[ad] A simple gender neutral nursery – the REVEAL!

[AD – our gender neutral nursery features press products kindly gifted by Scandiborn]

It’s been a while since I last wrote on the blog – and I have good reason, I’ve had a baby! On the 13th March 2021, we introduced to the world our little girl Ophelia and it’s been an absolute dream ever since. Time has flown by fast as lightening and at last we’ve added the little details to her room. One thing I’d say for sure is finish the nursery before they’re born, because you’ll never have time on your hands when they’re here, stealing your time with cuddles, late night feeds, gummy smiles and pure love!

I’m so excited to finally share her beautiful bedroom here with you. It’s a lovely gender neutral nursery with pale beige walls and soft green accents. We didn’t know what we were having – boy or girl – so I wanted to create a simple, understated space that could evolve with us and our baby, whoever they might be or turn into. The result is calm and cosy with enough uplifting and subtly playful details to take it from a functional space to a charming children’s haven.

Below you can see the before (read my blog post about my plans and inspiration here). The space first served as a cosy home office with dark grey walls and picture ledges to display my samples and inspiration for my creative projects. We swapped the double bed that was originally in here for a space-saving day bed that could function as a sofa during the day and guest bed by night. When the pandemic hit and we both found ourselves working from home, we added an extra workspace to the room, creating a neat run of desks along one wall with plenty of storage to hide clutter away. But with a new addition to the home, things needed to shift around to accommodate a cot and all the paraphernalia that comes with a baby.

The pictures might look deceptive because there is still one work space in here, tucked under the window. Much like many young families in compact homes, this room has to be multipurpose and cram a lot of uses into one tight space. It’s a nursery for our new daughter, but it’s also a room for guests (not that we’re having many right now!), a space for naps during the day and a home office for my husband when he’s working from home. Let’s tale a closer look!

The original mood board for our gender neutral nursery envisioned a simple, Scandinavian-inspired look with clean, white furniture, monochrome prints and soft, muted tones. The neutral backdrop was to be animated with cute details and references to some of our favourite things – namely dachshunds, as a nod to our own sausage dog Francis! I spotted a gorgeous knitted dachshund mobile on Etsy and knew it had to be at the heart of the scheme.

For this room we also wanted to the most of the furniture we already had to make it as affordable and easy as possible. This really was a simple refresh, not a complete overhaul. After all, if we’re lucky enough to get planning and do an extension, this room will be changing slightly and getting a fresh new lease of life. We’ve kept the daybed as without a spare room, an extra surface to sleep on is essential. We’ve also moved an existing IKEA chest of drawers from the bedroom into the nursery to add storage and create a changing table.

And this is the result! The room is north facing and as anyone knows with a north facing space, it’s particularly dark and dingy with moody light and a cold tone. Before the room was painted Farrow & Ball’s Lamp Room Grey, which to me just added to the dinginess in the space.

One strategy for a tricky north facing space is to try to counteract the cool light by adding back lots of warmth with sunny tones. A light, warm beige on the walls lifts the space and gives a cosier feel, even when the light fades by lunchtime.

A soft green on the woodwork (door, window frame and skirting) adds a playful touch and a hint of colour. Green has quite a lot of cool tones in it, so I didn’t want it to be too dominating and make the space feel chilly. If it had been a south facing space I probably could have gone a bit heavier with the green and painted the walls that tone too. As it is, I love the subtle, toned down colour and the fact that with a beige backdrop you can adapt and change the space with any accessories you might choose to add.

The centre piece of the room is this beautiful Oliver Furniture cot bed from Scandiborn (scroll down to the end of the post for the full source list). You can read more about why this Danish brand is one of my favourites for children’s homeware here.

Sustainability and craftsmanship are key to Oliver Furniture’s ethos. Their various furniture series have been designed to be easily adapted and converted as a child grows up, ensuring the lifespan of a design endures beyond the initial purchase. The Wood Mini+, here, transforms from a cot bed to a junior bed and can be set in five different versions, lasting from the baby years to when a child is 9 years old. All it needs is a conversion kit and mattress extension to transform the design. I love that we’ve invested in one piece of furniture and won’t need to buy several different pieces over the years as she grows up.

A Nobodinoz canopy, also from Scandiborn, creates a cosy focal point in that corner of the room and adds a hefty dose of green colour. The picture ledge was already on the wall and I’ve just painted it the same colour as the wall to help it blend in and look seamless. I’ve also added a cot organiser to the cot frame to maximise on handy storage to help keep the essentials within easy reach.

Our IKEA chest of drawers slots in neatly next to the cot. Their drawer organisers are perfect for neatly dividing up sleep suits and mini outfits – there’s something about them all lined up and organised that really sings to my soul! I’ve added a peg hook above the chest of drawers so I can display some of her favourite outfits, which seem a shame to have hidden away. At this age with such teeny clothes I don’t think they need a wardrobe, but a few hangers on hooks are always useful. Some bunny eared baskets are also useful for toys, extra baby blankets and odds and ends.

As you come into the room you’re greeted by the existing IKEA day bed. It’s a lovely, cosy spot to sit in and relax and unwind – perfect for feeding. From the day bed you get a beautiful view of the greenery in the garden, framed by the green painted window frame.

We’ve kept the existing picture ledges where they were, rather than move them. They’re ideal for an ever changing display of art and children’s books. I’ve also added some of my favourite treasures that I’ve kept for our daughter, from my old Peter Rabbit books to cards we received when she was born. It really is a special display that we can start to personalise for her. Next to the shelves is the most special piece of all – a Winnie the Pooh poem that was read at our wedding by my best friend. I love that I’ll get to read it to our daughter too.

I found the Kartell Componibili table on Facebook Marketplace – the curves add softness to the hard lines in the space. A neutral, handmade, textured rug from Sera Helsinki adds an earthy touch to the space and ties in with the beige walls. I love how the natural linen cushions also add tactility to the space to make it inviting as soon as you open the door.

So there we have it – a simple makeover to take one small room from home office to gender neutral nursery and multifunctional family room. I loved the space when it was a workspace and although I was sad to see it go (no idea where I’ll be working now!), I was excited to create a unique space for our expanding family. If it wasn’t for my husband’s ugly computer and office chair (conveniently not pictured in these shots, ha!!) I’d be in here all the time. I can’t wait to see Ophelia use the space and fall in love with all the details just like I have.

Source list:

Nobodinoz canopy, £89.95, Scandiborn [press sample]
Oliver furniture cot bed MINI+ (0-9 years), £909, Scandiborn [press sample]
Paint colours: Beige 01 and Green 02, Lick paint [press sample]
Maileg papa bear, £17, Arket [press sample – affiliate link] 
Iris Hantverk rack, £12, Arket [affiliate link]
Striped jumper, £33.50, Organic Zoo [press sample]
Small storage basket with ears, £14.99, Lindex [press sample]
Dachshund baby mobile by utatata studio, £132.74, Etsy [affiliate link]
Amour hand written sign, from £5, Etsy [affiliate link]
Letterboard, Letter Folk
Cot organiser, £16, Etsy [affiliate link]
Green cotton blanket, £45, Arket [affiliate link]
Liewood changing mat, £45.95, Scandiborn [press sample]
Aykasa green crate next to changing mat, £5, Kidly [press sample] 
Malm chest of drawers, £70, IKEA
Flekke daybed, IKEA
Mosslanda picture ledges, IKEA
Hiccup Makes a Leap book, Fanny & Alexander [press sample]
Clip-on Noc wall light, HAY, Made in Design
Prints, from £6.95, Juniqe [press sample]
Slinkii dachshund, £45.95, OYOY [press sample]
Polku rug, Sera Helsinki [press sample]
Shnuggle portable night light, £29.95, John Lewis & Partners [press sample]
Componibili table, Facebook Marketplace

Please let me know if I’ve missed anything off or if you have any questions about our gender neutral nursery and I’ll reply in the comments. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you like the before and after!