We Answer Wednesday - Neutral Nurseries

"My husband and I are expecting our first baby this spring. We don't know the gender and we want to keep it a surprise but we also want to have the nursery ready for his/her arrival (since we know that we will be way too busy to decorate after the baby's arrival).  We want to keep it neutral so we can re-use and re-purpose pieces for future children but we want it to be chic and stylish and not the traditional neutral green, white and yellow.  Any ideas? Help!"  K.E Ottawa, ON

Congratulations to you and your husband!  What an exciting time for you both.  This is a great question and perfect for us (since one of us has a lot of experience in the baby department with 4 children!)

Nurseries have come a very long way from the traditional blue, pink and yellow/green tones.  We are seeing so many different colour palettes that also transitional well with either gender but also with age.  Let's face it, with children you don't have much extra time to re-decorate regularly.  Nurseries have taken on so many looks and styles but don't get too caught up in the hype.  You are very smart to be thinking ahead with pieces that work for future children, no matter their gender.

 

When it comes to the large pieces - crib, armoire/dresser, change table and rocker/glidder.  I feel neutral is best.  A few years ago we were seeing a huge trend to espresso stained baby furniture.  It isn't too trendy but personally white is classic, soft and soothing, the espresso or black furniture can really make the room look a bit heavy.  White furniture gives the room a light and calm feel and can be used for either gender.  But if you are in a position where you are inheriting furniture like a change table in a wood tone it mixes well with white furniture, not everything has to match.  In my son's nursery, we have a white crib an change table and I inherited from my family some old natural stained real wood dressers - they look great paired with the white pieces.

 This nursery is a great example of mixing up different pieces.  White and wood crib, aqua painted end table and white shelving.  It all works because of the various accessories like the rug and ottoman that pull it all together
 

Also when it comes to shopping for furniture, don't limit yourself to the children's department. Other than the crib and change table, I didn't purchase 'children's furniture' for my nurseries.  I looked at pieces that were going to grow with them.  I purchased 2 great white dressers for my daughter's nursery (since her room didn't offer a lot of closet space) that she still uses today, .  My older children (ages 4 and 5) have double beds, I won't need to replace those but just update the bedding in a few years. the looks and styles of baby furniture have come a very, very long way so you can really have a modern nursery if that's the look you like.



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For colour combinations, step out of the box !  Blues and pinks are still staples and yes, you will see a lot of those colours when looking for baby decor but do not limit yourself to those classic hues.  Branch outside of the children's department and you will find fun and whimsical pattern and colour in home decor stores - lately we have see a lot of chevron, polka dots and stripes in nurseries.

 

You will also find great colourful lamps too, that aren't baby size.  Think about wall paper or decals for adding a splash of fun to the room.  For gender neutral nurseries, we are seeing aqua paired with orange but tones down with white.  We are also seeing a lot of grey, minty green and soft blues but with pops of bright yellow even coral.  Some really chic couples are opting for black and white nurseries!


 Another option of course is to start with a great neutral palette like grey and white and once your little one has arrived, add some gender specific colour to the room.  this is a great example of a 'blank' canvas for a nursery


 Personality in the nursery - murals always look so cute in a nursery but they can be costly and short lived.  If you are the artist in the family and don't mind the labour of love on a regular basis of updating the mural then go for it!  But if you don't have the time or resources, try wall decals for a timeless wall paper accent wall.  Remember you won't want to hang wall art above the crib!


Pieces you will want in your nursery:

- crib or bassinet but a bassinet will be out grown by about 6 months
- change table (tight on space? look for a change table dresser so it offers lots of function)
- a dresser or armoire
- glidder or rockers for those late night and early mornings (they can get pricy but they will get used a lot)
- an end table by the glidder/rocker  for bottle, tissues etc...
- if you don't have carpet, an area rug
- table or floor lamp, you will want soft lighting for late night feedings
- depending on the sleeping arrangement and situation (and space) you may want a pullout sofa or bed for mom to sleep in



 What we are really seeing in nurseries is parents opting for nurseries that they find calming since they are the ones spending the most time in the space.  That is one of the big reasons we are seeing more sophisticated colour palettes, furniture (like rockers, storage and beds) and overall styles. What's hot with nurseries is basically use what ever colour(s) speak to you!  An aqua room for a girl why not?! Pops of coral in a boys room can totally work!