Every little cowboy needs a western nursery where he can rest his boots and dream about roping cows and chasing wild mustangs. When it came to designing a western nursery for our little cowboy, I wanted to give him the perfect little space of his own.

The Design Process

While our cowboy’s western nursery does look pretty put together now, it was quite the rodeo to get it that way. Jhett was born at 37 weeks and had a two week NICU stay; so getting our nursery finished in the last month of pregnancy wasn’t really in the cards. When we brought Jhett home from the hospital, we didn’t even have a crib. The day after making it home from the hospital, two of my best friends drove down to deliver our nursery furniture, closed the bedroom door behind them, and hung up all the decor pieces that I had put together. I remember sitting on the couch, holding my baby, and thinking how lucky I was to have such great women in my life.

Jhett’s nursery was the first room that I had ever truly decorated before. Normally, I’m the queen of hanging artwork and decor up where it fits best. When it came to designing this western nursery by focusing on what I wanted the room to feel like and what to fill it with. Now, I’m officially hooked on redesigning all the rooms in our house!

Cowboy Furniture:

Jhett’s crib, dresser/changing table, and nightstand were all made by a family friend. Every time I looked for furniture online, and I would get so frustrated because everything was so expensive! In addition to being spendy, none of it looked like it would fit in a little cowboy’s room. So, I asked a friend who builds furniture if she’d be willing to build the pieces for Jhett’s room. I had drawn up his crib and dresser, and it all took shape from there! Designing this western nursery furniture was do much fun! What I love about Jhett’s crib is that it can convert into both a toddler and twin bed! The changing table aspect of Jhett’s dresser can also be taken off as he progresses out of the diaper stage of life (which can’t come soon enough).

Southwestern Rug:

The rug in Jhett’s room is one that I found online at Rugs USA. I wanted something that had a southwestern vibe. Bonus points if it could be used elsewhere in our home if we ever decided to change our cowboy’s decor. I chose the 6×9 size, which was the perfect fit for the center of his room. Whenever I’m on the hunt for a rug, I always look at Rugs USA, because the quality and price cannot be matched. I love that you can virtually try all of their rugs out, just by taking a photo of the room and uploading it to their site.

Savanna Sage Southwestern Area Rug

Western Decor:

The photo above Jhett’s crib is without a doubt, the most meaningful part of Jhett’s room. It’s of Justin’s closest friend, father-figure, and uncle, Terry. Unfortunately about a week after we shared the news with Terry that we were expecting our first baby, he passed away. It broke all of our hearts that two of the most important people in our lives didn’t get to meet each other. At the same time, Justin and I had been talking about what piece of artwork we wanted to put above the crib, so I decided to surprise Justin with the photo. I always get questions about the size…it’s 32” tall and 48” wide.

Almost everything else was pieced together from stuff we already had.

– The retro lamp belonged to my grandparents. I found it in my parent’s basement (but here’s a place that offers some similar ones for sale).

-Jhett’s “Cattle Xing” sign was something found at an old house we used to live in. It hung on an old barn on the ranch until I realized it would look good in Jhett’s room. I did find one off of Etsy that’s pretty similar.

-His cow skull is from a cow that Justin owned when he was a kid.

-Our Cheyenne Rodeo poster is one that I had purchased online, unframed. I took to Michael’s to have it custom framed.

-The diamond-shaped tribal prints and was purchased off Etsy. That specific shop is closed, but I found a similar option that I like even more than what I bought.

-The “When I grow up I want to be just like my Daddy” was an Etsy find.

-The Charles Russell Bucking Horse Print, that’s propped up against the wall, was also an Etsy piece.

I also always get questions about the southwestern print swaddle that’s hanging on Jhett’s crib. Unfortunately, it was a random Zulily find, and I’ve never been able to find it again.

Nursery Tips:

The most overwhelming part of decorating is getting started. In an attempt to keep things cohesive, I recommend designing a western nursery with one or two elements in mind. For me, I based the entire room off of the rug, and the print above Jhett’s crib. Once I had those two things decided, everything else easily came together.

I bought a few different solid-color crib sheets off Amazon. This way I didn’t feel bad if I had to throw them away due to spit up, a blowout, etc. Solid colors also work really well when it comes to keeping things consistent.
Position your crib so it’s easy to see from the doorway. That way if a camera isn’t working, you can discretely peek inside when needed.

Finally, the TIP of ALL TIPS…. Diaper Genies say they cut the smell, and they do…until you have to open it up to change the liner out. I buy car freshener refills from Bath & Body Works, open one up, and throw it in the bottom of the diaper genie. It makes SUCH a big difference! You can even do the same to a normal garbage can!

If you have any other nursery questions that I didn’t get a chance to cover, feel free to drop a comment on this post! I’m happy to get it answered for you! Don’t forget to tag me in all your cowboy nurseries and bedrooms on Instagram—I want to be the first to see them

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