nursery design

Mention the word gray and most people think of a gloomy day filled with dark skies and rain. The moody color does have a tendency to evoke dark thoughts, but when it is put on a spectrum and paired with lighter colors then it can create an elegant nursery that is right on trend this season. We first spotted the emergence of gray nurseries in the Fall Restoration Hardware catalog, and now it is popping up everywhere! Take a look at some fun ways to add the modern color to a baby's room to help convey warmth throughout the year.

Clockwise from top left: Dwell Studio Cars Wallpaper ($6 per sqaure foot), Flensted Mobile Olephants ($42), Olena Boyko Pebble Silk Dupioni Bassinet Set ($924), Ikea Ludde Sheepskin Rug ($40), Restoration Hardware Weathered Rattan Hamper ($119), Benjamin Moore Thundercloud Gray ($53), Bloom Baby Alma Papa Crib ($700), Fatboy Original Beanbag ($239), Olio Sticks Three-Piece Crib Set ($399).

With so many celebrity pregnancies in the news, I've got nursery design on the brain. One of the mommies-in-waiting that I'm most excited about is Natalie Portman; she has flawless style, and there's no doubt her first child will be a beautiful one. So she's a perfect candidate for my first nursery design project! The word's not out yet on the gender of her baby, so I decided I'd have to design rooms for both! I've already designed a room for a baby girl, so next up: a boy's room.

To get a feel for Natalie's style, I took a look back at photos of her former West Village, NYC apartment. It's clear that Natalie is a traditionalist at heart, although she did integrate a few trend pieces here and there. She's also keen on button tufting, pattern, cool colors, wallpaper, and Madeline Weinrib rugs. She also went for a polished look but didn't go overboard on "glam" furnishings.

Natalie clearly has a soft spot for classic furniture, so I began with the Williams-Sonoma Home Fontaine Inlay Chest ($1,950); it'll last a lifetime for her little one, and it's gender-neutral. Next, I chose the Nursery Works Empire Rocker ($1,100) that feeds her love of tufted upholstery and cool colors and is also very high-end and sophisticated. I added pattern with a green, chicken coop wire-esque Madeline Weinrib Chi Chi Kari Rug and the fun, interactive Graham and Brown Frames Wallpaper ($45). I also created a youthful, tropical, wild theme with Elephant Bookends ($385), a CB2 Dodo Bird Pillow ($25), and the Anthropologie Green Leaves Framed Art ($2,200). Click the product images to shop the rest of this nursery!

With so many celebrity pregnancies in the news, I've got nursery design on the brain. One of the mommies-in-waiting that I'm most excited about is Natalie Portman; she has flawless style, and there's no doubt her first child will be a beautiful one. So she's a perfect candidate for my first nursery design project! The word's not out yet on the gender of her baby, so I'll simply have to design rooms for both! First up: a girl's room.

To get a feel for Natalie's style, I took a look back at photos of her former West Village, NYC apartment. It's clear that Natalie is a traditionalist at heart, although she did integrate a few trend pieces here and there. Like her personality, her aesthetic is also quite reserved; there aren't any bold focal points or bright colors. She's also keen on button tufting, stripes, cool colors, wallpaper, and Madeline Weinrib rugs. She integrated a little glitz with chandeliers but didn't go overboard on "glam" furnishings.

Natalie clearly has a soft spot for classic furniture, so I began with the Williams-Sonoma Home Fontaine Inlay Chest ($1,950); it'll last a lifetime for her little one, and it's gender-neutral. Next, I chose the Nursery Works Empire Rocker ($1,100) which feeds her love of tufted upholstery and cool colors and is also very high-end and sophisticated. To create a soft pink and gray palette, I went with Graham & Brown's pink Countess Wallpaper ($75), from the brand's new Elixir collection. To coordinate, I selected the Madeline Weinrib Pink Westley Rug. And as a nod to the way Natalie and fiancé Benjamin met, I found a painting of A Pair of Ballerina Shoes ($215), by artist Liat Sterling. Click the product images to shop the rest of this nursery!