Decor & DIY

A nautical themed nursery

Whilst browsing Julie Kins’ Facebook page for her lovilee artworks, I stumbled across images of a nursery that showcased some of her art. It was a lovilee nautical themed nursery that I just had to share! I did a Q&A session with mommy, Tasmin Archak, whose little baby boy made his arrival sooner than expected and is now enjoying his new surroundings: {Below are the prints!}



Q: Where did you get the inspiration from / Why did you decide on the nautical theme
I love elegant interiors and tried to emulate this aesthetic by using a neutral colour palette and classic furniture for the base of the room. This was also for practical reasons – as this is our first child I would like to use the nursery again. By selecting neutrals and incorporating colour through accessories I will be able to re-accessorise the room and give it a completely different look if we are fortunate enough to have a second child.


I didn’t want to go with the traditional baby blue or cartoon theme – I wanted pieces that are current and will grow with my child. And I love navy and red for boys, so the nautical theme took shape from there.



Q: Did you do everything yourself or get outside assistance?
We did everything ourselves. My husband gives a male perspective and is a great second opinion. He has a unique sense of style and knows what he likes. He is the one who tells me when my ideas are good (he gave me the thumbs-up on getting a muralist in to paint a cloudy sky on the nursery ceiling to make it seem more open) and is frank when they aren’t (and I’m glad I listen otherwise our nursery would have an accent wall completely covered in silver glitter…oops!)


Q: How long did the nursery take to complete?
Approximately 6 months



Q: Supplier list of who you used:

  • Sutherlands Home Furnishing: distressed framed American flag, carved wooden boats and lighthouse, sailboat towel hook, ‘ocean’ and ‘boats’ hanging signs, ‘seaside’ cut out wording, navy and red frame
  • Mr Price Home: ‘welcome to the seaside’ hanging sign, textured rug, stuffed toys, navy lamp shade, white storage box, anchor door stop
  • Wetherlys: Chelsea wingback chair
  • Loads of Living: beige stripe and white sheer curtains
  • Waste Centre: denim laundry basket, fabric pin board, navy towelling fabric for change mat cover, fabric for bunting
  • Biggie Best: scatter cushions, boat book ends
  • Mystry’s: plain wooden side table and toy box that we painted, crystal door knobs
  • Gumtree: crib and compactum
  • Babies R Us: bedding
  • Edgars Home: clear lamp base
  • Woolworths: teddy mobile
  • Julie Kins: anchor and compass prints
  • Essenwood market: distressed white frames
  • Marcelle Delew-Kappen: ceiling cloud mural


Q: What paint did you use on the walls?

  • Walls- Dulux Luxurious Silk in ostrich egg
  • Ceiling – Dulux Luxurious Silk in summer medley 5

  • Q: Advice for mommies-to-be when starting on their nurseries.
    Firstly I would say have a plan. Draw a basic floor layout and decide what furniture you need and where it will fit, and then plan your colour scheme. Also take swatches along with you when you go shopping. This will prevent you buying unnecessary items or getting home to find that what you have bought is the wrong shade of the colour you wanted.


    My other piece of advice is to save money on the furniture that won’t be used for long, and instead buy good quality items that will grow with your child. We found a great cot and compactum on gumtree, both solid wood and classic but a bit beaten up. We sanded them down, painted them, and added crystal handles. This left us room in our budget to buy great art, accessories and curtains that can be used for a toddler/pre teen room too.


    Thank you so much for sharing this with us!


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Karen Kelly is the founder and editor of lovilee.co.za. She is a creative at heart and passionate about all things DIY. Learn more about her here and connect with her on social media on the links below.

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