Are you into gender-themed decor for baby rooms? It's tempting, I won't lie. As a mother of a girl, all things pink and frilly creep over me as I sleep, waiting to pounce. But a tenacious trend toward putting a lid on gender-affirming paraphernalia in child rearing (think recent "Genderless Baby" news story) has had not an unwelcome hand in new-style nurseries: whimsical, pared down, relaxed, un-precious and gender-neutral. As someone who loves to stuff a room full of motley finds from all over the last century -- it's freedom I say!
Sarah Richardson's Take
Sarah's House, Season 2
Sure it's blue, but it's also polka-dotted. It pains our sense of natural order, but blue can adorn the walls of both boy and girl nurseries, especially when paired with natural woods, soft textures and nature-themed fabric prints. Play those elements up or down to suit your baby's fancy!
Grellow and The MidMod Spectrum
Photo by Janis Nicolay
Though yellow has been the trusty genderless go-to since the onset of baby showers, yellow and gray as a combo is more of a recent hit. Gray gives yellow a contemporary, sophisticated edge, especially when paired, as it often is, with the MidMod aesthetic -- '50s-'70-inspired decor or real vintage pieces. A simple gray crib (with the 'sputnik' legs typical of '50s design) and a yellow patterned feature wall set the tone for this airy baby room, part of our up coming Original Home Tour (exciting!). Grassy and citrus greens play second fiddle as accent colours before a backdrop of white and neutral filler pieces. Wait 'till you see the rest of this house -- soooo cute!
Jewel Tones in Artful Salvage
Design-Crisis.com
This is a baby room close to my heart. The resourceful woman behind Design-Crisis.com has gone about outfitting her little boy's room with the easy spirit of whatever's at hand. You can read the deets on her blog, but I'll point out how the whole brilliant room hinges on the '60s chrome rocker in peacock blue velvet. The blue is carried throughout the room and is echoed in the ruby-toned Persian rug. Also echoed in the rug is the luxurious plushness of the velvet rocker, which is what gives this room a softness fit for an urbane lil'gal or gentleman. Or me (arguably not little or urbane.)
Zen Hollywood Glam
Lonny Mag
Seagrass wallpaper and organic, avocado green create a serene cocoon for a lucky little inhabitant. The chrome legs on this incidentally reoccurring rocker accent the room with a little glam. The minimal canvas on the wall tones down the feminine and if you replace the white dresses with a few, smart cargoes and little jackets, you've got yourself a stylish little man lair. Throw down a faux tiger rug if the zebra one wants for virility...
Drama Knows No Gender
The home of Jenna Lyon, Creative Director at J.Crew, via Daily Essentials blog
Black and yellow is the predecessor to gray and yellow, and the stylish woman behind this dramatic little room sure knows how to work it. Though black and yellow are the anchoring colours, contrast is really the theme. In this case black doesn't necessarily say masculine -- just drama, and drama you can do with other strong, primary solid colours. Though it's said that black is reminiscent of the womb and is therefore soothing to a new babe...
Would you say these are all gender-neutral rooms?
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