nursery ideas from someone with no children

So I currently have three good friends who are expecting, as well as, oh six or seven acquaintances, and I'm starting to fall behind on the gift knitting. But anyway, where two of the three know what they're having, M has decided to be surprised by the baby's gender. This kind of got me thinking about preparing a nursery and how hard it is to create lovely--as opposed to precious or cute--children's rooms. So this post is full of my (probably highly impractical/over the top) ideas.

First off: sort of inspiration.

I rather love the gender-neutrality of this room, but as the husband in "Juno" points out, "Not many boys have a yellow room." So there's that. Also, I'm thinking M would like something a smidge more sophisticated. Anyway, there are a bunch of room ideas at Pottery Barn Kids. That's really the only place I found any nursery images.

Anyway, I decided to go with a very neutral color palette, thinking that it's probably going to change as the baby develops personality. Also, I wanted a room that could potentially transition into a child's bedroom without needing a complete overhaul.


I love this wallpaper, and I think putting it in a kids room would make it easy for them to pretend they lived in an enchanted forest. From Cole and Son.

I think the next major purchase is the crib, right? Well, this one is from Pottery Barn, and costs about $1000, but here's the awesome bit: it transitions into a toddler bed that could totally double for a loveseat/benchy thing once outgrown by the child. Seriously! Check it out.


And then you need sheets, right? I found this set on etsy, and I love the black/white/yellow colors, but I'm not completely sold on it. I personally would probably end up going with straight-up white so that stains could be bleached out without fading.

And then there's this: my single favorite item that I've found:


Okay, so it's from Anthro, so it costs a small fortune, but I think maybe totally worth it? (May I add as an aside that my children will not be lulled to sleep with Baby Disney character bobbing about their heads? Or any other licensed characters, for that matter.)

You need a rug, right? To deaden noise when you're creeping out after FINALLY get the child to sleep. I chose this simple graphic one from Urban Outfitters. I thought about a zebra rug, but decided that might be a tiny bit over the top.


Okay, then there's the other big ticket purchase: a rocking chair. Being the second of five, I know the importance of this item, and also knew what I was looking for: something streamlined, clean, and comfortable. I would prefer a tall back, so you can lean your head back and doze off at midnight feedings, but this is what I found:

This an actual mid-century modern piece, and perhaps surprisingly, the cheapest, at $500. The back is maybe not as high as I would like, but it does look comfy, and how awesome would it be to own a piece of vintage furniture?

This one is from Design Within Reach, and rings up at $500 as well. I like the height of the back, and I like that it folds up to be very portable. My favorite, I think, despite the uncomfortable-looking arms.


Okay, this does look super-comfy and awesome for reading stories in when the baby gets older. But $900 of comfy? Also fabric that's going to be hard to clean? I don't think so.

Since DWR won (in my mind) I think you need to throw in a couple of pillows for the back/arms/etc. How about these?



Both from CouchDesign.

Ok, now we get to the really fun part: artwork. M & I are both huge children's book enthusiasts, so I think there has to be at least one of these:

From Allposters.

And then, everyone needs a blue giraffe on the wall.


Or perhaps a pair of befuddled bears.


Or a friendly-looking platypus named Paco.

Or maybe a pair of friends walking under an umbrella.

And now I'm sure I've forgotten all sorts of important baby things, but my brain is starting to shrivel. M, feel loved.