My Son’s Zelda Nursery

Cole Bradburn — 40 Comments

 Be sure to change the settings to watch in HD.

This is what has been keeping me busy for the past 3 months.  As soon as I found out we were having a child, I knew I wanted their room to inspire adventure, creativity, and exploration.  Having a place to like that to grow up in would be amazing!

When I was a boy, the Legend of Zelda series embodied those values for me, and the beautiful cel-shaded art style from Wind Waker/Spirit Tracks seemed to be the perfect fit for a young hero’s room.

My awesome friend Wes – who did the Yoshi’s Island nursery for his daughter – made all this possible.  I was able to tell him my vision for the room, and he took it out of my brain and put it on the wall… exactly as I imagined it.  The amazing art that you see is his, he sketched all of it on the wall freehand!  He also did the painting save for base coats, some under layers, and the clouds.

I’ll never be able to properly thank him.  In total, we spent over 150 hours on the room over the course of 3 months.  It feels good to be finished.

In truth, I wanted to grow up in this room.  I will enjoy it as much as my son will, maybe even more.  I can’t wait to rock him to sleep, telling him stories of heroes and adventure while looking at these walls.

Soon, little man.  Our house and hearts are prepared for you.

click image for HD video

In Adventure
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  • http://www.facebook.com/wesleyswain Wes Swain

    Many thanks to you and Casey for putting up with me for that long!  I was more than happy to do it and I am super stoked that it turned out as well as it did.  I hope it provides lil’ Bradburn with much enjoyment! :D

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      It was great to have an quasi-temporary roommate.  How else would I have gotten to listen to all that 90′s alternative and talk about super hero movies?

      He’ll love it, I just have a feeling…

  • Gcollings

    what kind of paint did you all use? I ve been planning on doing a wall painting in my daughters room for a while. nice job, guys. thats a room i would also love to grow up in.

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      We used Behr (Home Depot) for the base layers of blue, and then used Liquitex Basics acrylic paint for everything else - http://www.liquitex.com/basicsvaluecolor/ 

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  • Zoe

    I love this room! Wesley has excelled himself and you have come up with a really great idea!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thank you!

  • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

    Soo cool!! That is really creative!! I think that is really inspiring and exciting. Well done!!!!!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thanks ;)  Now you know why I haven’t been writing as much as I would normally.  We were in crunch time, baby could arrive any day!

      • http://unknownjim.com/ Jim Woods

        Sounds like it’s time to put up the Bat Signal for some guest posts!! :) (My buddy Tor Constantino is in the same boat as you with a baby on the way so he has a bunch of guest posters lined up in his absence.)  So excited for you!! 

  • http://twitter.com/tdiddy1234 Todd Foley

    This. Is. Amazing. What an amazing concept and idea. Talk about welcoming him into a world of wonder and adventure.

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thanks Todd, knew you’d like the theme ;)

  • Ryudou

    Found this via Kotaku and I must say that it is really awesome. Nice job on all of the artwork. One quick question, the Hylian text on the Master Sword’s pedestal…To the best of my ability to read it – “ku se chi chi se ka te | ki he ka ke ki a he te” (クセチチセカテ|キヘカケキアヘテ). Any special meaning to that? I can’t quite make sense of it.

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Wow, you are the first one to notice that!  Have you seen how many of the Zelda games use a different hylian alphabet?  What is painted in the pedestal is does have special importance, and it is using a Hylian alphabet correctly from one of the games.

      Thanks for the kind words!

    • http://www.facebook.com/wesleyswain Wes Swain

      It isn’t written in Japanese I can tell u that :)

      • http://www.facebook.com/jason.umberger.58 Jason Umberger

        It’s written in the ancient Hylain from the Wind Waker game. 

  • http://www.theisleofman.net/ Kevin Haggerty

    This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thank you Kevin, and you’ve seen some pretty cool things (I know, I read you Friday Funhouses).

  • http://www.facebook.com/TheMagicLemur Mitchell Hicks

    “ As soon as I found out we were having a boy I knew I wanted his room to inspire adventure, creativity, and exploration.  Having a place to like that to grow up in would be amazing!”

    I don’t want to be a dick or anything, but why does it matter that it’s a boy? Girls can love adventure, creativity, and exploration as well.

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Yeah, I may have not worded that right.  My wife and I had already decided on those three values once we found out we were pregnant (before we knew gender).  If it was a girl I think I would have used a different theme to convey them instead of a train and ship.

      • A girl.

        Why not have a train and a ship? Girls can like those things too, not just castles and ponies and pretty princesses.

        • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

          Well I considered a castle and a pony (Epona) for the boy ;)
          I’m not saying that girls don’t like that stuff, I just would have centered the theme more around Zelda (or her pirate alter ego Tetra) rather than Link.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/poeparade Melissa Robinson

    I love this so much! We are naming our son (due in the next few weeks) Lincoln and calling him Link – so we understand the awe & sense of adventure The Legend of Zelda inspires. At first I wondered why you picked Spirit Tracks & Wind Waker…while they are great, they are not my favorites. But I can see why they would be more geared towards a younger child. This is amazing and I know your son will just love this nursery – who can’t fall in love with TLOZ?

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, it’s awesome to know a little Link is coming into the world!  Congratulations!

      We did pick those titles due to the fact it would be for a younger child (and we love the ocean).  I enjoyed them, but Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, and Skyward Sword are my favorites.

  • http://intrepidmotion.com/ Marvin @ intrepidmotion

    Wow…that’s simply awesome!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Haha, thanks Marvin.  Speaking of adventures, how is yours going?

      • http://intrepidmotion.com/ Marvin @ intrepidmotion

         Cole…it’s going well!   We’re wrapping up here in SE Asia, to head to the World Domination Summit in Portland next weekend. So happy for you and Casey!

  • alarep

    Love it! I heard the Zelda music in my head before the video even started, great job! (you are going to go viral with Steve/Nerd Fitness promoting you:)

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Haha, thanks!  The music in Zelda is such an integral part to the masterpiece.  Working on a playlist for baby now.

  • Pam Scarboro

    How awesome!! What a successful project that came together and a work of love! He will love it!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thank you Pam!

  • Fedde

    Your son will be contianed by a legend :) like Link, like his father, it’s great that you can keep that imagination for your child, specially for mutual happiness and love for Zelda btw, he will totally love it, and he can be proud, having such an amazing artist and father.

    Well done Cole!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thanks Fedde!

  • James

    This is so awesome!! I’m totally jealous of your baby. The Wind Waker is my all-time favorite Zelda game. Zelda isn’t something that is often used for this kind of purpose so kudos to you for being original! And I definitely agree that the Zelda series is perfect for capturing the spirit of adventure and imagination that you hope to inspire in your child. I hope he loves it. I know I would!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thanks James.  We were really trying for something unique, inspiring, and fun all at the same time.  It was also important that the room be bright and inviting.  Like you, I would have loved to have this as a child!  Thanks for stopping by to leave your thoughts.

  • http://www.theleagueofchampions.com/ Leanna

    That’s really awesome.  Adventure, creativity, and exploration are the best values to instill in a child!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      I agree!  Thanks for stopping by and commenting

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1300842738 Nasha Empyrean Dressel

    I cant believe you did this. This is probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. What a lucky little boy he is!!!!!! Can’t wait to meet him!

    • http://colebradburn.com/ Cole Bradburn

      Thanks Nasha!  We will have to get together again when we are home at Christmas.