A Calm and Collected Nursery

Treetop views, sky blue hues, plus style and storage aplenty -- together they hatch the perfect nest for an oh-so-modern baby.

By Pamela S. Porter

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The Basics

Smart Start

Quick Change

Baby Zone

Clothes Rack

Oh, How They Grow

Bright Idea

Soft Spots

Picture This

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The Basics

With its nurturing nature theme and nifty storage nooks, this nursery is the type of sanctuary many parents dream of for a new child. Gentle colors soften the room's clean-cut modern style. Rugs, pillows, and artwork sport animal and botanical motifs, and a painted tree climbs the wall.

Smart Start

Inspiring the color palette and nature theme, the leaf-pattern crib set was the starting point for this room. Its mid-century modern appeal is gender-neutral, translating easily if the nursery later becomes home to a baby boy.

Quick Change

Who would guess a kitchen island could double as a changing table? The height is just right, and this one offers ample storage for diapers and other necessities. The casters lock in place or allow the table to be moved for more play space.

Baby Zone

Installing a bank of cabinets in unused crawl space provides oodles of storage. Cabinets with pullout baskets, open shelves, and see-through fronts mean toys are accessible to kids, but clothes, shoes, and other items can be hidden behind closed doors. Opting for several coordinating small rugs can be more economical than purchasing a large area rug, and a fun way to create different play zones for active siblings.

Clothes Rack

Corral pint-size clothing in cabinets, which are the perfect height and width for these items. Changing the cabinet hardware also makes these cabinets bedroom-worthy.

Oh, How They Grow

Inspired by leaves in the crib bedding, this sensational silhouette is an easy do-it-yourself project -- the more imperfect the better. Using acrylic paint a few shades darker than the wall color, hand-paint a tree trunk and branches, then add birds and leaves as desired.

Bright Idea

A pendent light in place of a table or floor lamp avoids electrical cords and outlets that can tempt curious crawlers. The rocker-glider wears a washable slipcover with a soft nubby texture and solid neutral color that can transition to another room later.

Soft Spots

In a variety of shapes and sizes, pillows and cushions rotate around the room as needed on the floor, chair, and window seat. Bold motifs, including this yummy banana split appliqué, play well with the nursery's whimsical animals and patterns.

Picture This

Picture-box frames offer delightful dimension for nature-theme artwork. Hung in a row, they fill an awkward wall and achieve a clean-lined display within Baby's view but out of her reach. And because their soft sophistication won't soon be outgrown, you can justify investing in the original etchings.

A Calm and Collected Nursery

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