Zachary’s Classic Nursery

Description

The nursery is painted a buttery yellow and the style is classic and preppy - boyish but not babyish. Colors are plaids, stripes and other patterns in primary shades of blue, red, yellow, and green, along with white.  The overall design aesthetic is one of discovery, exploration, and curiosity. The main furnishings are dark mahogany and cherry, with wall accents in driftwood/barnwood gray.

 

Design Inspiration

We wanted a classic boy room that could theoretically grow up with Zachary, rather than a themed baby room that looked like it came out of a box.  We also wanted to encourage curiosity and discovery - of nature, of books, of colors and shapes, of the world. 

Decorating Style

In general, our home is primarily traditional with some contemporary and casual elements mixed in, taking nods from our visits to Europe, as well as inspiration from our love of plantation architecture and our own Colorado Rockies.  We wanted to extend this style somewhat into the nursery so that it didn't feel completely out of place, but also wanted Zachary to have his own world to learn in and discover.

Project Details

Double wide dresser and convertible sleigh style crib - Suite Bebe from Baby Depot (Barcelona collection)

Upholstered rocking chair and ottoman - Pottery Barn Kids (lullaby rocker,  found on Craig's List)

Cubby toy shelf under window, floating book shelves, wooden tree mural, hand-rusted magnet board - made by my husband in his garage workshop

Lamp shades, Hudson blue area rug, window valance, sheets and skirt, Madras plaid quilt and embroidered sham pillow, "explore" lumbar pillow - Pottery Barn Kids

Metal lamp bases, colorful bins in cubby shelf - Target

Mobile, pin-striped painted handles on dresser, animal patches on bins - DIY craft projects (supplies from Michaels Stores)

Diaper caddy - antique Dr Pepper crate (found on eBay), lined with press board inside to alleviate splinters

Drawer organizers - DIY from press board with wrapping paper from baby showers as the drawer liner

Bear rug - Gift from grandparents-to-be

Favorite Items

It is the way that so many disparate things from so many varied places and times work well together.  From designer pieces to big box stores, to DIY projects, and antiques (some personally sentimental and some found) - it all works because of the color scheme and overall design aesthetic.  I love spending time in this room, which will be important over the next several months! 

Advice

Don't be afraid to mix wood tones, but make it purposeful and repeated - such as the 3 "big" pieces in this room that sit on the floor are all mahogany but the 3 pieces that are on the walls are more of a drift-wood/barn-wood texture and color.  

Also, decide what you want to really invest in (in terms of cost) and then save on the other pieces.  We really wanted to ensure that the dresser and crib were high quality and lasting, as well as the rug and bedding.  Beyond that, we were willing to make things, find things, etc. to bring everything together. 

Lastly, use pictures from websites and catalogues as inspiration to get started but don't copy - you want this to feel like your space, not someone else's.