If you’re spending some of these endless at-home days trying to redecorate a bit, you’re not alone. And if your current jazzing-up room of choice is your baby’s nursery, you may be a bit stumped. After all, the majority of baby room design advice out there is about finding the “cutest” items for an “adorable” space. But isn’t everything kid-size inherently… cute? Can’t we raise our decor standards a bit and aim for child-friendly pieces that are also creative, unique, well-designed — even (dare I say?) elegant? I know it sounds like a lot to ask from a room that’s often relegated to the overly cutesy realm of rainbow-colored everything, plastic toys and chevron. (Please don’t get me started on chevron.)
It is possible to create a nursery that looks neither like a Toys R Us on Black Friday nor your aunt’s Pinterest board circa 2009. All you need are a few key items to take the aesthetic from Elmo to elevated. Ahead, you will not find: chalkboard paint, plastic overload, gender-arbitrary pastels or anything involving Mason jars. What you will find are innovative designs, recycled and recyclable items and veritable pint-size works of art — in muted neutrals and/or pops of neon you’ll be proud to display in your home, not shove into kiddo’s closet whenever guests come over. Because you’re stuck at home with your kids anyway; you might as well make it a chic place to be.
Besides, doesn’t your budding artiste deserve better than chevron? At the very least, your house does.
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A version of this article was originally published in November 2017.
‘Daydream’ Hygge & West Removable Wallpaper Tiles
Removable wallpaper is perhaps the easiest, most no-fuss way to totally revamp a room — and still be able to change it up again whenever you want. We love these wallpaper tiles from Hygge & West, a brand known for its innovative prints; these ‘Daydream’ swallows are particularly perfect for an elegant nursery that’s whimiscal, not childish. Cosider it the peel-and-stick version of your grandma’s fanciest wallpaper, and you’d never know the difference by looking at it.
Illustrated Wall Decal
Or go even more easy-DIY-wallpaper with a chic monochrome illustrated line-drawing decal like this one from Rookie Humans. It’s literally just a sticker for your wall, and it works wonders.
Miley DIY House
And when Baby outgrows the all-natural eco-chic play gym? Well, there’s always this all-natural eco-chic igloo-shaped playhouse made out of corrugated recycled cardboard. We’ll just leave this here.
Minted Gold-Foil City Map
The instinct when selecting nursery art can definitely veer toward the saccharine: clouds and cuddly animals in pinks and blues and what have you. But with the goal of not doing a room redesign every year in mind, why not pick a piece that works just as well in a baby’s room as it does in a teen’s? This gold-foil print from Minted is an upgrade on the classic plastic-laminated map — and it’s never too early to teach kiddo where she came from.
High & Mighty Floating Shelf
For lazy but design-inclined parents everywhere, the High & Mighty floating shelf is the only hack you need for a Pinterest-perfect DIY that is… not actually DIY at all. Just place, push and hang — and then cover with tiny succulents or baby books or however people are styling shelfies these days.
Neon Heart Light
A sweet reminder that love is all around. Neon never gets old, right?
Zaq Sky Diffuser & Night-Light
No, nobody needs a night-light that projects a starry sky and also doubles as an aromatherapy diffuser. But that’s also basically everything I ever wanted in my (shared, sometimes with multiple siblings, alas) bedroom as a kid, so damn straight my child gets one of these. It comes with lavender oil to soothe kids to sleep, but I also use eucalyptus in stuffy-nose season. And the twinkly night-sky scene can be projected in a range of shades, from blue-green to a more realistic white-yellow. Boy, it’s good to be a kid in the tech era.
Emily & Meritt Pom-Pom Toy Dump
If you’ve ever had, babysat or been in the home of a baby, you know they basically need two things: diapers and a place to dump their stuff. This is the latter, and it’s a beauty. Woven from natural fibers and featuring pom-poms that are splashy but not over the top, this basket is the perfect “Grandma’s coming over hurry up and shove all the toys/books/dirty clothes in one place” deposit.
Pom-Pom Pillow
If you’re not so much into the neon thing but still looking for a hint of the rainbow, this pom-pom-studded throw pillow lets you branch out from ecru, but just barely.
Felt Ball Mobile
Or maybe you prefer your neon pom-poms in mobile form? This one features natural driftwood and hand-felted wool — and may even be enough to distract kiddo through diaper changes. Maybe.
Casagami Solar Night-Light Loft
Finally, a SoHo loft you can afford! If you weren’t keen on that star-projection essential oil diffuser night-light, this option is less colorful (and it’s scent-free) but still plenty wacky. It’s also made of recycled card stock and is solar-powered — you know, everything you could possibly want in a SoHo loft that costs $14.
Banana Leaf Mural Wallpaper
You could go the usual route and paint your baby’s room pale blue or gray or yellow or the oh so 2016 rose quartz, aka millennial pink. But if you’re looking to splurge, why not pick one crazy-patterned wall? Let Baby be a bit avant-garde with a fun print they may even still like when they’re 12. (Just don’t put it right by the bed, OK? This pattern is not snoozeworthy.)
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