Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal


Update: We finally put together a source list of EVERYTHING in this space, you can check that out here! Also, this little happy camper who calls this room home was born on the 4th of July & we’d love for you to come meet him here or come check outย his newborn photos (with tips for rookie photographers) here!ย 

OH BABY… the nursery is DONE and I can’t wait to show you this special space now that it’s officially “move-in ready”. My sister is 2 weeks away from her due date and to say we’re excited to meet this little one is quite the understatement. Before we get into the gender neutral nursery details, let me first take a second to show you my glowing sister. I mean, how cute is she?! ย Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookKatie and that adorable bump,ย I really hope I look half that good when I’m 8 1/2 months pregnant someday. And speaking of adorable… wait until you see this nursery. Remember what this former office looked like when we got started?!

The Before

Before: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookThe After
Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

Can you even believe it’s the same room?!! I seriously can’t. There’s a lot to chat about so let’s get into the details of this new space.

Neutral walls: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

The Parents’ Nurseryย Wishlist

Like I mentioned in our planning post, Katie wanted a baby’s room that reflected her and her husband’s love for the outdoors. They mentioned a wood wall, wanted this space to “flow” with the rest of their house and didn’t want the nursery to be super-duper “babyish”. Of course, I wanted to give her everything she wanted (and more) but was a little nervous about the size of the room (it’s only 10ft x 10ft). I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit all of the essential furniture in this space, plus add a wood wall without it feeling dark and overwhelming.

1. Wallpaper

That’s when we decided to hang this temporary “wood” wallpaper instead of hanging a traditional wood wall. I loved that the light gray wallpaper would give Katie the “wood wall” she wanted without it being permanent or too heavy for the small space. When we paired the wallpaper with the colorful BABY-SAFE gallery wall from Minted… I knew we were headed in the right direction and I used this wall as serious inspiration as we tackled the rest of the room.

2. Furniture

The next thing we decided on was the big furniture. After doing a lot of research, Katie informed me that she had decided to go with theย grey Manhattan 3 in 1 Crib from Delta Children, which is available at Targetย and on Amazon. I was secretly SO happy she wanted to go with this gray, modern crib because it’s SO on trend. It’s sleek, the color is gorgeous, and those legs are so cool.

Neutral crib: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookKatie especially loved that this crib was a 3 in 1 crib, meaning this crib will transition with her baby until he or she is in a toddler bed and then eventually a daybed. So whether it’s a boy or a girl, this adorable grey crib will be a part of this room for several years. <— why doesn’t all furniture come with this option to transition it into 3 different things?! GENIUS! ย transitional seating: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookAfter we ordered the crib, Katie did a little research on which glider she wanted. We went back and forth whether she should get an actual glider or just a regular chair. After asking around, the moms overwhelmingly encouraged her to splurge on a COMFORTABLE glider because she will be spending SO much time in it over the next few years (yes… years!!).

This advice totally narrowed down our choices, until we ultimately decided on this Avery Upholstered Glider in Graphite (available at Target, ย Wayfair, and on Amazon).ย We were debating between the lighter gray (Heather Gray) and the Graphite because both are gorgeous and would have worked in this space perfectly, but Katie opted for the darker gray so it wouldn’t show as much wear and tear over the years. And no matter which color we chose, I’m pretty sure that the glider was the way to go because it is SO darn comfortable.

Seating: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

3.ย Looking for Deals

Once the wallpaper, crib and glider were decided on, we took a trip to the Land of Nod Outlet to look for budget-friendly nursery decor. It was our first time there and boy did we get lucky. We scored the yellow herringbone rug on super sale ($129 for a 5×7), the turquoise leather pouf ($30!), also on super sale, and a dresser for 35% off (about $330).

gender_neutral_nursery_happy_camper_reveal-3The shelves were a DIY project, you can read the full tutorial here! <— we even baby-proofed these shelves so that they are safe and secure in this space.

Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

4. The Dresser

Like I said, we scored the dresser at the Land of Nod Outlet but it’s definitely not “babyish” at all. (Fun fact: Casey bought her current bedroom dresser from the Land of Nod Outlet and it’s amazing.) ย I love that Katie was okay with the idea of incorporating a regular dresser into the nursery instead of the traditional changing table. If Katie was going to invest in a piece of furniture, I wanted her to be able to use it for longer than the baby’s first year. This dresser was awesome because it was a great size, great price and it fits that wood style she wanted from the start.Artwork: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

We put the changing pad on top (making sure to secure it to the wall for safety purposes) but really plan on using this dresser far longer than this baby will be in diapers.

Diaper station: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

5. Changing Table Essentials

There’s even room next to the changing pad for “diapering essentials” on top of the dresser. I’m sure when the baby comes there will be more “stuff” added to this diaper collection but for now, this diaper caddy is just too darn cute and hopefully even practical.

Diaper Caddy: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookClothing can also be neutral: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook6. Getting Organized

I should have gotten some pictures of the inside of the dresser because you would never believe how much storage it offers. One side of the dresser has three large drawers and the other side is a cabinet door that opens up into three open shelves. Katie added baskets, labels and fully stocked this “changing table.” And with a number of diapers being held up in there, I think she’s ready… for the next 6 month’s worth of changings.
Make sure mom has a space too: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

Have toys available: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookMake it about the baby: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

7. Final Details

And last but not least, I had a ton of fun finding accessories to fill this space with extra love, color, and hints of “happy camper” like Katie wanted. Home decor shopping is always fun for me, but I’ve come to find out that when the shopping is for tiny and adorable nursery decor…. I want to buy ALL THE THINGS… and then some. ย Final Details: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

Bold Prints make a difference: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookOne of the “final touches” was hanging the last piece of mountain-inspired art above the crib and wow, was it worth the wait. This piece of artย from Minted was actually where we found inspiration for the ENTIRE space. It was the first item we added to the original mood board and was what really drove the colors, vibe, and overall design decisions for this room.

I love that the picture hints at the outdoors while still be colorful, whimsical, and even a tad modern/geometric. I think it really is perfect for the space… and paired with that fun frame, I’m totally in love.

Use pops of color: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookAnd speaking of in love — check out this hook I snuck behind the door. I wanted to utilize as much of the vertical space in this room as I could and I figured this quirky hook could hang up one of the baby’s outfit, eventually a bath towel, coat, or even Katie’s diaper bag.

A theme helps: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookDecorate with books: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

We also added these adorable bookshelves for only $4 a pop! You can get the full tutorial in this post.

Source List

Teal & Gray are very neutral Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

  • Crib: Delta Children (on sale atย Target,ย Amazon)
  • Blanket: HomeGoods
  • Mountain Inspired Art Print: Minted <โ€“ size: 30 x 30 without frame
  • Fox: HomeGoods (similarย one here)
  • Crib Sheets:ย Pottery Barnย Clearance
  • DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves: We DIYโ€™ed these shelves and they were surprisingly a lot easier than I anticipated! You can read the full tutorial here. If you do use them in a nursery, make sure you baby proof them (steps in the tutorial) AND make sure you go to Menardโ€™s to get the galvanized material because youโ€™ll save quite a bit of money.
  • Blocks:ย Amazon
  • Happy Camper Print:ย Minted
  • 5 x 8 Rug:ย Land of Nodย Outlet
  • Leather Pouf:ย Land of Nodย Outlet <โ€“ comes in SO many colors and is cute to use around the houseโ€ฆ even if you donโ€™t have a nursery!
  • Glider: Delta Children (available atย Target,ย Amazon)
  • Bear + Fish: Minted (11 x 11 print)
  • Personalized Log Imprint: Minted (8 x 8 print)
  • Colorful Shapes: Minted (16 x 20 print)
  • Colorful Lines: Minted <โ€“ Comes in a variety of different colors! (8ร—10 print)
  • Boat + Airplane Print: Minted <โ€” so does this one! (16 x 20 print)
  • Mountainsย (middle): Minted ย <โ€“ and this one too. =) (16 x 16 print in a 16 x 20 frame)
  • Bear on a Bike: Minted (11 x 11 print)
  • Dresser:ย Land of Nodย Outlet <โ€“ we found it on super sale there AND got an additional 30% off.

Buy this look: Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook

Get the FULL Source list of everything (literally everything) in this space in this post!

Bridget

Happy Camper Gender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY PlaybookGender Neutral Nursery Reveal | DIY Playbook


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.