Help me tie a nursery together

[plimsolls]

I'm hoping for some wisdom and/or suggestions from you stylish lot. Any ideas or thoughts would be so welcome because I'm going round in circles and have pinterested myself into oblivion.

We're decorating a room to become a nursery (our baby is due end of August). We don't know the sex of the baby (and probably won't until it arrives). I have some furniture and soft furnishings already that I would like to use in the room but I'm a little stuck as to how to decorate and add to what we've got, whilst keeping it gender-neutral.

I have a turquoise tall dresser/chest of drawers which I would like to use.
I have a small turquoise leather chair that we could use (but are not wedded to keeping)
I also have a really nice chair which would be fantastic for nursing/cuddling. It's hard to describe but is kind of midcentury in style with dark wood legs and black leather cushion, arms and back.
Long floor length curtains in a very pale blue-grey.
Carpet is a generic beige colour.
We will get a MoKee cot which is available in white, grey, aqua, teal or pink.
There will be a wall of built in wardrobes which most likely will have white doors (but I guess we can paint if needed).

What would your suggestions for wall colour and accessories be? Do you have any idea how we can counter the turquoise/pale blue stuff so we don't look like we've decorated 'for a boy', and also tie in the black chair to the overall look?

I've only decorated adult rooms before where I've done everything white, pale grey, with monochrome, natural stone, wood, gold accents. I'm finding colour and comfort very hard!

I could paint the turquoise dresser ...open to any colour suggestions (but would probably be limited to Annie Sloan type paints so I don't have to sand and prep it)

All thoughts very gratefully received the decorators are coming next week aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgh

[Solasum]

Aqua isn't baby blue, so I don't think it is too boyish. Aqua cot sounds as if it would work with the turquoise. Bear in mind you probably won't be nursing in the nursery for ages, as presumably baby will be in with you? I'd go for storage that will work down the line over a chair. Black is not a great colour for babies, there is a reason for white.

Blue grey doesn't sound very turquoise compatible to me.

Cream or pale yellow walls?

[primarynoodle]

Yellow and greens would make it more neutral? Weve gone for grey green white yellow and blue in terms of paint, furniture and decorations and we dont know what were having.

[poochiepants]

I've kept this photo for ages (not sure where it's from) and love how it mixes brights with a soft blue grey background - maybe accessories, cushions, doorknobs etc in a range of similar brights?

[Thelovecats]

search for 'natural nursery' on Pinterest- there's loads of ideas that fit in with your usual decor style. I don't think nurseries have to be colourful. You could try eclectic nursery too. Love Pinterest

[plimsolls]

Thanks for all your replies. I lost this thread for a while (no idea how)

poochie Thanks for that picture- it's really really helpful

It turns out we've got very uneven wall/ceiling joins so the decorators recommended going pale so as not to draw attention to it. We ended up making the wall paint decision in a rush but have gone for a variety of Dulux Clouded Pearls on wall/ceiling and then a pale version of Dusted Moss on the cupboards. I am hoping they will come out to be varieties of off-white/ pale greeny grey. We didn't get a chance to do tester pots so fingers crossed it works OK in a west facing room. They're all so pale that it probably won't matter anyway.....

I actually realised about two hours after it was too late that I absolutely love Eau De Nil on walls so I wish I'd remembered that in time! It had just completely slipped my mind that such a colour existed.

solasum you're completely right that something feels wrong about the blue-grey curtains and the turquoise dresser. However, I had them both up in a previous room and it worked. No idea why but could be because of the very cold light in that particular room. I'll see what it looks like when the room is painted and the curtains are up but I'm definitely leaning towards repainting the dresser something more tonal.

primarynoodle your nursery sounds lovely.

lovecats thank you so much for that search term- it has thrown up a load of new pins that I'd not seen previously and a whole lot more inspiration.

[poochiepants]

I remember now, it's a mobile from Etsy.....good luck with finding it, though

[FilthyRascal]

This is ours - its also pale grey with wonky walls! paint is little Greene pale welcome and it's such a beautiful colour. I think it would look lovely with turqoise accents and not boyish at all! They are two colours that really go together in my mind (maybe from Pinterest!)
You could always put up a lovely feminine print if it's a girl - there are some great free ones (also on Pinterest) we have a grey lampshade with elephants on from etsy and then some Eric carle prints on the walls (I wanted some from the animal print shop but dh said they were too much ££ ) the shelves above the chair I use for the most beautiful books we have and change them regularly!

Often works best to keep to quite a limited palette so I would say base on grey with turquoise accents (if that's what you choose!) and just alter them depending on gender - what about elephant stencils on the turquoise dresser? Or little pink flowers? Easy and cheap!
Some bunting, pretty bedding in same colours but girly?
It's also lovely to be able to choose some bits after baby's born!
I think the chair will be fine if black as it's the same tonal range as the walls - cushion?

[FilthyRascal]

Showing prints 😊