When we found out it was going to be a boy, while my husband went to shout the news of a son from the rooftops, my thoughts quickly went to our deal. My fears were that I had agreed to a potentially cheesy, over-the-top, football-infused University of Texas-themed room. Thankfully, as big of a Longhorn fan as my husband is, he is also a stylish guy with a great sense of class in our style and décor. Therefore, we amended the deal a bit to just include the Texas color, but that I could still have creative control over the room’s décor. Since I love a modern look, we decided on a burnt orange, charcoal grey, and white color scheme with a geometric motif (circles and squares).
One thing I noticed quickly, and which became the center of much frustration over the months of decoration, is that it is not easy to find burnt orange fabric and accessories in the precise shade of Texas burnt orange, unless you want the UT logo completely covering it. It took a lot of creativity and scouring the internet and the downtown garment/fabric district to complete the look.
Here is our result, along with information on the components of the room:
The circles and rings are vinyl wall decals that you can make yourself on a Cricut, or find on Etsy. It took some time to place and apply them, but it was so worth it, as it really brought our geometric/circular motif to life.
The opposite wall we wanted to do in a more rectangular motif. We hand painted the wall in Texas burnt orange, which we had to color match at Home Depot. In case anyone is looking for the exact shade, the UT color is PMS 159. The measurement for the big block was specific to the size of the frame collage we were putting in it (see below).
We also used the orange paint to color the homemade G and P initial bookends (using pre-cut wooden letters from Michael’s Crafts). I couldn’t find any pre-made bookends that felt right, so I recruited me Dad to help make these. Only cost dollars!
Never buy basic picture frames from anywhere but Ikea! They have them in black, Maple, white, and silver, and include basic white matting for a teeny tiny fraction of the price of what you would pay to have something custom framed and mated. The pics we chose for this frame collage were pictures of the UT campus, mascots, sports stars, and other iconic UT history and football pictures that we found online and printed at Costco. Let the brainwashing begin…
To stay on a budget, we got many of the room’s components at Ikea. The great thing about Ikea is that not only are their items really reasonably priced, but they also have modern, funky items which worked out perfectly with our décor. The lamp, curtains with sheer circles, curtain rod, and charcoal grey chair seen in the picture above were all purchased at local Ikea stores. The shag circular throw rug was found on eBay.
We got our nursery furniture from Walmart. The crib, dresser, and changing table are all part of the BabyMod ParkLane line that can only be ordered online. They do have free shipping if you utilize the Site-to-Store pick-up option like we did. I was very pleased to find the BabyMod line, as I was originally inspired by much higher-priced designer two-tone nursery furniture. Walmart had similar looks for a fraction of the price, and the crib is even convertible so that it will grow with my baby into a toddler and child’s bed. Edited to add: This particular crib model is no longer available.
The nursery linens were all custom made by my aunt with fabric I purchased downtown. The only burnt orange linens I could find anywhere for nurseries were either the wrong shade of orange, or covered in UT logos, which would not have matched the feel of the nursery. Thankfully my aunt had the skills and donated her time to make a crib skirt, a few fitted crib sheets, a changing pad cover, and changing accessory holder for me.
In addition to difficulty with linens, I had a lot of trouble finding a mobile that was just right. Everything that I did like was well over $100, which I just could not justify for something I wasn’t in love with. Finally, I decided that I could just make one myself after I saw something on Etsy that was almost right, but still missing something. I then made my own mobile with foam, clear quilting thread and wire, all purchased from Michael’s crafts, and using some of the crafting and scrapbooking tools I already had.
And there’s Grayson’s room!
More resources for new babies:
- Chic, easy DIY nursery décor: Urban Blue, Orange, and White Nursery
- Freezable meals for new moms (and tips for how to meal prep before baby)
- The Fab Mom’s Guide on the Items You Need for a New Baby
- Must-have baby items (that are actually worth the cost!)
- Must-have baby products for new moms: Moby Infant and Baby Wrap
- Must-have item for a new baby: Boppy Nursing Pillow
- Best diaper for the money: Luvs diapers
Taunya James says
I'm hoping you can help me. I want to paint my classroom bulletin boards in the UT burnt orange color but I'm in Utah and nobody out here can color match it! Do you still have your paint can? If you do, can you tell me if it has the paint "formula" on it? I would really like to have a Texas Longhorn room but, in Utah, they only like crimson and blue! Thank you – Taunya
ramonaruby says
@Taunya, it looks like the color I chose this last time was Behr Falling Leaves. I redid this nursery in our new home now that we live in Austin, and that is the color they gave me for UT burnt orange (they get that request a lot here). If you email me at [email protected] I will respond with a photo of the top of the paint can so you can get whatever color codes you need. Hope this helps! – Ramona
ramonaruby says
@Taunya – Sherwin Williams Pennywise is pretty close to UT burnt orange. I will also look and see if I still have the paint can and will let you know.