Nursery Reveal: Vera’s Grey and Colorfully Unique Room

When creating her daughter Vera’s nursery, Dawn’s goal was to create a colorful, fun and unexpected space, frilly lace and pastel need not apply. “I wanted a room that I would have loved as a little girl and that Vera can grow into,” Dawn of Designing Dawn said of the space that has become her favorite room in the house.

The grey walls are painted Porcelain Shale by Valspar. “We did have it painted charcoal already though, because I knew it could be versatile and beautiful as a nursery. When we were pregnant people kept asking me what color I was going to paint the walls and seemed shocked when I said I was leaving them. “It’s so dark!” I heard that a lot. One friend even jokingly said my baby would be depressed, but I love how the dark walls make the colors stand out. Gray is so versatile and I love the deep rich color.”

The dresser was the first thing in the room. A hand-me-down from an old, inexpensive set Dawn’s grandmother had, it had been passed down to her when she needed furniture for her first apartment after college. “At that time it was a grandma-appropriate cream color with flower appliqués and a frilly wood trim down the middle. It soon became a distressed black that worked with my room at that time and stayed that way until I decided that boy or girl, this aqua blue would be perfect.”

Knowing she wanted crisp bright colors like her blue dresser to contrast against the dark wall, she found the vibrant curtains next. “I knew I wasn’t crazy for wanting all the colors instead of just one or two! I saw them and ordered them instantly. They went with my dresser and were exactly what I was looking for with all the colors I had envisioned and that touch of whimsy I wanted. I love adding color and pattern through unexpected window treatments. The door is in the corner opposite the window, so the curtains are the first things that catch most people’s eye.”

Her favorite detail is the white porcelain hand lamp by the changing table. “Not only is it extremely functional for nighttime diaper changes, but it is so whimsical and fun.” While some love it and others find it creepy, it only makes Dawn love it more. “It is unexpected and gets your imagination going. What better thing for a kids room? I also love the pendants that I had custom made by Starlit Nest on Etsy. They are truly one of a kind! And I love the framed metal V above her bed. As for the Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag, that was a gift from my amazing sister and friends for my baby shower. So pretty and so functional! It is even waterproof and wipe-able for easy cleanup.”

Dawn struggled with furniture placement, trying out multiple arrangements. She wanted to put the crib in a place where Vera could see both the window and the door while laying in it. “I feel like it makes the room feel more open and have a better flow. Maybe more importantly though, I really wanted to be able to look in from the door and see into the crib without going all the way into the room. It’s such a small room that we didn’t have a lot of options, but I feel like pushing all the furniture in any room right up against the walls can make it seem small and boxy, hence the angle.”

Vera has a variety of personal items on her shelves. There is a little cross Dawn’s father got for her, an owl she found and
loved the colors of and “a ‘creep doll’ that my brother got for her on Etsy. I love that doll!” Dawn’s favorites though are the pictures of precious family memories. “There is one of her daddy and me at our wedding and another one from a week before she was born. There is also one of him holding her the week we brought her home and one of her ‘big brother’ aka our kitty, Lucious.”

The most sentimental element of the nursery is Dawn’s own favorite stuffed animal from her childhood. “It is almost falling apart and definitely isn’t too cute, but it’s on display on her bookshelf and it makes me smile every time I see it to know that she will have something that I literally carried from daycare to college.”

The wall flowers were a wedding present that Dawn had planned to use in her basement. When she knew she was expecting a girl, they were moved into the nursery. “We decided against a mobile because I couldn’t find one I loved, so I wanted some interesting things above her bed that she can look and these worked so well. I wanted them to look like they were blowing or floating on the breeze, and the contrast of the white against the gray is easy for her to see and she loves to stare at them.”That vintage bent wood rocker was a thrift store find for $25. Dawn made Vera’s posters and framed them in spray-painted thrifted frames. The flag pendants were custom-made by Alison of Starlit Nest Gifts. “I love how they bring so much color to that side of the room. One of my favorites (a little bit of a splurge for me) is the incredible quilt.”

Thanks Dawn for sharing Vera’s unique and beautiful nursery room with us!