Daddy’s Little Princess - Baby Leia’s ‘dad-designed’ bold and sophisticated non-pink girl nursery

Evolur Santa Fe - Jibin Thomas baby nursery

Having a baby changes everything. And we, at Evolur, have seen the entire gamut of emotions – from giddy joy to feeling anxious. And along with this comes the dreams of creating a perfect nursery. Over the years, we have seen our Evolur moms dream up the most gorgeous, stylish and out-of-this-world nurseries. We have seen nurseries that are royal and opulent and we have also seen nurseries that are sweet and charming. We have been awed by the amount of time and effort our Evolur moms put into creating these beautiful spaces, researching every element of the nursery, reading reviews and picking the very best for their precious little ones. Every nursery becomes a reflection of the dreams and aspirations they have for their children.

So naturally, when we received pictures to Baby Leia’s Santa Fe nursery, we assumed it was from the mom. Imagine our surprise and excitement when we received a rather sweet reply from Leia’s DAD saying that it was he who had sent the pictures and that he had been an equal partner in designing this stylish nursery for his little baby girl, Leia Audrey Thomas. Jibin Thomas, who is better known as Mr.Gentlementality, a fashion blogger and style guru for men’s style, along with his wife Sonia Thomas decided they didn’t want the typical girly girl nursery and designed a stylish nursery, with the best-selling Evolur Santa Fe 5-in-1 Convertible Crib in Storm Grey.

It is not often that you come across a dad who refers to a color as Tiffany Blue and talks about blending styles and colors so effortlessly! All we can say is – Jibin, you had us at molding!

Evolur Santa Fe - Jibin Thomas baby nursery img

And honestly, we don’t see why dads can’t join in the fun. Read on for some inspiration and a low-down on how Jibin and Sonia went about creating this fab nursery!

What was your inspiration for the nursery design and décor?
Our inspiration comes from a myriad of things, from rustic Restoration Hardware to classy Tiffany & Co. We love a clean, yet playful look for our nursery.

What drew you to évolur over other nursery brands?
We think this crib is a perfect blend of both of those styles. The molding is definitely what stood out to us as well as the gray color. And the reviews were amazing, which of course, focuses on safety, durability, and versatility of this crib in particular.

Why did you pick Evolur?
Because of the style, safety, versatility, and awesome reviews from happy moms (and dads).

Did the room pose any design challenges?
We didn’t have any major challenges in the room. The biggest one was finding a diaper changing station that was not too wide so that it could fit right next to the crib without covering the bathroom door.

Did you and your spouse agree on style, or did you blend styles and how?
We did blend styles with the Tiffany & Co. meets Restoration Hardware. We also both agreed we aren’t huge fans of pink and its association with girls, so we preferred the Tiffany blue color (used as an accent wall color) and grays instead.

What does this color scheme mean to you?
The color scheme represents class and versatility and staying away from the standard pink = girl mindset. We wanted a nice pop of color to liven up the space and make sure that the gray (which is our favorite color) did not make the room look too dull or depressing.

What accessories did you choose and why?
We don’t have too many accessories right now, but the room also doubles as a guest room at the moment. We do have some lovely blankets and stuffed animals that are classy and playful. We have some IKEA storage for all of her clothes, wipes, diapers, books, etc.

What is your favorite piece or design element in the nursery?
The crib is actually the favorite piece in the room, because of the color and the dentil molding that makes the room look so luxurious.

Have you thought of how you will use the nursery pieces down the road and can you tell us?
We’d like for the crib to grow along with our baby, so that she can use it as a bed as she gets older. Either that, or if we have another child, just re-use this crib for the second child.

What one word comes to mind when you step into the nursery?
Loving

Something interesting that happened before, during or after the pregnancy?
My wife and I went to watch a movie and she didn’t realize she was having contractions. She thought it was just cramps until about 4am when she was screaming in pain and we called the doctor, who confirmed they were contractions and that we needed to come in right away. She then took a shower and tried to relax and take her time mainly so that our OB, who would only be on call starting at 7:30am, would be the one to deliver her. We got to the hospital and she was already 8cm, and she pushed about 3 times and delivered in less than 2 hours… all natural. Everyone was so impressed and proud.