LIFESTYLE

No Muggles Allowed Nursery

When I was pregnant (pregnancy recap to come), I knew that I wanted a nursery that I hadn’t really seen before. I wanted it to be cozy. And, I’d thought of doing a Harry Potter-inspired room for a WHILE, especially after following The Linen Rabbit. But, everything I found on Pinterest wasn’t really speaking to me.

So, once we found out we were having a girl (though it wouldn’t have mattered either way), I knew I had to move forward with the idea of a magical nursery for my little lady. Kyle was on board the entire way because we both LOVE HP — we’ve read all the books, watched the movies a million times and we even mini-mooned at HP World in Orlando.

Anyway, I wanted the theme to be subtle and I wanted to keep any licensed materials to a minimum. I didn’t want it to yell HP, I wanted it to whisper. I wanted to look around and see something new each time you entered. Now, to be completely transparent, I’ll probably continue working on this in the months ahead. I have a few other ideas I’d like to incorporate. But, now I have a newborn, so for the sake of getting this blog post published, it’s ready for your eyes.

We painted this room probably two-ish years ago. The color is “Nightingale Gray” by Behr. If you’ve been around for a while, you know this room was my office prior to being flipped into a nursery, and I used this rug in my office then too. I always loved the color palette in the rug. So, a lot of the decisions on theme, colors, etc. were based off it.

I’ll give a brief description of how I put the room together and I’ll share affiliate links to shop at the end of the post for everything that I’m able to link. Nothing in this room was sponsored, all paid for by us or gifted by friends & family at our baby shower. :)

Nursery with pink floral rug, dusty rose curtains, a gray rocking recliner chair, warm wood crib on the left and changing table on the right. Hogwarts Acceptance letters hang from the ceiling on a clear thread appearing to float from the ceiling.

It took a while to figure out what furniture we wanted to go with — but we finally landed on the west elm x pbk mid-century collab for the crib, changing table & the book shelves.

We added the rocking recliner over the summer, and I will say that it’s not my favorite. But, the price was right and it does the job for now. We may replace it with a higher backed option in the future. That is definitely something to keep in mind if you or your partner are tall. The “Witch in Training” pillow is something I found on Zazzle — they had other cute options like “Wizard in Training”, “Seeker in Training” along with some others. It added the perfect touch, and comes in handy when you need some extra support while feeding in the chair.

Quick note: In the early part of 2022, we had all of the bedroom closets redone with the Elfa system from The Container Store. I highly recommend! We had a great experience with them coming out, designing each space to our needs and installing everything. I will add that I wish we’d kept in mind that this closet would eventually be a nursery — because it’s very heavy on “office-type” storage. But, I’ve made it work without a lot of changes by using baskets and storage pieces we already had on hand. The great thing about Elfa is that we can always swap out pieces in the future if we find we need a different configuration.

For a lot of the decor, we used Etsy. The light switch plates, star decals, name sign, prints above the changing table, “floating” Hogwarts letters and mini Daily Prophets all came from small shops found while browsing Etsy. Some of the only licensed decor we have are the metal signs under the clock — and I can’t link those because I purchased them years ago in the London Heathrow airport.

The house banners came to me one day when I was trying to think of something other than more framed prints to add in those spaces on either side of the room’s window. Again, I didn’t want it to be over the top HP — so I took my idea to Canva and made simple designs with elements I found there and dialed down the color palette from bold primary colors to soft pastels that echoed the signature house colors. Then, I exported the designs and had them printed on garden flags from Zazzle. The “rope” holding them is actually something that is used to tie garland to a banister that I just happened to find while walking the aisles at Michael’s.

The curtains are from Amazon and the tie backs are the same “rope” I used to hang the banners. They have wire in the middle, so it allows them to be bent and hold the curtains in place.

Let me know what you think! Kyle & I had a lot of fun putting the room together, and while she’s not using it yet, we know we will have lots of fun memories in the months ahead. If you have any questions, leave a comment or send me a message on Instagram and I’ll do my best to answer back.



PAINT COLOR: BEHR NIGHTINGALE GRAY

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I'M A PODCAST JUNKIE

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There are so many ways to spend your time in this life. There’s a lot of down time - whether it be commuting to work or parking yourself in front of the TV after you get home. I have a huge obsession with podcasts - mainly because they help keep me focused when I'm doing tasks like folding laundry or washing dishes. Haha!



It all started back in high school - before podcasts were even podcasts.

I started listening to This American Life on the radio (yes..all you Gen Z’s - go Google what that's like). I would get so hooked on these stories from across the world. They would grip me, and I would get super bummed out if I missed the beginning or missed it completely because - hello..no rewinding radio in the early 2000s.

Anyway, fast-forward to today, and podcasts are popping up everywhere. Everyone is creating their own podcast -- which is cool! You can find podcasts on SO many different topics. I feel like there’s a lot that was missed in my education journey on topics like personal finance, politics, science, etc. And, today I listen to fascinating podcasts that fall into all sorts of categories. So, if you’ve never listened to podcasts and you’re looking for a place to start, I’ve curated my starter list to help you jump into the podcast scene.

thekini-podcast-starter-list
  • This American Life: I would be wrong to not start here, as this is what sucked me into this habit. The show started in 1995. So, it’s possible that someone reading this wasn’t even alive yet! I digress. So, mostly this show is based on a theme. Then, the host, Ira Glass, brings you different stories all tied to that theme. You never know where they are going, and it will take you on quite a ride. Shoutout to the OG!

  • How I Built This: If you’re a dreamer or entrepreneur you’re going to L-O-V-E this podcast. Host, Guy Raz, interviews business owners about their journey from concept to empire. Guests include the late Kate Spade, Ron Shaich of Panera Bread, Jane Wurwand of Dermalogica and so many others! It will leave you feeling like you want to write a 50-page business plan. So inspiring!

  • Planet Money: This isn’t your run of the mill “here’s how you save money” podcast. Although, I should probably listen to more of those. Ha! Planet Money talks about all sorts of financial-related topics. Like, have you ever wondered why we use a signature for purchases? On the back of your card? Planet Money can answer that. It makes the economy fun! Yes, I said that.

  • Ear Hustle: This is one of my more recent finds, and I’m hooked. I listen to a lot of true crime, but this flips the script and shows you the other side. Ear Hustle is produced inside San Quentin by Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams. Earlonne and Antwan are currently incarcerated and bring stories of life inside prison. To say this show is powerful is not doing it justice. I’m a firm believer in making the best of what’s in front of you and this show really makes you rethink all the stereotypes our society holds about the incarcerated population.

  • Underdog Podcast: My friend Scott Kujak started his podcast less than a year ago, and I’m constantly impressed with the guests he finds to feature. If you’re in need of a jump start in the inspiration department, his podcast brings it every single time. Featuring guests that have faced tough times and risen above, the stories range from facing cancer to overcoming drug addiction. The stories are amazing, and remind you that you can conquer anything with the will to do so.

I hope this list inspires you to start listening more - do you have any favorites?! Some of my favorite I haven't even shared here. If you want my full list, comment below!

XO,

Kimberly