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Name: Cooper John (2 months)
Location: Ontario, Canada
Room Size: 9.5 x 11 (105 sq. feet)

While I'm normally a lover of color, my jaw dropped when I first came across Sarah's son Cooper's nursery. I think it's actually more difficult to create a visually appealing children's space with neutrals, but Sarah's design is spot-on. The patterns, textures, and well-thought out details make this neutral nursery anything but dull. Read on to find out more about this gorgeous and welcoming space.

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How would you describe the look and feel of this room? My goal was to create a neutral boy's nursery with a modern / cottage / industrial vibe. The use of muted colors creates a fresh and airy feeling. Since we used similar colors throughout our home, the nursery ties in nicely with the decor in the rest of the house.

What is your favorite piece or element? My favorite piece in the nursery would have to be the numbered dresser. I love that it was an antique market find that my dad helped me refinish. It fits perfectly in the tiny space between the windows and holds all of Cooper's tiny (adorable!) outfits. I also love how the drawer pulls and the numbers add just a little bit of fun to the room.

What was the biggest challenge decorating this room?
The biggest challenge decorating the room was trying to fit all of the elements I had envisioned into such a small space. I had so many ideas for the room but didn't want to include them all if it meant that the room became too busy or cluttered. I originally purchased some wire baskets to add some more industrial elements but in the end I had to leave them out. I had also planned for the crib to be centered along the stenciled wall to create a focal point when you walked into the room, however once we put the crib together we realized that if we did so there wouldn't be enough room for a change table. Determining the best possible layout for a room can take quite a bit of tweaking and furniture shuffling!

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What do your friends say about the room? The majority of my friends who have seen the nursery in person have all claimed that I am crazy for tackling so many DIY projects while I was pregnant. They all comment on the stenciled wall and how "cool" it looks - but that they would never have the patience to do it themselves.

Do you have any advice for parents creating a room for their child?
My advice for parents creating a room for their child would be to stay away from themes and to choose major furniture and decor items that can grow with their child. For example, I chose to use a dresser instead of a change table so that we can use it after Cooper grows out of the baby stage. Another example would be the white curtain panels and white chair. I can easily change out the paint colors, cushions, and accessories to create a completely different look without having to repurchase major items. Choosing neutral furniture pieces also ensures that I won't tire of them quickly and they won't go out of style if and when the trends change. Another example is that the picture ledges can easily convert to book ledges once Cooper becomes mobile.

If money were no object, what's your dream source? If money were no object, my dream source for child-friendly decor would be Pottery Barn Kids. They just have such a wide selection of furniture, bedding, and accessories. I also love how they carry items in the cottage style that I love!

You used a lot of muted neutral colors in this nursery - what advice would you give to our readers for creating a visually appealing space while using a limited color palette? To create a visually appealing space with a limited color palatte, I would recommend adding a lot of texture into the room, as well as little hints of color throughout. For example, I used rattan shades, linen curtains, wooden crates, metal accents, a jute rug, wooden toys, and live plants to create texture against all of the white and pale green. I added in tiny pops of color with stuffed animals, books, and framed art to create some added visual interest.

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Source List:


  • Wall Color: Old Prairie by Benjamin Moore

  • Trim / Stencil Color: Simply White by Benjamin Moore

  • Stencil: Royal Design Studio

  • Light fixture: Lowe's

  • Rug: Pottery Barn

  • Chair: Ikea

  • Crib: The Land of Nod

  • Crib bedding: Pottery Barn Kids

  • Wall shelf with hooks: Antique market (DIY project)

  • Numbered dresser: Antique market (DIY project)

  • Drawer pulls: Home Depot

  • Metal numbers: Canadian Tire

  • Change table dresser: Antique market (DIY project)

  • Roller shades: Linens N' Things

  • Curtain panels: Crate and Barrel

  • Curtain rods: Lowe's

  • Wall ledges: Michael's

  • Child's chair: Antique market (DIY project)

  • Picture frames: Homesense / Wal-Mart / Michael's

  • Baskets: Homesense

  • Floor lamp: Homesense

  • Wooden crates: Antique market (DIY project)

  • Casters: Home Depot

  • Framed alphabet cards: Chapters

  • Map garlands: Maisy and Alice on Etsy

  • Framed stars: DIY project

  • Growth chart: DIY project

  • Cushions: DIY project

  • Tissue paper pom-pom: DIY project

  • Framed vintage cars: DIY project

  • Plants: Lowe's

  • Plant pots: Chapters / Homesense

Thanks, Sarah! See more of Sarah at her blog, Cozy. Cottage. Cute.

(Images: Sarah H.)

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