Pretty hard to argue that The Land of Nod doesn’t offer some of the most amazing, creative, high quality, yet fairly priced children’s furnishings, toys and gifts out there. We had bought a few items prior to this project and were always impressed how “forever” the products were. But when we approached them about helping us design KC’s and the baby’s new room we quickly found out that The Land of Nod is also made up of some just as equally high quality people full of creativity and care. They just as well be called The Land of Heart as they answered our call for help to design our room based on our challenges and gifted us many of the items used. We will be grateful to them every time we step into this beautiful room. To read about the specifics of our challenges in designing this room please go to Nursery for Shaky Dad Part 1 and to Part 2 for information on the design journey. Also, read more about our journey with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease.
To summarize:
- We were downsizing from an almost 3000 sq ft home in the east bay suburbs and moving into a 1500 sq ft San Francisco flat.
- With baby boy on the way we needed to design a nursery that would also be shared with his (now 5 years old) big sister.
- Dad’s Parkinson’s Disease had new challenges since the last time there was a baby in the house. We wanted to design a room that would enable him to still be involved in helping care for the baby and keep everyone in the family safe
So, here is what we and Nod came up with…
The kids’ shared room is made up of five living spaces.
1. Baby’s Sleeping Area
2. Baby’s Changing Area and Clothing Storage
3. Nursing and Reading Area
4. Big Sister’s Sleeping Area
5. Big Sister’s Reading Nook and Play Area
BABY RD’S SLEEPING AREA
The majority of Parkinson’s challenges for Dad are related to the baby. So, to facilitate easy access especially at night the crib was placed immediately inside the door. The entry as well as the area around the crib were designed without a rug to prevent tripping and falling.
The American Walnut Andersen Crib was chosen for its lower profile sides and higher mattress adjustment as to make getting baby in and out easier. The quality of this crib is unbelievable. It’s truly a piece of furniture you will want to keep in the family for generations.
It was easy to agree with Nod’s recommended decor above his crib. The circus theme was perfect and still tied in great with his cloud and stars mobile and rain drop sheets. We have already been using the Land of Nod bedding for almost three months and yet it still looks brand new.
“C” is for Coe which is short for Roscoe. “RD” is his online name which are initials.
CHANGING AREA
Continuing with accommodating the challenges of Parkinson’s Nod’s design placed the changing area only a pivot and step away. With the base being the stunning Ellipse 6 Drawer dresser the changing base and pad is secured to the perfect height top with still enough room left for a few supplies. Most needed supplies, however, are easily grabbed at the head level Now You See It acrylic bookshelf, reimagined by Nod for easy diaper changing for both Dad and Mom. Clothing for both KC and RD are stored in the 6 below drawers. Dad especially loves the notch handles which are much easier to open for him than knobs. Extra space on the shelf is perfect for additional personalization and decor.
We also have to give special mention to this OXO Baby Wipe Dispenser. This thing is a life and dopamine saver! With the push open lid the wipes are held in place with weighted insert to make cleaning bums a breeze.
This Ubbi diaper pail is also simple to open and close without having to use a foot mechanism.
NURSING AND READING AREA
Everyone in the family LOVES the Luca Glider and Ottoman! One of the most comfortable corners in our home it’s perfectly situated close to both the changing area and crib for late night feedings of baby RD or cuddlefests with both kids while reading. The glider moves like a dream at a level glide which makes getting in and out of it easy for everyone that uses it.
BIG SISTER KC’S SLEEPING AREA
Although most of the design challenges we presented The Land of Nod with were heavily related to baby RD, they were so kind not to leave big sister KC out. And, boy…I mean girl…did they go ALL out!
She is in love with her Unicorn Parade bedding which went with her existing bed like it was made to be! Nod added fun Honeycomb expandable shelving above for all of her princess treasures and enough pillows for three princesses.
KC is also very fond of San Francisco and Mommy and Nod designer, Sara Polacek, worked hard to find the perfect touch of the City by the Bay from Lab Partners.
The only rug is by KC’s bed. To be honest we originally purchased a similar one from another store, but quickly realized the quality wasn’t what we wanted. What a difference when we received and layed the Color Static rug down. Not only was it beautiful, but tied everything together just as it was intended.
We absolutely ADORE these pajama’s hand picked by Magnolia Baby’s owner’s daughter Scarlett for both KC and RD. Very special people as well!
PLAY AREA AND READING NOOK
KC’s play area and reading nook was designed with mostly existing items including Land of Nod’s What’s That Stand For. It’s a puppet theater, lemonade stand, market and more that fuels KC’s (and soon RD’s) imagination. Truly one of the most versatile toys we could ask for especially when space is limited!
Nod did add some shelves above the reading area for favorite books and personalization.
We will continue to feature some individual items as we use them more and differently. As you can see The Land of Nod has designed and given us something very special. Already, it has become a sanctuary to sleep, play, and create memories that will far outlast even the things inside the room. The solutions to our challenges were found and they all came with a love that made something pretty special to us!
-Life as Us
Additional Photos Below
We will be adding some more links to make it easier to locate items, but we wanted to get this up! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments.