Blue and Red Nursery Makeover

Vintage furniture, upholstered walls and a rich color palette add style to this former guest room.

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

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Photo By: Photographer: Christina Wedge

Mature Style

Jon and Erin’s guest room was transformed into a designer-grade nursery complete with walls covered with beadboard and soundproofing upholstery as well as high-end lighting, custom draperies, a thick shag rug, vintage furniture and custom window coverings.

Before the Makeover

Just a few months prior to finding out they were expecting a baby, Jon and Erin had finished turning their bonus room into a full-fledged guest room.

Color Control

From the start, the couple was certain they wanted to use the same shade of red on the walls in a different capacity in the new design.

Upholstered Walls

The Malones loved the idea of having the nursery walls professionally upholstered in a fun pattern to help soundproof the room from the noisy street outside.

Under Wraps

To conceal staples or pins which hold the fabric of the wall upholstery in place, the upholsterer created a welt cord from the same fabric, then hot-glued it directly over the staples and pins along the top of the beadboard as well as in corners and along the ceiling.

All-Purpose Crib

Determined to make design choices that added versatility should Owen one day have a baby sister, Jon and Erin chose a modern white crib that could work well with any color combination.

Stylish Rocker

The Malones opted for a white wire-frame midcentury rocker with brown aged-leather upholstery.

Window Treatments

To add layers of steel blue throughout the nursery, Jon and Erin had custom window treatments made from slubby cotton basket weave a few shades darker than the color used on the wainscoting and ceiling.

Lights Out

When having their custom window coverings made, the Malones spent extra to have them lined with blackout liner which would help darken the room for Owen’s many naps.

Flooring Worth Adoring

Although Jon and Erin love their recently refinished wood floors, they wanted to ensure Owen would have a soft surface on which to crawl. To carry the steel blue down onto the floor, they picked up an extra-thick shag rug from a big-box retailer for $169.

Mood Lighting

To add ambiance to the room for long nights during which Erin or Jon would rock Owen to sleep, the couple had a ceiling fan replaced by a corrugated-paper pendant which emits diffused light.

Repurposed Lamps

To add task lighting atop Owen’s 1950s dresser, Jon and Erin’s decorator picked up a pair of vintage argyle lamps from a flea market for $50, then updated them with fire-engine-red silk drum shades which cost $35 a piece.

Toy Story

Whenever possible, the Malones tried to stay away from current trends when designing the nursery. This not only included their furniture and fabric selection but also accessories and toys. By sticking with hand-knit Persian dolls from a company called Blabla, they were able to add youthful touches which were classic and organic.

Blue and Red Nursery Makeover

Related To:

Shop This Look

Mature Style

Before the Makeover

Color Control

Upholstered Walls

Under Wraps

All-Purpose Crib

Stylish Rocker

Window Treatments

Lights Out

Flooring Worth Adoring

Mood Lighting

Repurposed Lamps

Toy Story

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