Le Tour de France Nursery

We call this Kenton’s “big boy bike” room, but it’s actually a nursery. He’s still in a crib, but he is the “BIG” brother now. It’s embarassing that his little sister is nearly six months old (that’s the amount of time he’s been in this room!). So, without further ado…

Our inspiration was our 2009 trip to France, where we watched a stage of Le Tour de France in Annecy.

Clockwise from top-left – Michelle with a Tour van, Jason along the time trial route, Michelle with cycling TV commentators Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, and Alberto Contador blowing past us

This was a time trial stage set in a tiny town near the Alps and around a gorgeous lake. We spent about 12 hours enjoying the race and surrounding festivities. We were exhausted by the end of the day – but it was such a fun memory!

This photo of Jason in the streets of Annecy was the specific inspiration for this room.

I have it framed with a couple of other photos I took that day, above Kenton’s book shelves.

We made these shelves from rain gutters.

Check out my tutorial on the shelves over on Her View From Home.

The photo on the right is one I took on our trip to Telluride last year – and it won 2nd place in a local photo contest!

It has nothing to do with cycling or Le Tour, but it’s a fun picture of Kenton that we wanted to include in his room.

We also have a tent from Ikea that’s meant to symbolize the race’s Flamme Rouge, which alerts the riders there is 1 KM left in that stage. The day we watched Le Tour, we stood under the Flamme Rouge for hours.

Jason on the left, Lance Armstrong on the right

The wall behind Kenton’s crib is the statement wall in the room.

It’s painted blue (the rest of the room is brown) and has a few items of significance hanging on it.

These Olympic rings are made from bike wheels, which I got from really cheap bikes at my local thrift store. I made these during the 2012 Summer Olympics (See the tutorial here) and they hung in the playroom for a while. Now, they’re in their permanent spot in the bike room.

There is also a malliot jaune. “Yellow jersey” in French. It is signed by Alberto Contador, who won Le Tour de France 2009 (the year we saw it). We had a chance to briefly meet him – after stalking the area where the cyclists convene after the race!

It was such a fun moment and fantastic memory for us.

We decided to hang it the cheap way for now – using a cardboard t-shirt form and a hook. Eventually, we’ll have it professionally framed.

Finally, we have a bike and a French sign for the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris. That is the famous cobblestone street where Le Tour ends. It’s also know for it’s fabulous shopping, which we took full advantage of during our trip.

Kenton’s room is topped off with bunting that I made in the colors of Le Tour jerseys.

Each color is incredibly significant for the racers – so I made sure to find just the right fabric…

Yellow = Leader’s jersey

White = Best Young Rider

Green = Points Competition Jersey

Polka-dots = Mountain Competition Jersey

The solid colors I was able to find at Hobby Lobby, but the polka-dots were a bit more challenging. I ended up using the back side of a reversable duvet cover from Ikea.

I still have a ton of leftover fabric that I’m planning to use for a bean bag.

Above the changing table, we have an original painting by Kenton’s grandma.

She’s planning to add different sticker-type elements to the white space on each of his birthdays. They will all be cycling related, so hopefully he enjoys the sport as much as his daddy!

The white bins hold PJ’s and diapers, while the yellow bin is where we keep “too big right now” shoes.

We’ve tucked his dresser away in the closet, which not only frees up a lot of space – it also prevents a little climber from getting into trouble. It’s difficult for him to access it when the door is closed (which it usually is!).

photo by O’Grace Photography

photo by O’Grace Photography

So… there it is! Worth the wait?!

About Michelle Fortin

Michelle Fortin is a follower of Jesus, a wife and a mom. She's also an award winning broadcast journalist and public relations professional. Michelle spent nearly a decade working in television newsrooms across the country, both behind and in front of the camera. Training future broadcast journalists in her faculty associate roles at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and at Arizona Christian University was a cherished focus of her post-TV career. Today, she maintains a roster of public relations clients focused on empowering fellow “momprenuers.” She also serves as a speaker for various women's and mom's events. Michelle received her bachelor’s degree from Biola University and Master of Mass Communication (MMC) from Arizona State University. She and her husband, two young kids and English bulldog call Scottsdale, Arizona, home.
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