This Nursery Makeover Turned a Gray Space into a Woodland Oasis

Inspired by the beauty of nature, from hummingbirds to dragonflies, the Mini team made over a previously grey nursery, turning the drab space into a lush, yet subtle woodland oasis. As featured in our NEW winter issue, this nursery makeover has wallpaper at the heart, and incorporated beautiful, natural elements like a woven linen shade, textural herringbone rug, wheatgrass Moses basket, and stunningly soft nursery glider.

The Wallpaper

“It all started with the wallpaper,” said Mini’s Editor in Chief, Kate Kirby. “The entire design of the room revolves around this stunning Cole & Son Hummingbirds wallpaper from DecoratorsBest. The soft blue hue, playful birds, and sprawling greenery featured reflect the natural landscape just through the nursery’s windows.” Cole & Son Hummingbirds Blue Multi-Colour Wallpaper, $137.25; decoratorsbest.com

The Lighting

Softening the room even more is the scalloped light fixture, with its delicate rounded edges- perfect for a calm nursery like this one. Scalloped Shade Semi-Flush Mount, $170; shadesoflight.com

Subtle Color Pops

“We didn’t want the room to feel too matchy or themed,” said Kirby. “With that in mind, we stuck to small pops of blush pink instead of attempting to coordinate with the blue wallpaper. We chose a salmon-colored throw pillow on the glider and painted the gourd-shaped lamp in the palest pink, My Sweetheart by Behr.” Vera Glider in White Performance Microfiber with Gold Swivel Base, $1595; montedesign.com

Natural Elements

If there was a recurring theme of this nursery, it would be natural texture, like the woven Moses basket from Plum & Sparrow, or the custom ivory linen Roman shade from Everhem. Wheatgrass African Moses Basket, $165; plumandsparrow.com

Precious Artwork

Sweet artwork included in the nursery features the likes of a curious rabbit, pictured from the front and back, which is a quirky addition, a portrait of style icon Iris Apfel made entirely of flowers and other natural foliage from the family’s favorite destination, and a piece of baby clothing (Baby Girl Bubble from White Elephant Designs, embroidered with the baby’s name in a blush pink thread) framed via Framebridge to give a sense of the warm and fuzzies for decades to come. Rabbit Printable Art Set, $10; etsy.com; Iris Flower Print, From $35; sistergolden.com; Textile framing begins at $65; framebridge.com

Nursery Organization

This nursery relies on baskets and bins to control the baby gear, laundry, and diapering essentials. Pom pom bins of varying sizes from Pehr keep the floor tidy and provide storage for all of baby’s things. Pom Pom Hamper, $82; Pom Pom Pint, $30; Follow Me Deer Printed Pint, $28; shoppehr.com

Floor Monitor

“I don’t often love how baby monitors can become a bulky, out of place accessory in a nursery, so we opted for the Nanit Plus Camera and Floor Stand that take up minimal space, offer a clean design, and provide a much better overhead view of baby while she sleeps,” said Kirby. Nanit Plus Baby Monitor with Floor Stand, $379; nanit.com

Blackout Shade

Parents appreciate when baby sleeps well, so a blackout shade, in ivory linen, was the best choice for this woodland inspired nursery. Purveyors of custom window, North Shore Window Inc. could be an option for custom or creative window designs; although we had other choices. With the help of Everhem, we chose the luxe fabric, the pleated style, and enter dimensions for the long outside mount Roman shade. The blackout lining was a must to keep the sun out during daytime naps. We considered getting privacy windows from a company like myrtlebeachwindow.com, but decided against it in the end. We wanted the room to be light and airy, and we’re so happy with our choice.Custom Pleated Roman Shade, Prices vary, everhem.com

The Furniture

Tapered legs on the classic white crib and dresser provide consistency and elegance, while the gold swivel base of the glider makes a statement. Babyletto Sprout 4-in-1 Convertible Crib, $379; babyletto.com

The Mattress

In keeping with the natural, organic vibe of the nursery, the Avocado Luxury Organic Crib Mattress was included in the crib setup. The GOTS organic certified crib mattress features a two-stage design for both infants and toddlers (meaning years of use as baby grows!), premium organic materials, 170 ultra-premium cotton-wrapped coils, and trusted certifications. Each mattress is handmade in Los Angeles and made to order. Avocado Luxury Organic Crib Mattress, $1249; avocadogreenmattress.com

The Accents

“The sky blue shade of the woven herringbone rug could not have worked more perfectly with the wallpaper,” said Kirby. “The texture is great for playing with baby on the floor and that subtle pattern is just enough to provide interest.” Herringbone Sky Woven Cotton Rug, $482; annieselke.com

Mini also complemented the design with a trio of friendly knit dolls from Cuddle + Kind, along with a soft ivory alpaca throw from Serena & Lily. Hannah the Bunny, Mia the Dog, and Lola the Llama, From $55; cuddleandkind.com; Milo Alpaca Throw, $248; serenaandlily.com


You’ll also want to browse this Blogger’s Nursery Closet Makeover or read these 50 Greek Baby Names to Save Now.