The question of how to design the perfect nursery continues to baffle first-time parents. There’s so much to consider, and the clock is always ticking. As I type this, my wife, Kate, is a little less than six weeks away from her due date, and there’s still so much to do before our daughter arrives. Luckily, we began designing and building out the nursery many months ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic made preparing for one of life’s most joyous events quite a bit more challenging. But this isn’t a wedding or bar mitzvah; there’s no postponing this rite of passage. So we’ve made sure that the nursery—still a work in progress—will be as warm and beautiful a place as we could possibly make it.



Designing a room for an infant is not as easy as it sounds. If you’re like me, an editor at ELLE Decor with a penchant for deliberately askew gallery walls, fragile objets d’art, and paintings that aren’t exactly G-rated, it requires a shift in paradigm to toe the line of personal taste while remembering that a Mel Ramos print, though bright and colorful, might not be the most appropriate thing to hang above a crib.

Inside editor Charles Curkin’s nursery—a work in progress. The chair is by Lee Industries, the changing table is from RH Baby’s Jameson collection, and the rattan rocking horse is by Poppie. The 1920s Charles Schneider pâte de verre vase is antique, the blue basket is from Serena & Lily, and the rope floor lamp is from Houzz. The black ceramic vase is by Nicole Aebischer for B&B Italia (Yeah, I know the vase will be knocked over. I put it there to make the photo prettier!), the rug is by Crate & Barrel, and the Clown d’Amsterdam print is by Karel Appel. Charles Curkin

Kate and I agreed that we wanted the nursery’s furniture to be—as my grandfather used to say about children—seen but not heard. That means classical style and neutral colors, which allow the more exciting things you’ve brought into the room to speak at any volume. The furnishings should be well made and child-friendly, but not childish. We eschewed trendy disposable pieces and invested instead in ones that will last. For that reason, we chose a conversion crib (which can later become a full-size bed) with a matching changing-table dresser and bookshelf. All three pieces are from RH Baby’s Jameson collection, whose designs feature architectural trim and bun feet. Once they were delivered and in place, the fun could commence.

I believe that a baby’s world should be full of Fauvist colors, shapes, patterns, and vivid imagery. The walls are painted in thick coats of rental-living white, so anything we add should fuel the imagination. If MoMA could gift me The Dream by Henri Rousseau to put up on the wall, that would be ideal. (This artist is remembered for his ethereal paintings of jungles and exotic animals, yet ironically he never left France during his lifetime. I want to know what his nursery looked like!) Instead, I chose a print of Clown d’Amsterdam by the late, great Dutch artist Karel Appel, which originally hung in my own nursery 34 years ago. One thing if I can help it: My daughter, like me, will never be scared of clowns.

New York design duo Pappas Miron know to avoid standard-issue pastels for a dark-green nursery in Tatyana Miron’s home. The crib is by Stokke, and the vintage lusterware plates are presented on a wall painted in Benjamin Moore’s Dragon’s Breath. The curtains are of a Mood Fabrics wool. Ball & Albanese

She won’t be scared of butterflies, deer, ladybugs, bees, or blue jays, either, thanks to the circular area rug we bought for her at Crate & Barrel. I can already picture myself sitting on it with my baby and teaching her about each one, beneath the Audoux Minet–inspired floor lamp made from nautical rope we found on Houzz—my favorite piece in the nursery by far. I’ve also peppered in various toy elephants, sheep, and other fun quadrupeds. We’re now awaiting the delivery of a roll of Scalamandré’s famous Zebras wallpaper in periwinkle, which we plan to frame and hang on the wall behind the crib. That should about do it for the room’s baseline graphics. And for two more layers of color, we set an antique sea-green teardrop vase by Charles Schneider on the windowsill.

The one major nursery component we’re missing is the big chair. We’ve ordered an RH, Restoration Hardware swivel chair with a pleated slipcover in a dusty pink. (In the meantime, we have our beloved Lee Industries cigar chair filling in.) This and the crib skirt are the only times pink has so far made its way into the room. Yes, we’re having a girl, but we don’t believe in the existence of a “girly” color. We’ll give her as many hues as we can up front and let her decide what she likes on her own.

However, this is but a single nursery. There are many others to inspire you, created by some of the country’s best designers. Naturally, they have their own advice to impart, some of which might conflict with what we did. Others are totally in sync. But one thing I’ve realized is that when it comes to designing a space for a baby, parents are the only true experts. Check back with me in a few months, and I’ll be sure to let you know what we got right in our nursery design—and wrong.



Detail from inside a nursery by Bella Mancini. The chair is vintage, the drinks table is from Serena & Lily, and the wallpaper is Studio Twenty2. Ball & Albanese

BELLA MANCINI

“In thinking about rooms for babies, I generally try to design with the next 15 years in mind. I think you can get caught up in the moment with how darned cute baby stuff is, but the truth is you won’t need it for long. I look at a nursery as just another room, albeit usually more fun. I encourage clients to spend money on wallpaper and window treatments and possibly a wall-to-wall carpet. Those are items that you will want to love a long time. I’d definitely choose a crib that converts into a toddler bed; I really like the natural pine one from Ikea a lot. West Elm and Crate Kids are both good resources for less-expensive furniture. I bought an Oeuf crib for my first, and we used it for many, many years. It was a worthwhile expense, but there are lower-priced vendors now and you can get stylish cribs at many price points.” bellamancinidesign.com

In a nursery on the Upper East Side of Manhattan designed by Alex Papachristidis, the crib is by Dwell Studio. The chair, a Paris flea-market find, is upholstered in the same Manuel Canovas fabric used for the shade. The walls are covered in a Cowtan & Tout cotton, and the carpet is by Beauvais. MIKKEL VANG

ALEX PAPACHRISTIDIS

“You’re creating a retreat, a lovely, soothing place in which to relax and be calm. Everything should be soft and elegant. Knowing the gender of the child ahead of time can be one of the most important factors. This can determine the color palette. In this nursery designed for a baby girl we upholstered the walls in lavender and white, with a carpet in the same colors. In the beginning a nursery is the parents’ idea of a dream room, and as the child gets older, we redesign and tweak it to reflect more of the child’s personal tastes. When designing, you also have to consider safety. The crib should be visible from the door of the nursery, so you have a clear view of the baby. The wall space above the crib is left bare intentionally, as you should never hang anything directly over a crib or cradle.” alexpapachristidis.com

In a nursery in New York City designed by Pappas Miron, the window-seat throw pillows are by Madeline Weinrib (left) and Fortuny, the Murano chandelier is vintage, the sconces are by Thomas O’Brien for Circa Lighting, the custom roman shades from The Shade Store are of a wool by Rogers & Goffigon, and the ceiling covering is by Sister Parish Design. David A. Land

TATYANA MIRON

“It is important to remember that your baby will not be a baby forever! In all of our nurseries, we suggest an element of sophistication and timelessness that a child can grow with. That could be anything from a paint color to a wallpaper, upholstery, or lighting. Children have so many toys these days, as well as stuffed animals, art that they bring home from school and need to hang up, or Legos that they have worked hard on and want to display. Knowing this, we encourage clients to make youthful but neutral choices for the envelope of the room so that when these elements are inevitably added, they do not become overwhelming. Fun patterns like stars or unicorns or cars are great, but choose them in gray and white or pale blue. If you need a punch, paint the ceiling. Add a custom lampshade in a great color or pattern. Buy childish bedding that can be changed over time. If you do not want to have to redecorate completely a few years later, buy good and timeless pieces, and keep it simple. Go for the baby elements in small doses and in things that can be changed in a few years without too much effort or cost.” pappasmiron.com





The nursery Michelle Gerson designed for her son in the family’s loft in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The Lucite crib is from Nursery Works, the changing table is a vintage dresser by Dunbar, the light fixture is by David Weeks, and the David Hicks carpet is from Stark. Michael Partenio

MICHELLE GERSON

“My first tip: Don’t design a baby room. Children grow up very fast, much to our dismay, and they’ll outgrow it in about two years. A nursery needs a few things like a crib, a changing table, and a chair for reading, but I try to make the surrounding pieces and elements more flexible—ones that won’t be jettisoned when your child grows up a little. For example, in my own son’s nursery, we used a masculine, black, faux-leather stitched wallpaper and invested in a stylish mobile-esque light fixture by David Weeks so he would still be amused by it and so it wouldn’t need to be removed as he got older. His changing table is a vintage Dunbar dresser that we had lacquered in a high-gloss yellow and put a changing tray on; the tray can be removed so that this can be used as just a dresser later. Always use a carpet in a baby’s room that is easy to clean. Babies have accidents—they are cute but not perfect!” michellegerson.com

In the nursery of a home in Litchfield, Connecticut, designed by Robin Henry, the crib is by Land of Nod, the Scandi Mod chair is from Chelsea Textiles, the lamp is by Serena & Lily, the Moroccan rug is vintage, and the wallcovering is by Morris & Co. Emily Gilbert

ROBIN HENRY

“The key things to have in your nursery are a soft rug, some bright colors to engage the baby, and a daybed in case putting baby to bed takes a wee bit longer than expected. Instead of a proper changing table, I’d suggest getting a more grown-up dresser and just putting a changing apparatus on it that can be taken down later on. Also, make the room as dark as humanly possible, which means no electronics!” robinhenrystudio.com

Charles Curkin Articles Editor, ELLE Decor Charles Curkin is ELLE Decor's Articles Editor, covering everything related to the architecture, interior design, real estate, and travel industries, and has previously written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io