Modern Woodland Nursery Inspiration

What's trending in nursery design for 2017? Chelsie Turner, manager of My Cup of Tea Baby, says the woodland aesthetic is hot, hot, hot. "We're seeing a lot of woodland creatures, dark wood, arrows and deer," explains Turner. "It's good because it's gender neutral and there are so many people who don't find out if the baby is a boy or girl so it's an easy gender neutral theme to go with." A woodland themed nursery is a classic design, but it doesn’t have to remind you of a musty hunting lodge or be full of overly cute cartoon character animals. Take a modern approach to this classic design for a baby (or kid’s) room that feels fresh, clean, and bright, but still has the organic feel of nature. With the right decor choices (as Turner notes), you can even use this design concept in a gender neutral way. Move over Paul Bunyan and Davy Crockett, here’s our modern woodland nursery inspiration for all future nature lovers.

First, some quick tips:

Start with One (or Two) Pieces of Inspiration.

As with any design, things can get busy and disjointed quickly if you haven't identified a color palette and general aesthetic. As an example, check out the sequence of very similar wall decor below. Both are very modern and woodland, but the one on the left (from RomeCreations on Etsy) is cartoonish and whimsical while the one on the right (from HappyFoxDesign on Etsy) is minimalist and a bit more realistic.

Consider Pops of Color.

Go from musty to modern using bold colored accents, like this Painted Forest Nursery Decal from the Land of Nod, to keep things bright and whimsical. While it might seem more calm and peaceful to keep things more monochromatic-ish with green and brown hues, baby's eyes actually develop better with a lot of contrast. Here’s what Dr. Sears has to say:

The best way you as a parent can stimulate baby’s vision is using black and white stripes or light and dark contrasting colors. So what about those nice soft pastels that used to be so popular in baby toys and nurseries? While these may look pretty to you, they do nothing visually for your baby. Research has proven that black and white contrasts register powerfully on baby’s retina and send the strongest visual signals to baby’s brain. Stronger signals mean more brain growth and faster visual development. Surround a baby with soft pastel colors, and you might as well be blindfolding him. Surround your baby with black and white or light and dark pictures, and watch your baby’s eyes light up.

Try Just a Touch of Pink for a More Feminine Space.

We know it's cliche, but pink has been THE color for baby girls for ages and with just a touch, like in the prints below, your woodland theme gets a soft, feminine feel. (Prints by Inky Squid Kids on Etsy.) Like these prints, make sure you're still accenting things with dark woods to bring the rich, deep, colorful feel of the woods.

Try a Modern Design Trend on a Classic Piece.

A tree stump side table is a classic element for a woodland nursery, but as you see below, it can be modernized using the “paint dipping” trend. Another easy trend to use for an updated look is monochromatic decor pieces. For example, collect a few animal figurines and paint them all the same color. (Painted tree stumps from realwoodworks1 on Etsy.)

Go Graphic & Artsy.

Instead of a literal interpretation of a woodland environment, consider making it modern and fresh by incorporating pieces that are more artsy and graphic. (Nursery design board by Buy Modern Baby.)

Don't Be Afraid to Re-interpret the Idea Entirely.

Are you torn between an aesthetic and a theme? Don't be. It's perfectly suitable in design to combine different aesthetics and themes – that's art! What's the difference between the two? An aesthetic is a certain "feel" – like modern, rustic, crafty, vintage, etc. Your theme is the specific idea you're basing your design on – a beloved storybook, outer space, the beach, the woodlands, etc.  The photo below is an example of a crafty aesthetic with a woodland design.

Paint a Mural to Enhance the Woodland Effect.

Even if you're not Picasso, we guarantee you can paint a simple mural. Follow this great tutorial to get a beautiful birch effect. (Here's another helpful post: 5 Foolproof Ways to Paint a Baby Room Mural.)

Ready to take the next step and start planning your woodland nursery? Check out these two Pinboards for oodles of ideas!