Check out this Savannah styled nursery for serious inspiration!

The thought of creating a nursery for your baby from scratch can be a little overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be with a few helpful tips and tricks.

A room design is normally formulated by taking one idea or item you love and building on it. It could be a piece of art or a print you love, wallpaper, or even bed linen. This is known as a ‘seed’ item – it’s the item from which the rest of the design grows. In this case the starting point or ‘seed’ item was the very cute giraffe print I found. The colours in the print determined the colour palette for the whole room and inspired the giraffe pattern feature wall.

The key with any nursery room design is balancing out the colours at play so the space feels soft and calming for both mum and baby. In this room we opted for a neutral colour palette (great for those families having a surprise gender reveal at birth!). Both the floor and back wall are painted in Resene Double Spanish White which is a lovely warm, creamy white. The giraffe wall is a fun pop of colour and pattern and adds some personality.

Coordinating Resene colours were used to paint the cot, change table and cabinet so the space felt cohesive. Layers of texture were introduced to create interest and add softness to the space. Linen, boucle, rattan, jute, tassel throw blankets and baskets are all in the mix in this playful nursery.

GIRAFFE WALL DESIGN

This patterned wall is quite bold in its design, but it works because we chose to paint the design onto a small wall. To create this giraffe skin pattern we painted the base colour in Resene Spanish White then drew the design on in pencil first. Once happy with the design, we filled in the design with Resene Brown Sugar. It doesn’t need to be perfect so don’t stress about the shapes being uniform. 

Above: Bookshelf, painted in Resene Brown Sugar, stylist's own; Boucle Sundae Chair, $99, kmart.co.nz; Koo Kids Wild Daisy Cushion, $35, spotlightstores.com; Patsy Woven Storage Basket, $89.95, Bryony Throw, $89.95, and Geri Giraffe Toy, $94.95, all from freedomfurniture.co.nz; Elanora Large Floor Rug, $199.95, mocka.co.nz. Books, stylist’s own. Ply photo hangers (DIY them HERE).  

Above & below: Floor and back wall painted in Resene Double Spanish White. Giraffe pattern wall painted in Resene Spanish White and Resene Brown Sugar, resene.co.nz/colorshops. 

Above: Credits previously below, with the addition of Babies 3 Pack Long Sleeve Bodysuit, $15, postie.co.nz and Wooden Crate (painted in Resene Brown Sugar), $6.50, kmart.co.nz. 

Below: Rattan Look Round Wall Shelf, $34, kmart.co.nz. In shelf: Wooden Stackable Tower, painted in Resene Gold Coast, Resene Canterbury Clay, Resene Spanish White and Resene Brown Sugar, $16.99, cottonon.com; Wood Age Blocks, $14, kmart.co.nz; Rattan Holder, $5, spotlightstores.com.

Cabinet, painted in Resene Café Royale, stylist's own. On cabinet: Wooden Peg/Hammer Toy, painted in Resene Spanish White, Resene Brown Sugar and Resene Canterbury Clay, $34.99, cottonon.com; Small Wooden Animal Toy - Giraffe, $3, kmart.co.nz; Basket (holding blocks), $6.90, spotlightstores.co.nz; Boyle Wiggle Animals Crafty Kit – Wooden Giraffe, $9, bunnings.co.nz.

Above: Peekaboo Prints A3 Baby Giraffe Print, $59, popmotif.com.

Above: Floor and back wall painted in Resene Double Spanish White. French doors painted in Resene White, resene.co.nz/colorshops. Niko & Co. Kids Bedroom Canopy in natural, $129.90, bedbathandbeyond.co.nz; Boucle Round Cushion (in canopy), $24.95, mocka.co.nz; TSAR Scatter Cushion in gold (in canopy), $54.95, and Sorrento Linen Cushion in buff (in canopy), $64.95, freedomfurniture.co.nz; Off White Textured Cushion Cover (in canopy), $15, hm.com; Boucle Ball Cushion, $69.95, adairs.co.nz. Items in shelf and on cabinet previously listed.

Above: Wooden Crate, painted in Resene Brown Sugar, $6.50, kmart.co.nz. Wooden Blocks (DIY them HERE).

Top image: Floor and back wall painted in Resene Double Spanish White. Giraffe pattern wall painted in Resene Spanish White and Resene Brown Sugar. Rattan Pendant, painted in Resene Brown Sugar, stylist's own. French doors painted in Resene White,  resene.co.nz/colorshops.

Aspen Cot, painted in Resene Brown Sugar, $399.95, Vale Cot Mattress, $149.95, Ellas Change Table, painted in Resene Canterbury Clay, $349.95, and Elanora Large Floor Rug, $199.95, all from mocka.co.nz; Peekaboo Prints A3 Baby Giraffe Print, $59, popmotif.com; Boucle Sundae Chair, $99, kmart.co.nz; Babywise White Cotton Cot Sheet 2 Pack, $12, thewarehouse.co.nz; Boucle Ball Cushion in white, $69.95, Washed Linen Cushion in tobacco $89.99, and Winslow Throw in tabacco and natural (over cot), $109.99, adairs.co.nz; Geri Giraffe Cushion (on floor), $111.50, freedomfurniture.co.nz.

In change table: Sophie La Girafe, $45.99, farmers.co.nz; Bobble Organic Cotton Baby Blanket in toffee, $54.99, adairs.co.nz; Kos Throw in tan, $64.95, freedomfurniture.co.nz; Baby Sneakers in white, $14, Baby Boots in tan, $9, and Foam Change Mat, $19, all from kmart.co.nz.

Art direction + Styling: Vanessa Nouwens

Photography: Wendy Fenwick