Frankie’s Boho Safari bedroom
After 16 months, I think I’ve finally got my little bub’s room to a point I am happy with! If you’ve been following along, you may remember that we moved into our new house just 2 weeks before Frankie was born. His “nursery” was technically in our master bedroom while we worked on getting his room settled. His room basically just housed his dresser, clothes, and some play things, while his bassinet/crib, newborn essentials, and changing table remained in our room. We anticipated that he’d sleep in our room for at least the first 6-12 months (ended up actually being 13 months 😬), so I knew I had some time to get it all together. I wanted to be thoughtful with my purchases, and didn’t want to rush into buying things I didn’t truly love. Now, I wasn’t anticipating it taking me this long, but with four other rooms to decorate and furnish, these things take time (and money!) I still would like to do something to the walls, but we’ll get there eventually. For now, I love how much my boy loves his room and it makes us both happy every time we’re in there. 😊 Do you all remember MTV Cribs? Check out my instagram for a cute spin-off reel we filmed as a kick-off to his room reveal! 😉
Keep scrolling to read the story on how Frankie’s Boho Safari Bedroom came to life!
Note: Most items are linked throughout the post as well as at the end of the post. If there is something you don’t see, please send me a comment or a message and I’d be happy to help! You can also go to “Shop My Home” on the main menu above.
Frankie's Boho Safari Bedroom
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Frankie's Boho Safari Bedroom 〰️
When I found out I was having a boy, I really had no clear vision for his room yet. Overall I knew I wanted it to be playful and whimsical, but still something that could grow with him in the years to come. I also envisioned a fun reading nook draped with a cozy canopy. I wanted it to be unique, so I knew it would take time to figure it out.
I was just getting over being extremely sick from my first trimester, and we had officially signed our contract to begin building our first home! The next few months were going to be super busy and filled with packing, planning our upcoming move, and the holidays (Thanksgiving/Christmas). I focused more on all of the baby essentials and a little less on the decor aspect.
Fast forward to the end of January, we moved into our new house and I was ~2.5 weeks away from my due date, about ready to pop 😅. I was in full nesting mode, organizing/cleaning/planning/decorating, hoping to get settled enough before our baby made his big debut. I ordered a beautiful woven changing basket for him, which was truly one of my most helpful purchases as a sleep-deprived new mom recovering from a c-section. I would roll over, lift him out of his bassinet, and place him on the changing basket that permanently resided on my bed. It made it much easier for diaper changes as I didn’t have to get in and out of bed for every wake up and put more stress on my healing incision. I also used it for so much more than just diaper changes, even took his milestone photos in it. From a decor perspective, it added a natural element that sparked my inspiration for other pieces. I knew it would be a lovely addition to his nursery atop his dresser.
As I started to create a vision, I came across this rug on Wayfair. Once I saw it I immediately knew what I wanted his theme to be — Boho Safari! Images of dried palms and rattan decor flooded my mind. Not only did this rug give life to my theme in a subtle, yet playful way, but it also inspired my color scheme. It was everything I didn’t know I needed!
Coincidentally, my mom was getting rid of some old decor from many years ago, this wooden giraffe being one of them. She asked if I wanted it for anything and my first reaction was to turn it down, but as quickly as I almost said no, I realized it’d actually be perfect in Frankie’s room. It was the first safari animal element that was placed in his room, other than the stuffed giraffe we bought at my ultrasound that plays Frankie heartbeat in my womb when you press it. ❤
I searched and searched for cribs and was overwhelmed with all of the choices. I kept procrastinating on purchasing one. I was perusing Crate and Kids selection online and finally saw “the one”— the beautiful Babyletto Lolly crib in washed natural & black. It was stunning. The light wood matched all my other natural elements and I loved the idea of adding in black as part of the color scheme. It was just perfect. It was however backordered, but since he would be using his bassinet for some time it wasn’t going to be an issue.
I found this amazing wood bead light fixture that matched the crib almost perfectly. It was affordable and just the right size. I love it so much!
We got these simple, affordable wall shelves from Ikea. Currently displayed are some sentimental items like Frankie’s baby book, 1/2 Birthday crown, and 1st Birthday cake toppers (his party theme was “One Little Party Animal” - think disco balls, animal figurines with party hats, and disco music playing on repeat). I also included a family photo of us and this super cute starry nightlight from Target that we love! These shelves are above the rocking chair, so at bedtime lately Frankie likes to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while looking at his starry nightlight. On the wall adjacent to the shelves hangs an adorable NYC poster with the cutest illustrations from Mr. Boddington’s Studio. (New York is meaningful to us, as it’s where Alex and I met, and where our families are originally from). We also have the coordinating NYC ABC Book from Mr. Boodington’s studio, thanks to Frankie’s fun Uncle Steven, aka “Funcle” Steven 😆.
Above his crib hangs his animal safari mobile that I purchased from the shop BaLena Decor on Etsy. It’s absolutely darling and so well-made. She has a bunch of unique ones to choose from! Even at 16 months Frankie still enjoys looking at it and it’s fun to practice the names of the animals with him. Also above his crib is this awesome canvas flag/banner with his name on it. I went back and forth on what I wanted to put here (wooden letters that spell out his name, the flag/banner, something else entirely). I did know I wanted something light enough that if it accidentally fell it wouldn’t hurt him, so anything heavy wasn’t going to work. The banner was just the right choice. I chose this one specifically not only because it was a great price, but also because the grommets are black, which is a small detail I appreciated.
I happened to find this rattan kid’s chair at Homegoods one day and it was just too good to pass up! It’s the perfect little perch for his Cuddle & Kind dolls.
Rattan/wicker baskets are an easy way to add natural elements that provide functionality. We received this adorable giraffe basket as a gift, which I usually store his extra little blankets in. I needed a hamper for his room and was so happy to find this style with a lid at TJ Maxx for such a great price! It goes well with his smaller one (which is actually a waste basket), but is cute enough to be displayed and used for anything you need!
Frankie’s room is a modest size, and almost feels like it has more doors than wall space 😂 When I was trying to come up with the layout, I was worried that the reading nook I was envisioning wasn’t going to fit in this corner, but I didn’t really have another option. It ended up working out beautifully and better than I imagined. I just love it so much. I spent longer than I care to admit searching for a decent quality canopy, but the hardest part was finding it in the right color! I came across MamaPotrafi’s shop on Etsy and her products seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I took a chance and ordered, and when I opened the package I couldn’t have been happier! The material was super soft, thick, and well-made. It had the natural crinkle texture of soft muslin. The packaging was very thoughtful and the canopy came in a nice canvas bag. The crescent moon pillow and the bunting garland were equally as amazing.
This alphabet accent rug is from Amazon (it’s a cheaper alternative to the Lorena Canals version that matches the ABC wall hanging in the photos above). I couldn’t splurge on the rug from Lorena Canals, but I have to say I am very happy with this alternative! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I ordered it, but it’s softer and thicker than I thought it’d be! Super happy with it and looks so good under his Anywhere Chair from PB (a gift from Grandma 😊).
I had gone back and forth on what kind of book shelf I wanted to place here. Ikea was sold out of the wall book shelves I originally wanted, and when I finally caught a re-stock and waited months for delivery, FedEx lost my package on the day of delivery! It made it on the truck, but never made it to my house. 🤔 Well, as luck may have it, I found this other ikea bookshelf on FB marketplace for $5 in excellent used condition and snatched it right up! It’s absolutely perfect for this little space, as the rest of his books are in the playroom anyway. In my opinion, the less in his room, the better - because it helps to keep his room clean more often than not. (now the playroom staying clean, thats another story 😅)
Above the bookshelf is an Alphabet wall hanging from Gathre that really is the perfect touch to it all. I just adore how this little nook turned out! Frankie is now at an age where he absolutely loves playing with his books, reading with me, turning pages, and sitting in his chair. Watching him actually utilize this space just makes me so, so happy!
If you made it this far- thank you for sticking it out until the end! I hope Frankie’s bedroom inspires your own design project in some way. Thanks for visiting his crib! 😉
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