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Are you struggling to design a mid-century modern nursery? With a baby on the way, finding the time to design and execute a functional yet beautiful nursery along with the many other things to prepare before your baby pops out can be hard! That is why I will be starting a series of posts to help soon-to-be parents execute the design, decoration, and styling of their future nurseries.

THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT DESIGNING A MID-CENTURY MODERN GENDER-NEUTRAL NURSERY

This is the first (of many) DESIGNED FOR YOU: NURSERIES posts to help all the busy parents out there to use the time they saved (by using the COUCOUCALI nursery design) and putting it towards another task on that neverending list of things to do before the baby comes out!

How to go about designing a Mid-Century Modern Gender Neutral Nursery

1. CONSIDER YOUR COLOR PALETTE FIRST – DO NOT use pink or blue as your main color of choice. Consider using an interesting mix of colors, or contrasting colors. If you do like the pink and blue hues try using a different take on that color. Like coral or turquoise. The color palette for this design was inspired by the terrazzo wallpaper. TIP: Find color inspiration from a piece of art or a set of prints you want to use in the nursery.

2. INCORPORATE GEOMETRIC SHAPES, INTERESTING FUN PATTERNS, OR ABSTRACT FORMS – The best part of incorporating fun geometric shapes or fun patterns is that it doesn’t “expire” as your baby grows into a toddler. Then before you know they’re 5 years old. And even then this room can still work with a big kid bed. TIP: The easiest way to introduce interesting patterns or shapes is with wallpaper, an area rug, or bedding.

3. MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE FURNITURE – When it comes time to choose the furniture pieces, it can be VERY TEMPTING to go with that $2000 mid-century style designer crib. Even that $800 one might be tempting BUT hold off on that! The best use for your money would be investing in other pieces of furniture like a dresser or a really cool storage cabinet or bookcase your baby can use all the way to their teens. The bookcases in this design are a knockoff of the Westelm ones for half of the price. TIP: If you find a really nice (but expensive) piece of mid-century modern furniture at WestElm or another retailer, you might be able to find a really great knockoff from Wayfair, Article, or another online furniture company.

4. HARMONIZE AND SOLIDIFY YOUR WHOLE DESIGN BY CHOOSING AN ICONIC-LOOKING MID-CENTURY MODERN CENTER LIGHT – Lighting is a HUGE deal and it can make or break your design if it isn’t considered carefully. Depending on your ceiling height go with a semi-flush style for lower ceiling heights. If you have more room to play around with check out some chandelier options. In any case, take note of the overall height of the chandelier, its minimum installation height, and the included “down rods”. If you have a lower ceiling height and want a chandelier see if they include a 6″ down rod. It may just work for your space. TIP: If you are needing a floor lamp, a table lamp or a wall sconce ensure it coordinates with your center light in the mid-century modern style.

5. TEXTURES, TEXTURES, TEXTURES – The addition of different textures and materials will level up your nursery and make it feel more luxurious and professionally designed. Paired with coordinating patterns, you are on your way to the nursery of your dreams. TIP: Add little touches of texture with a rug, throw pillow, baby blanket, or fun woven storage baskets.

6. LIVEN UP YOUR SPACE WITH PLANTS – No matter what style you plan for your nursery, plants are essential and always a good idea! Make sure to choose kid-friendly plants as most will be toxic. My go-to kid-friendly plants are the kentia palm, bird’s nest fern, cast iron plant, or spider plant. TIP: If you have extra floor space, choose 1 large floor plant and 2 small plants to style your shelving, AND make sure to choose mid-century inspired planters to house them.

WHY THIS MID-CENTURY MODERN GENDER-NEUTRAL NURSERY DESIGN WORKS SO WELL

• There are a lot of color offerings in the wallpaper which you can play around with as accent colors and they don’t fall into any specific gender. They also work really well with blacks and natural-colored neutrals. The color combinations really put forward a retro vibe that can be timeless and work with you as your child gets older.
• Everything in this room (with the exception of the crib, diaper-changing things, the playmat, and the rocking chair) can be used as your child grows
• The bookcases, dresser, and storage baskets provide ample storage space. Giving you open and closed storage options.

SHOP THE LOOK:

1. CEILING CENTER LIGHT
2. PLUG-IN WALL SCONCE
3. PEEL & STICK WALLPAPER
4. BOOKCASE
5. CRIBSHEET
6. CONVERTIBLE CRIB
7. RUG
8. DRESSER/CHANGE TABLE
9. PLAYMAT
10. CHANGE PAD
11. DIAPER CADDY
12. ACCENT PILLOW
13. STORAGE POUF
14. ROCKING CHAIR
15. BLACK WOVEN BASKET
16. BLACK POLKA DOT BASKET