The 1 Secret You NEED To Know To Design A Remarkably Stylish Nursery

You’re an overachiever. 

Wondering how I know that?

You’re here.

Reading about how to create a nursery for your baby that is insanely stylish. Not every mom does that.

Because you’re so invested in having a room for your baby that speaks to you and is perfectly suited to her, I’m going to let you in on my little secret.

Are you ready? Here it is:

Mixing.

I can hear you already; mixing what?! My answer is: mixing everything.

The number one pitfall I see over and over by moms creating a nursery is having everything match. 

It’s hard to overcome when you’re just starting out too. You go to the baby store, start looking at the decorations and this is all you see:

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure here.

via Overstock

Is this hideous? Of course not! In fact, it is pretty cute, but it’s lacking something.

Something that will give it more oomph. Something that will create more visual interest. Any guesses on what it is?

You got it; mixing things up.

Although the tribal pattern is right on trend and so is the color scheme, it has too much of the same things going on.

The tribal print is on the blanket, the bed skirt and even the crib mobile in the background. The same goes for the stripes on the laundry basket, the crib bumper, and the mobile.

Bedding sets are the safe choices. 

But you’re looking for more than that. You’re looking for a nursery as unique as your baby.

How To Mix To Create A Stylish Nursery

Here comes the good part.

Learning how to expertly mix items in the nursery to give it that professionally designed look. Let’s take a look at some of the most stylish nurseries on the web to illustrate my points.

First up, is this gorgeous nursery by Emily Henderson.

via House Beautiful

What do you see when you first look at this picture? For me, it’s the forest wallpaper. It makes a statement in an otherwise calm and neutral nursery. But my eyes don’t stop there.

All the different elements in the room pull me into the image and make me want to see more. I notice the blue rocker on the far side of the wall because it’s the only color like it in the room. Then I come back to the texture of the wood on the daybed opposite of the crib. I also notice the white wood planking on the ceiling. The texture of the shaggy rug speaks to me and then finally my eye seems to rest on the assortment of pillows on the bed.

It’s a perfect example of mixing to create visual interest. Instead of one or two colors seen throughout the room (as in the bedding set above), this room has an overall neutral color palette with a few pops of color (the wallpaper and chair).

She’s also able to create interest by selecting different shades of the same color family. There’s not just one pink in the room, but a variety of pink, salmon, and peachy colors that go throughout the pillows, throw and the wall art (not seen in this pic).

Now, let’s move on to room number 2.

via Project Nursery

This room is completely different from the previous one, but still insanely stylish.

Like the first room, my eyes are immediately drawn to the walls. The striking tribal wallpaper sets the scene for this nursery. After that, I notice the worn-in rocker and the southwestern footstool. The contrasting curtains are also vying for my attention.

What makes this room shine?

The mixing of all the different southwest, tribal and rustic elements. There’s an overall feel of dark wood, but nothing is matchy-matchy. The two side tables are identical but placed far enough away that it’s not evident at first. The wood flooring is different than the tables and the crib even looks slightly different. Plus, if you look closely, the wood on the chair on the right-hand side of the picture is a more orangish shade than the rest of the wood.

Again, this room plays with different shades of the same color. There are the dark browns of the wood, the cream shade in the curtains, the slightly darker shade of brown in the wall art and the dark browns scattered throughout the pillow and stool.

Notice also how there are several different patterns (I count 5 in this one picture!) throughout the room that all remain cohesive with the tribal/southwestern theme.

Finally, take a look at this amazing nursery:

via The Animal Print Shop

Unlike the other two rooms, the first thing I’m drawn to in this nursery is the adorable gallery wall of baby animals. Even though they’re all from one collection, they’re not overly matchy. Each animal is in a different position in the frame and they all have different colors, so there’s still visual interest.

Moving from the wall, I see the colorful pom pom mobile over the crib. It’s a fun accent to the rest of the more neutral colored space.

I’m also drawn to the deep navy blue of the crib and notice a companion color in the piggy bank on the dresser. Again, it’s worth noting that the wood dresser and the wood floor are not trying to match.

The Cliffnotes Version Of Mixing In The Nursery

1. Don’t buy bedding sets. There’s too much of the same pattern and color repeated in them.
2. Do mix metals. Try a matte black drawer knob and a bronze overhead light or a silver floor lamp with a gold pillow.
3. Stay away from trying to match all the wood in your room. The different colors bring visual interest to the space.
4. Do use varying shades of one color. For example, don’t just pick pink for the nursery. Choose a deep raspberry accent pillow, a soft peachy-pink crib sheet, a light pink floor rug and so on.
5. Do mix different textures in the nursery. Try a shaggy rug, a rich leather floor pouf or a textured wall hanging.

Now it’s your turn: Tell me how you mix things up in the comments below.