Nursery Scheming and Dreaming: Gender Neutral Grey and Yellow

When designing a nursery for your first child it can be daunting. Do you go with a specific boy/girl focus, or do you stay more neutral so you wouldn’t have to change anything up for your potentially opposite-gendered children down the line? You may not even want to find out what you’re having and have to decorate with both sexes in mind,  staying mostly neutral and then just adding in your colour with wall paint, bedding and accessories…

I took all of the above into account when planning my boys’ nursery (more on that later), but first I wanted to share one of my favourite gender neutral nursery schemes: yellow, white and grey. Just look how stimulating yet soft it is in this gorgeous room designed by photographer Natasha Smith:

I’m not a grey person myself, but I do it all the time for clients and enjoy creating a palette around the favourite neutral du jour. Paired with sunny yellow and crisp white, here is a grey-based scheme I put together with a positively precious pachyderm theme:

 

Instead of standard wood finishes or white paint, try a grey crib with modern lines and funky flared legs. Bedding in a yellow polkadot with a coordinating yellow-trimmed cribskirt from Serena and Lily is sweet but still feels sophisticated. A handmade felt mobile off Etsy and customizable art from Land of Nod add a second thematic layer to the nursery that also works in the palette: adorable elephants!

This small scale print fabric from Tonic Living has an ethnic-look that makes the nursery feel more current and less precious- perfect for investment-worthy window treatments. The pattern is totally something that can be used as the baby grows up or if the room turns into an office or spare bedroom down the line. The dresser with change top is an investment piece from  DucDuc that can be customized in a huge variety of colours and finishes, but you could also get this look by painting out an old dresser in a similar contrasting treatment, adding a change pad topper and switching out the hardware.

Ground the pattern in the drapery and bedding with a solid bordered grey rug. A glider with yellow contrast welting  topped with a gorgeous printed lumbar cushion adds decorator details and even more sophistication. Keep clutter at bay and store diapers, creams and lotions in elegant trimmed canvas caddies.

A grey washed wood and metal beaded light fixture and cozy elephant-printed blanket add warm texture while a mustard yellow moroccan pouf pick up on the ethnic tone of the fabrics and provide an extra spot to sit or put your feet up. Stack handmade colour-coordinated baby blocks on a floating shelf in your baby’s initials for an extra special custom touch!

Sources: Mobile,  Crib, Elephant Poster, Crib Bedding, Fabric, Dresser, Rug, Cushion, Caddies, Light Fixture, Moroccan Pouf, Baby Blanket, Blocks

Nursery photo: Natasha Smith