Who says that gender-neutral has to be boring?! This unique nursery is in the colorful home of Rebekah and Jonah Poppen, Rebekah is actually one of the stylists on my team! Rebekah and Jonah brought their beautiful baby boy home a couple short weeks ago, but Rebekah started designing the nursery long before that. They both knew when they bought their 1950s cottage that the room attached to the primary bedroom would make for the perfect nursery one day. Since moving in, this spare room has just been used for extra storage and their dog’s bedroom. They are excited to have the nursery just off of their bedroom until their little one grows to be about 18 months and will then move into their guest bedroom on the main level of the home. The rest of the home is filled with color and pattern so, naturally, the nursery would be no exception to this and the design was set before they knew the sex of their baby.
The star of the nursery is definitely the hand-painted stripes that are on the walls and ceiling! Rebekah looked for a wallpaper that would be the right colors and stripe thickness but just decided that painting it herself would be the best option to get what she was looking for. Since the walls are curved, she painted all the stripes by hand using a good ole’ tape measurer, level, pencil, and tape.
*Her pro tip is that once you have the base painted and have added the tape, paint over the tape with the base color, this will ensure you get crisp and clean lines. This project only took a weekend and is a super DIY-friendly project.
For the color story, they wanted it to be bold and gender-neutral, like many of us, Rebekah doesn’t love the “pink is for girls and blue is for boys” stereotype. Instead, she selected colors that feel appropriate for baby but are also colors that she enjoys. The base cream color is Dimity by Farrow & Ball and is accompanied by Bamboozle by Farrow & Ball for the red stripes. I also love how she paired the red and cream with an unexpected green trim, which is Green Smoke by Farrow & Ball. She also painted the primary bedroom to match, minus the stripes, to make each room flow together but have a separate identity.
With the stripes as a bold base for the room, they wanted the rest of the room to have playful and whimsical touches, inspired by hot air balloons and leopards, a fun combination that taps into a child’s imagination. One of their favorite elements is the handmade hot air balloon mobile above the crib, an amazing Etsy find! Like me, Rebekah also loves hunting for vintage pieces and going thrifting, so she had been collecting a few items over the years to have in the nursery. This includes the brass hot air balloon, leopard artwork, and even the wood sculpture animals that you see on the bookcase.
Since the couple loves vintage things, there are only a few brand-new pieces in the room. The crib is new but nods to the antique Jenny Lind style (bonus! It can also be made into a toddler bed). The leopard rug is another bold element in the nursery, which perfectly complements the red stripes. All of the other furniture is vintage or second-hand! Both parents are particularly fond of the dresser as it was from Jonah’s grandmother who passed away this spring. The other vintage pieces include the bookcase (a $10 FBMP find!), the brass side table, and the gingham glider chair (another FBMP find for only $75).
Layering texture in the nursery through a long muslin bed skirt for the crib, a wavy edge peg rack, and a pleated wall lamp that would soften the linear lines. In addition, they also wanted to bring in wood tones to complement all of the paint, which really gives the nursery a collected and cozy style.
Pleated Wall Lamp | Black Out Roman Shade
This nursery is a perfect example of a gender-neutral nursery that is anything but boring. It makes me excited to see people taking risks with color and pattern in their homes and I think that a kid’s room or nursery is the perfect place to start!
Wishing them all the best and until next time!
Lea
*Design and Styled by Rebekah Poppen
**Photos courtesyCreekwoodhill
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