Nautical Nursery Inspiration

When clean beauty blogger Jessica Morse got pregnant with her first child, she examined what she put in and on her body and noticed illegible ingredients in her personal skincare and beauty products. She wondered, “If we shouldn’t eat what we can’t pronounce, why should we slather it all over our skin?” So to protect herself and her baby, she detoxed her kitchen and switched to an all-organic diet, but not just. She also gave her bathroom shelves a much needed purge and ditched harsh chemicals from her skincare routine, but (again) not just.

She then spent hours probing medical studies and researching every. single. ingredient. of. every. single. beauty product she came across and launched her blog, Bare Beauty — an online mecca for women who have a taste for luxury products but want to make informed decisions about the personal care products they buy. There, you can find carefully researched recommendations, reviews and tips to help you navigate the wild wild world of cosmetics and make the switch to a more holistic, pregnancy-friendly beauty and skincare regimen.

When we learned that Jessica was expecting her second child, we were eager to get the scoop on her safe prenatal skincare picks, of course — we, too, are clean beauty enthusiasts. But we also knew that her nontoxic, green state of mind went beyond her skincare routine and onto her home furnishing style. So we couldn’t wait to discover and share with you the universe that she has created for her soon-to-arrive bundle of joy. Get a glimpse of Jessica’s nursery and find out how she plans on juggling it all.

1. How has pregnancy changed or inspired your work?The goal of a healthy pregnancy is actually what inspired my blog, Bare Beauty. About five years ago, after a traumatic miscarriage, I took a good hard look at the “healthy” lifestyle I thought I was living. My OBGYN suggested prescription drugs, but I wasn’t ready for that (although I totally would have gone down that road if the natural route didn’t work for me). I was already occasionally seeing a naturopath, so together we dug deeper. I was tested for food allergies and hormonal imbalances, started seeing an acupuncturist regularly, and began researching the chemicals present in my home. Once I realized that just about every single beauty and personal care product I was using contained endocrine (hormone) disruptors, I fell down the clean beauty rabbit hole — I was willing to do anything to improve my chances of conceiving naturally. I often shared my findings with friends and family, and a few of them suggested that I document what I learned; and Bare Beauty was born.

2. How does your job make you more excited (or nervous!) about having a baby?I’m beyond thrilled to be having another baby, but sometimes, in a (rare) quiet moment, there is a little voice inside my head asking, “how are you going to juggle all of this?” While I realize that I’m fortunate to be my own boss, I do put a lot of pressure on myself in trying to “do it all”. So I try to keep things in perspective; mostly, I am managing blessings.

3. Tell us about the nursery! What’s the foundation for the space?Whether I’m setting out to purchase lipstick, laundry detergent or a crib, finding an eco-friendly option is always at the forefront of my mind. Beyond that, we are a coastal family, and we all love the water. A nautical-themed nursery just seemed natural for our baby boy.

4. Did Baby Daddy weigh in?My poor husband doesn’t get much say when it comes to interior decorating. But when I told him my ideas for the nursery, he couldn’t wait to search for vintage nautical charts of places that are meaningful to our family.

5. How have you gone about putting it together?Like every room in our home, I still consider the nursery a work in progress. But my good friend, Ruth Campbell, who is a talented interior stylist and decorator, has helped me so much: I make a Pinterest board, she starts hunting, and we meet in the middle. Collaborating with her makes the process fun and much less overwhelming.

6. Tell us about some of the biggies in the nursery.The Oeuf crib is sustainably produced in an FSC Certified facility and is Greenguard Certified. It is made of solid birch and eco-MDF (medium density fiberboard) and finishes are non toxic, water-based and free of VOC health hazards. The crib and queen mattresses are both organic latex by Savvy Rest. All of the bedding in the room is by Coyuchi which is organic, fair trade and utterly luxurious.

7. And the details?The rug and pouf are by Dash & Albert. Both are made of 100% PET, a polyester fiber made from recycled plastic bottles. The Lorena Canals throw pillows are 100% cotton, washable, and made with 100% natural, nontoxic dyes in child-labor-free facilities. The sustainably-made, organic play gym is by Finn + Emma.

8. Anything sentimental?There are a few silver pieces from my own nursery that I’m pleased to pass down. Also sentimental are a few of the nautical charts and maps of our family’s favorite places.

9. What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to a mom-to-be that’s planning her own nursery?I would say that you should start planning earlier than you think you need to, but I would also advise against trying to complete the project all at once. Taking your time and collecting things you love is the best way to create a layered, organic, (pun intended) curated look.

Looking for more of Jessica’s nursery faves? Here’s where to find them:

• Crib
• Mattresses (crib & bed)
• Rug
• Glider
• Pouf
• Bedding (crib & bed)
• Pillows
• Play Gym
• Ship Kite Mobile
• Sailboat Mobile
• Burgee Flag Wall Art

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