I used to hear other moms say the nursery became their favorite room in the house. Now I know exactly what they mean.
Many times a day I sit in this rocking chair, looking around, imagining our son in here. How he’ll grow into it. How the space will evolve as we figure out who he is. I was already excited for his arrival — but finishing this room made it impossible to contain.
I knew I’d be spending a lot of time in here too, so I designed it as a place adults would actually enjoy being. Gender neutral. Themeless. Visually calming. Pieces that grow with the baby instead of outlasting the season.
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The goal was simple: balance function for the nursery with honesty to my own taste. I love an adorable nursery theme as much as anyone, but this room wasn’t going to tip into baby-ish — especially since for the first couple of years it’s just as much mine as his.
The crib
One rule I follow in any room: the bigger furniture should last and be able to move around the house if needed. A crib is harder to relocate, but I still wanted one that matched our home’s style and could convert to a toddler bed for extra longevity.
The Babyletto Lolly 3-in-1 Convertible Crib in washed natural wood with black spindles did the trick. That combination — warm wood, dark accents — actually became the design anchor for the whole room. Everything else followed: neutral creams, black details, white and grey tones that echo through our home.
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Inside the crib is the Classic 150 Organic Crib Mattress by Naturepedic, firm and fully waterproof, topped with an organic grey stripe fitted sheet. The pillows you see are purely decorative — they come out once baby starts sleeping in there.
Flooring that does the work of paint
Grey came into this room largely through the Vaughn Modern Grey Rug in 8×10 feet. I love its organically worn look — it shifts in color and sheen depending on the angle. It reminds me of that matte plaster finish you see on walls, which was something I considered painting here. But the rug provided enough texture that plain walls felt like the right call.
The functional corner
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This little nook by the closet handles both storage and display. The White and Natural Wood Shelf with Hooks gives me surface space for decor or toys, plus pegs for hanging baby wraps and extra outfits. One single piece to mount and level — that’s a win.
Below it, a basket holds the Beige Cotton Voile Crib Quilt, patterned on both sides with small stitched crosses. I plan to use it as a play mat or for tummy time in his earliest months.
Also in the basket: Jellycat’s Medium Brown Bear — we’ve been using it as a practice baby for testing carriers, swaddling, and the car seat — and the Cotton Classic Knit Elephant. Machine washable. Obviously essential.
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Storage and play
The closet on this side of the room used to belong to our old office setup. Now it holds baby’s larger items, gear for later months, and toys like the Plan Toys Play Gym. Small footprint, minimal design, open to adding whatever hanging toys we choose. It came with space-themed pieces in pastel colors — cheerful without leaning pink or blue.
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The chair
This is a small room, so scale matters. The Joya Rocking Chair hit every mark: compact footprint, genuinely comfortable, good-looking enough that I don’t mind it staying in the room long-term. I’ve already put it through many test-sessions of just sitting here and rocking.
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Books within reach
The District 3-Cube Stackable Bookcase in warm white sits next to the chair. Side table when I’m nursing or reading, storage for toys and books at a convenient height under the window. For now it holds Melange Blue Toy Cube Bins, a starter book collection, and some stacking rings that double as bookends.
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Eventually all three compartments will be full of books. The current lineup:
- ABC Touch Think Learn and Numbers Touch Think Learn — raised shapes to touch, gorgeous illustrations. Engaging even for adults.
- Press Here — highly recommended for interactive reading once baby is a little older.
- When I Am Big — a counting book about growing up, with whimsical drawings.
- This Is How We Do It — too advanced for baby right now, but Oleg and I love reading it ourselves. A window into different cultures around the world.
Dresser and changing station
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I always knew we’d go with a dresser/changing table combo to save space — and a dresser can grow with him well into his tween years. The Kids Wrightwood White 9-Drawer Dresser has clean circular pulls, serious storage capacity, and a top surface that fits a changing pad plus accessories at comfortable height.
Next to it are the Bubula Diaper Pail (in grey) and a bamboo floor hamper. Keeps diaper changes and laundry flowing in one direction.
The drawers come compartmentalized, which helps enormously. I use Canvas Grey Rectangle and Square Drawer inserts to organize swaddles, onesies, burp cloths, teethers, pacifiers — the small stuff that would otherwise vanish into a drawer bottom.
The deepest drawer holds the Lupe Grey Small Braided Basket, currently tucked away with diapers and diapering supplies. Pull it out anytime to use as a caddy on the dresser or wherever we’re changing baby.
Details
The wall near the dresser became display space for toys that double as decor: Cotton Classic Knit Bear, Loulou Lollipop White Teether, and natural wooden baby beads. I’m a big fan of wood toys for this reason — they look good on the shelf before baby even touches them.
Above the dresser hangs the Edge Black Arch Mirror. It could easily live somewhere else in the house, which is always a good sign of versatility. The black detail and modern shape tie back to everything else in the nursery.
The Carrie LED Portable Lamp is both beautiful and genuinely useful — USB-charged so it doesn’t need a plug, dimmable for late-night diaper changes. I move it around depending on what’s happening in the room.
Style Math
The convertible crib rule: A crib that converts to toddler bed and daybed stretches its use across years instead of months. That’s not just practical — it changes how you think about what’s worth investing in.
A note from Maya
Baby is arriving any day now and honestly, I still don’t feel fully prepared. But having this room done is one massive thing off the list — and that matters more than it sounds like. If you’re designing a nursery right now, start with the pieces that will outlast the baby phase. The rest fills in naturally.