Mid Century Nursery Makeover

Two of our best friends are expecting a baby girl within the next month and I was so excited to help them put together the nursery. Obviously Emmett and I don’t have children, but kids spaces are SO much fun to design! It’s not often I get the opportunity to help friends & family with projects like this, so I jumped at the chance. After all… Mark, our good friend & real estate agent, was the one who found our current house and sold our previous home for us. It’s the least we could do to help our expecting pals and neighbors! Click through to see how we made over this charming mid century nursery for their baby girl.

*I received complimentary wallpaper from Chasing Paper, the window treatment from Blindsgalore, and paint from Sherwin-Williams. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we actually use & enjoy!

This is what the room looked like before. It was kind of a catch all and empty space our friends never really used…

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comThe window treatment wasn’t functional and had definitely seen better days, the gray paint traveled up the walls onto the ceiling between the beams, and the ceiling fan felt pretty dated. Other than that- the space had great bones and beautiful architecture. It really was the perfect blank canvas to create a dream nursery for our friends!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comThis room gets the most incredible light. No matter the time of day, it’s a very bright and cheerful space. Although the light flooded room is a good thing, having a newborn baby who will needs lots of sleep doesn’t mix well with an ultra bright nursery. The giant, odd-shaped window needed a window treatment upgrade. I opted for a natural woven shade in a roman fold from Blindsgalore. I had them add a blackout liner and went with a cordless lift so that it would be safe for the babe as she grows (no cords or pulls dangling). I also matched the material color to the crib to keep things cohesive.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comMark & Krissy have great taste and aside from showing me a couple inspiration images for the closet- they completely trusted me and let me run with the room. I put together a design plan, they approved it, and the four of us made it happen. Although I don’t take on client work anymore- they were basically dream “clients” because they were so easy. It’s truly a joy when someone lets you run wild with your creativity… it usually produces the best outcome. All of that to say- I’m thankful for them and am so happy they love the end result.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comKrissy had her heart set on this gorgeous removable wallpaper from Chasing Paper and I was 100% on board. The two of us spent the day installing it while our husbands worked on the built-in closet. It was a pretty easy process. We didn’t have to mess with wallpaper adhesive or paste because the backside of the removable paper is sticky. You just peel off the backing and squeegee it to the wall- easy peasy!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comI really love how the pattern bridges the gap between the board & batten and ceiling beams. That negative space in the middle was begging for some sort of contrast and the wallpaper works well.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comIn terms of the color palette, Krissy loves orange and muted blush hues. We wanted the nursery to feel like it was for a girl… but didn’t want to go crazy with typical bubble gum pink tones. We landed on burnt orange, mauve, desaturated blush, creamy white, and beige. It looks really nice with the different wood tones we incorporated into the space.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comThe closet was the biggest dilemma in the room. The existing one didn’t maximize the entire niche (it was set back about 12″), hardly had any functional storage space, and a weird bottom platform protruded beneath the sliding doors- which was definitely a tripping hazard / toe stubbing obstacle. We decided to hack an IKEA unit, add some shelving, remove the sliding doors, and make it look more open, intentional, and built-in.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comIt worked out beautifully and is far more functional! Check out the before image below to get a better idea of how it evolved…

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comDid you notice the millwork in the corner where the closet meets the wall (pictured above)? Nothing was connected, it looked super compartmentalized, and just felt weird. Below- we maximized every single inch, trimmed everything out nicely, and gave it a clean & finished look. The corner feels a LOT better too. Lastly, we dressed it up with these gorgeous cabinet pulls… the hardware was the icing on the cake!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comBelow, you’ll find a photo we took the evening after installing the closet. Krissy and I had to stop wallpapering because the guys were in our way. I’m not going to lie- my intention was to photograph an “IKEA hack” tutorial and share a DIY for this project, but we were having too much fun hanging out, working, and catching up with our friends. I didn’t even get my camera out (bad blogger, I know). Sorry guys! I’m sure you get the gist.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comWe painted the open backing with SW-6325 Constant Coral, and I love the fun punch of color it adds to the floating shelves. Don’t even get me started on the cute baby items, toys, and books that fill those shelves- SO ADORABLE!!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comKrissy is one of the most organized people I know and she perfectly customized the interior of the IKEA closet. Even though their baby girl won’t be here for another month- she already has it stocked with clothing and all sorts of cute things!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comShe bought these sweet little closet tags from Amazon that sort the clothing by the month, size, & age of the baby. I’m tellin’ ya… she should be a professional organizer! Who thinks of this stuff?!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comAnother request they wanted to squeeze into the room was a laundry hamper. We built the floating shelves to fit a full-size hamper on the bottom. This one looks much more expensive than it is… I’m digging the waxed canvas and leather handles.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comA comfortable nursery glider was another must! Above the glider, we grouped together two framed works of art to complete the vignette. How sweet are these charming bird prints? There is definitely a reoccurring bird “theme” in this space. I use that term loosely though because I don’t love rooms with themes… but I do enjoy the eclectic vibe the variety of birds (within art, plush toys, and books) add to the room. It really works here.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comThis fluffy plush swan makes my heart melt! Is that not the cutest toy you’ve ever seen? I know what our tiny nieces & nephews are getting for Christmas. Haha!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comWhile we’re on the topic of cute… meet Milo! The soon-to-be big fur brother. He is anxiously awaiting his sister’s arrival and has sniffed every inch of the new nursery. I think he approves!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comThis spunky guy thought the entire makeover process and photography session was so much fun (to be fair- he got a lot of snacks). He had no idea why I was crawling around on the floor with my camera, but he was into it. He got plenty of pets and playtime during the process of this room renovation.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comDid you guys notice that rug?! Does it look familiar? It should!! Remember my office in our previous home? It used to live there. We were struggling to find the perfect rug for this room and that one was collecting dust, rolled up in my prop closet. It’s just too pretty not to be used and it’s almost like it was meant for this space- so I gifted it to Mark & Krissy. If you’re hunting for a vintage rug of your own- check out this roundup!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comIn addition to the rug, I wanted to bring in more textiles to soften the space and make it feel extra cozy. The throw blanket was a great way to bring in girly pink without it feeling overwhelming or cheesy.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comWhile we’re talking textiles… I had to share these adorable baby quilts! They’re so special because Krissy’s mom made them for her. I remember quilting with my grandmother and I’ll cherish those pieces forever. In fact… for our wedding, instead of a guest book- everyone stitched their name on quilt patches and my grandma made us a wedding quilt. I’m such a fan of sentimental pieces like that. Bonus points for Krissy’s mom because those blankets are gorgeous– that geometric one is the perfect pattern & palette for the nursery.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comClick directly on the items below to shop the sources- or use the numbered links at the bottom of the collage.

01: botany wallpaper // 02: pleated drum pendant // 03: moon phase mobile // 04: convertible crib // 05: bird prints // 06: pale pink cushion // 07: seagrass basket // 08: changing dresser // 09: vintage rug (similar) // 10: swan lake art // 11: birch cart // 12: tassel cushion // 13: swivel glider and ottoman // 14: large rattan basket // 15: pom pom basket // 16: oval rattan basket // 17: pom pom cushion // 18: plush swan // 19: crib sheets // 20: pax wardrobe // 21: window treatment (natural woven shade) // 22: blanket ladder (similar) // 23: laundry bag // 24: mid century planter // 25: SW-7626 Zurich White // 26: SW-7006 Extra White // 27: SW-6325 Constant Coral // 28:*not pictured- closet hardware

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comOur friends are going to make the most amazing parents and this is something they’ve wanted for a long time. I’m so thrilled for them and even more grateful they trusted Emmett & I to help with this incredibly special room in their home.

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comThere you have it… the sweetest mid century nursery reveal! I know this was a lonnnng post, but there were too many cute angles I felt I needed to share to give you an accurate representation of the space. Thanks for sticking with me til the end!

Mid Century Nursery Makeover - roomfortuesday.comTheir little babe sure is lucky and she’ll have a gorgeous room waiting on her once she arrives. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the makeover in the comments below!

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40 Comments

  1. Cute, cute cute! That closet makeover is genius and seamless. The wallpaper, the rug! and the sweet pleated pendant…seriously adorable, but also not overly babyish. All that and a cute pup?! Best nursery ever. Plus, you got to work together with your friends; makes me smile just thinking about it. Lots of good energy waiting for that babe.💖

    1. Thank you!! It was really so much fun… definitely a lucky babe they’ll be welcoming home soon :)

  2. Never too long of a post! Love seeing alllll the angles.

    1. Thank you, Danielle! So glad to hear that :)

  3. Oh – this is just adorable. Sarah you just nailed this one! Again!

    1. Thank you Monica! It was so much fun helping our friends- they have amazing taste :)

  4. So incredibly adorable! Love it so much. Every detail is beautiful and your friends are super lucky to have such generous friends like you. Fabulous post!

    1. Thanks Colleen! We feel like the lucky ones. Moving away from our family, our friends are our chosen family here in Utah :) We love being able to help from time-to-time! Didn’t it turn out so sweet?!

  5. All of the color cohesiveness in this room is excellent!

  6. Amy Gurich says:

    MILO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best part of this reveal, simply love those photos. It was the sweetest little treat when I got to that part of the post. Beautiful room, you did it again.

    1. Right?!!! He is the sweetest. We love that dog to pieces! He’s going to be a great big brother. They also have a cat (cutely shaved like a lion), but he wasn’t interested in photo ops. Haha! :)

  7. Wow – absolutely freaking gorgeous!! This is just the inspiration I needed for redecorating my kids room and welcoming a new baby next spring. As always, thank you Sarah!

    1. Aw yay!! So happy to hear that Mary :) Congrats on the newest addition to your family- so exciting! xo

  8. Looks beautiful! Love the closet situation. Also, what kind of dog is Milo? He looks like he could be my dog’s brother!

    1. Thank you Grace! Milo was a rescue, so they’re not 100% sure what he is… other than super CUTE! haha :)

  9. Please please please do an Ikea closet hack tutorial!!! I want to transform my ugly closet into that beauty!

    1. I wish I would’ve photographed it, but I didn’t! I’m sorry!

  10. How. Just How!! You are so amazing!!! I’m working on my first nursery ever (for our first baby ever!) and this could not have come at a better time. Thanks so much. You are incredibly talented. I love every single touch of color and those bird prints are to die for! AHHHH.

    1. Aw thank you Kate! Congratulations on your baby!! That is so exciting :) Happy the post provided some inspiration!

  11. This is so, so pretty. I’m not usually into nurseries for whatever reason but this one is just a room well done.

    I have had 2 baby girls but neither had a nursery or even a room exclusively their own- my first slept in our room for a long time and then moved to the catch-all room with her bed, nightstand, Dad’s drum set and amps. Baby #2 slept in our room and then transferred to a pack n play in the living room at night. Thankfully when she was around 1.5 we moved to a larger house where they now have their very own shared, dedicated bedroom at last lol.

    1. Thank you Julie!! I really appreciate that. It sounds like your girls are doing just fine sharing a room- that was always a dream growing up. Haha :) xo

  12. What a sweet, modern vintage nursery, Sarah. It is designed to transition seamlessly as this little girl grows up. Well done you and Krissy! And congratulations to Mark and Krissy on their baby girl. Cheers, Ardith

    1. Thanks so much Ardith! :)

  13. Such a beautiful room, I love the panelling and wallpaper combo!

  14. I know this is an old post, but I’m using it as inspiration for my own nursery. What did you use to frame out the closet to make it look built in? Can you give a little brief run-down of the steps even though there aren’t photos? I’ve searched the internet and none of the other projects with tutorials come close to yours.

  15. This entire nursery is gorgeous!! Amazing job, and amazing ikea hack! Could you please share which Ikea closet you used?

  16. Hello Sarah, beautiful room, nicely done! I simply love it, specially the closet hack. Can you please share the size of those gorgeous cabinet pulls you used on the closet? Thank you!

    1. Thank you so much! I want to say they were 8 or 9″ pulls? It has been awhile, I’m sorry!

  17. What was the color of the shade in this room from blindsgalore? I have been having such a hard time finding this color of shade!! Thank you!

  18. Hey where are the floating shelves from?

    1. Those are built into the closet (we made them out of poplar wood)! :)

  19. Hi!!! Gorgeous, could you please share the link to the white and gold dresser? The embedded link no longer works.

    1. Thank you! I think that specific one has been discontinued or sold out, but I found a very similar one here: https://bit.ly/3eRfX6v Hope this helps, Paula! :)

  20. Hey what color did you paint the pax wardrobe doors?

    1. Hi Shira! This is actually the stock color… they came like this!

  21. I know this is an old post, but it’s by far one of my favorite nurseries I’ve found for inspiration! It’s just so lovely. BUT, we’re having a boy, so pink is out… Any gender neutral wallpaper recs for a similar vibe?

  22. I know this is au old post by now, but I absolutley love the look of this wardrobe! And I would love love love to have it in our daughters room. You did cut the doors to customize the look of it, right? I know I shold be able to figure it out on my own, but I simply can’t. So…. how did you do? 😇