I had the best time designing this soft and sophisticated nursery for Anne-Marie and her husband, Joe. They were expecting their first baby, due in March, and wanted to create the perfect room to welcome her home to. The words Anne-Marie used to describe her vision were BRIGHT, SOPHISTICATED & MODERN. She wanted to stick with a neutral color palate, using shades of gray, white, and tan.

This adorable mobile from Pehr served as the inspiration. The room was already painted a neutral tan-toned gray, so I had a blank slate to work with. Here are the ‘before’ photos:

The best part about this room is the view from the window - you get a direct line to the marina and the ocean. I pictured Anne-Marie watching the sunrise with her newborn, so naturally I knew the glider had to go there. Talk about an ideal set-up for bonding during early morning feedings!

See below for a glimpse at the moodboard + design:

Materials and colors for a neutral design nursery

A moodboard for a neutrally decorated nursery

Once again, I went with removable wallpaper from Chasing Paper. This company’s excellent customer service and top-quality product keeps me coming back again and again. Installation always takes a while with any kind of wallpaper, so be sure to allocate 2-3 hours minimum to get this done.

So hot tip - these faux trees from Pottery Barn are sooooo good. They are a bit pricey, but you end up with something super realistic looking, and the bonus is that you don’t have to worry about keeping it alive. Highly recommend for those of you who want greenery in your space, but can’t have the real thing due to dogs, lack of sunlight, etc. I love the olive tree for this nursery because it’s soft and whimsical looking. Want to disguise the black pot? Grab a woven basket (also from Pottery Barn) and some sheet moss (from any craft store). Remember to spritz with water every week to keep it looking vibrant and green.

wallpapered wall in a nursery with a faux olive tree

This photo captured the essence of the nursery. Ultimately, that’s not where the tree will go, but I just thought it looked so pretty up against the accent wall and with the soft white curtains. The crib sheet design contrasts nicely with the wallpaper, providing visual interest while sticking within the color scheme (we ordered three different ones from Pehr - they are all so cute!)

Here’s what is actually going there - plus this beautiful custom glider + ottoman from West Elm. At the time of these photos, it hadn’t been delivered yet. And now with everything going on with COVID-19, I’m not going to be able to visit to take new photos, so in the meantime, we can use our imaginations!

The gold accents of the lamp, crib and the curtain rod really add warmth to the space, and make it feel modern. I love that it’s ranunculus season right now, because that bud vase was meant for them. It adds a nice pop of color, and you can change the flowers with the season.

Okay something that was really tough to photograph, but something I wanted to share nonetheless was the way I hung up the curtains. One window was 46” wide while the other was 34” wide, both jammed right into the corner. The width of the curtains was 50” wide, so I really only need three of them (two panels for the big window, one panel for the small one). I found a hinged elbow connector to connect the two window’s curtain rods, which gave the fabric a curved look in the corner once hung up. A simple and inexpensive solution for tricky window placements.

A changing table with bunny art and floating book shelves

We went with a dresser/changing table combo, and I think it consolidates the room nicely. (BTW, that is where the tree will live!)

How much do you want to lay down your head on that sheepskin rug?? I don’t mind layering a rug on top of carpet, as long as it’s a different texture. This one makes the whole nursery feel soft and a touch whimsical.

You’ll notice I changed the knobs to these gorgeous mother-of-pearl ones from Anthropologie. It instantly customizes the dresser, and ties in the gold accents from the crib side of the room.

An olive tree in a neutral themed nursery with bunny art

A dresser and changing table with bunny art in a neutral nursery

Quick tip: in addition to hanging those bunny prints with a normal nail + hook, I added command strips to make them extra secure. In my research, I learned that it’s not a good idea to hang things above a crib (in case there is an earthquake and they fall onto the baby) but above a changing table area is okay as long as the pieces are light, and extremely secure.

white floating shelves with books in a nursery

That book wall installation looks simple (and in theory, it is!) but it was a pain in the neck to install. I love the way it looks, but you’ll definitely need a second person to help you make each shelf level and centered. The shelves were from Crate & Barrel, and they add much needed dramatic height to that side of the room. Anne-Marie is a big reader herself, so she knew a book wall of some kind was a must!

Time to make the bed:

stacking white, tan and grey pillows on a twin bed

The combination of the pillows showcases a great way to mix and match patterns, without feeling too busy or haphazard. Since they all fall within a white, grey, and tan color scheme, they compliment each other and provide visual interest.

A white and grey twin bed with giraffe art

A black metal nightstand with a lamp and candle

If you have the space, a single bed is a smart idea to include in your nursery. Not only will it give new mamas a place to crash if the baby is waking up throughout the night, it will also be ready to use as a toddler bed when the baby grows up. Plus it looks pretty dreamy.

Joe picked out the giraffe canvas art - isn’t it so cute?! The wicker utility basket adds a little extra storage, and ties into the basket used for the olive tree on the other side of the room. The lamp is the perfect size for the nightstand, which adds a great modern touch next to the traditional style of the bed.

At the foot of the bed are these adorable pom-pom storage bins from Pehr. Hard to fit them into other photos, but I had to share!

Brenna Darling laying on a soft sheepskin rug

There you have it - a soft, sophisticated nursery. While I’m bummed I didn’t get any photos with the glider and ottoman, the good news is that it was delivered before the baby arrived. And that’s what matters more!! This room had such wonderful juju and I hope the baby girl growing up here will love her space as much as I do. Comment below if you want more links to products.

To Anne-Marie, Joe, and Baby Genevieve, thank you for allowing me to create a space for your family.

Also, of course I was going to lie on that sheepskin rug - it was too soft to resist!!