Kids' Rooms
Stylist Emily Henderson Designed The Prettiest Nursery For Her Daughter
Updated on November 28, 2023
Followers of California-based design blogger and stylist Emily Henderson know she’s not one to shy away from color and pattern. So when it came to decorating her two-year-old daughter Elliot’s nursery, it’s no surprise that Emily looked to a pink tree mural for inspiration. Click through to see how Emily turned an awkward-shaped space into a fun and functional bedroom.
“Maybe I should quit doing everything else, pop out more babies and spend all my time decorating my children’s rooms because they often turn out to be my favorite rooms ever,” admits Emily on her blog. A soft grey glider from West Elm makes this corner a cozy spot for mother and daughter to read stories.
“The shape of the room is totally weird, with nary a right angle, making a rectangle or square rug impossible,” explains Emily. That meant that a round rug was the only answer. “I knew that an all-white rug would be a problem, but it’s more forgiving than I originally thought,” she says.
A wooden ladder and stool bring texture and warmth to the white and pink space.
You can see into Elliot’s bathroom from the bedroom, where another toile-like pattern covers the walls. “The paper in the bathroom is a farm scene toile from Farrow & Ball, and scale wise it’s much smaller than the tree mural, but tonally it works so well,” says Emily.
“All the furniture is fairly affordable,” says Emily. “It’s the mural and the curtains that were splurge-y.”
A white cubby shelf means toys are ready to be played with at all times. “I recently read a parenting article (my weekend obsession) that said that kids need to be able to see their toys to play on their own and I’m starting to realize it’s true,” says Emily.
“We have a lot of hidden storage (trunks, cabinets), and that’s the problem — they forget about them, complain they are bored until I go and actually open the toy cabinet and pull out some bins,” says Emily.
When it’s time for quiet, a simple white picket crib is where Elliot lays her head. The crib, pouf, swan and bedding are all affordable scores from Target.
A funky pink fringe detail adds loads of playful personality to Elliot’s curtains. “The window treatments are custom blackout curtains from Calico Curtains and my goodness they are so beautiful,” says Emily. We installed both sheers and lined linen because during certain times of the year the sun blasts in here and so I wanted her to be able to play without being in blackout curtains.”
A fun rocking horse is sure to be well-loved by Elliot, and the solid maple frame means it’ll be a piece that lasts for years and years.
“She is a lucky, lucky girl. And I’m clearly her lucky mama who’s job it is to design these rooms,” beams Emily. “All the hearts in the world for this little lady.”