she has a special place for all her belongings is so convenient. To be honest, I didn’t really know what I was going to do, or where I was going to put her stuff. It still blows my mind how the dresser and crib fit in there and it doesn’t look too cluttered. They're both Stokke, so I also love how the crib and dresser wood match perfectly. We got the little block set in the windowsill from AllModern, as well as the Fatboy lamp on the shelf above. I ordered the basket from Eliza Gran, whom I discovered on Instagram! Her pieces are so bright and colorful and perfect for placing toys and blankets! I know I’m going to order like 10 more as the baby accumulates more stuff over time."
Stokke Home Dresser, $549, Neiman Marcus.
Venice Sunrise Basket, $88, Eliza Gran.
White Ceramic Pineapple, $40, Bellacor.
Jess Brown Sparkle Sprite Doll, $234, Sweet William.
Petit Fatboy Lamp, $89, AllModern.
Alphabet Letter Blocks by Jacob Riley-Wasserman for Areaware, $72, AllModern.
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"The shelf was actually the only one left over from the shelving that lined the closet. We figured it was smart to keep one for storage purposes. My fiance Eric literally just made that with a slab of wood from Lowe’s—easy peasy. I’ve been following local doll designer Jess Brown for a while, so of course was thrilled when Tallie got gifted one! They are so beautifully made. This one is from Sweet William. Also, we have a few of her books she’s received on display. I can’t wait to read them to her!”
Jess Brown Sparkle Sprite Doll, $234, Sweet William.
Petit Fatboy Lamp, $89, AllModern.
Alphabet Letter Blocks by Jacob Riley-Wasserman for Areaware, $72, AllModern.
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- "The photo was kind of a random addition. It’s a picture I took while in Mexico City, visiting Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s house. I love the deep blue walls with the green plants. I just stuck it up there with washi tape. The photo is from a card Eric made for me for Mother’s Day. I figured why not add some personal elements to her room? I can’t wait to litter this wall with family photos."
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"Oh definitely! When I was in NYC for a work trip, Eric made me a walk-in closet as a Christmas gift. I was surprised with it when I got home. It was a great little haven for dress-up and getting ready, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it a little. I figured this was a perfect time to have a big tag sale and get things I don’t wear out of the mix. Right now, my clothes I've kept are all behind the white curtain (which was an Ikea hack), but the shoes and bags had to move somewhere else. They are stored in a space near our bed (a built-in shelf). My stuff definitely feels a bit scattered, but it works. I minimized a lot of my jewelry and other items and bought bins from Ikea to store them in."
Acapulco Rocking Side Chair by Innit, $450, AllModern.
Saelfie Pillow, $59, Aelfie.
Sustainable Threads Sunset Cotton Throw Pillow, $31, AllModern.
Micaela Greg Tangerine Woven Wave Onesie, $86, Micaela Greg.
String Lights, $39.95, Bright Lab.
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"Once I knew the colors of the space, I started looking for little objects to add. I picked up this diamond from Le Point. It’s by local artist Whythe. Same goes for the Eric Trine geometric thingy, I got it at West Coast Craft about a year ago and added it in her room. I am pretty obsessed with the local brand Micaela Greg and it now makes the cutest little kids clothes. This jumpsuit is so soft and so Tallie's style (yes, she already has her own style)—I can’t wait for her to wear it. I wanted to place a few sartorial items on display. I used to do that with items in my closet, so it made sense to do it with her stuff, too."
Micaela Greg Tangerine Woven Wave Onesie, $86, Micaela Greg.
String Lights, $39.95, Bright Lab.
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- "Our home is a storefront-style apartment, and it has no official ‘bedroom.' We were very lucky the tenants before us made a lofted bed area, and the closet-turned-nursery is the space below the bed. The windows and the electricity running through the cube were all there when we moved in." Universal Isaac Boobs Pot, $65, Universal Isaac.
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- Want to see the rest of the place? Stay tuned for Angela Tafoya's Pregnancy Style profile next week! The Racerback Jumper In Shibori, $258, Hatch Collection.
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