How To Decorate Your Nursery Like HGTV's Leanne Ford
Take a moment to picture the typical nursery: The walls are probably painted either pink or blue, and the room is most likely filled with colorful decorations and toys. While this style is still popular, some are steering away from this predictable look. Instead, many parents-to-be are embracing more neutral tones in their nurseries.
Leanne Ford of HGTV's "Restored by the Fords" definitely focused on using gender-neutral elements when designing a nursery for her daughter, Ever, and her nephew, Jack. While both rooms have very different styles, they also have some things in common. For starters, each child could easily implement their own interests into their space as they grow, which is exactly what Ford was going for. According to Crate & Kids, she says, "To me, childhood is about freedom of expression and creativity. It's about safety, joy and lightness." If you want to make your nursery look like it was designed by Ford, follow these three pieces of advice.
Embrace neutral tones
To begin designing your child's nursery, embrace neutral tones, which will make the room appear more minimalist. Start with a light base on the walls — Leanne Ford typically uses white or cream paint. In her daughter Ever's room, she used white, and in her nephew Jack's nursery, she used whitewashed shiplap (via Domino). Next, find furniture in wood tones, white, cream, or black; To get inspiration, you could scroll through Ford's line with Crate & Kids, which includes plenty of warm white and stark black pieces. Finally, finish the space with neutral art and decorative elements.
At the same time, this doesn't mean every single piece needs to be completely neutral. For instance, in Ever's room, Ford placed a light pink rocking chair in the corner and green plants on a high shelf around the room (via HGTV). Therefore, you can add color, but make sure it's muted or has a natural tone and doesn't draw too much attention.
Match the style to the home
Next, match the style of the nursery to the rest of your home. Leanne Ford does this in both nurseries, which gives them each a very different look. In her daughter Ever's room, she embraces coastal and bohemian vibes since their Los Angeles home is right near the beach, per People. To create this look, she decorates with woven baskets and plants and allows a light wood crib to take center stage. However, the space she creates for her nephew Jack has a very different vibe. Because her brother Steve and his wife Andrea's home (which was originally a warehouse) is industrial, Leanne includes shiplap on the walls and black accents. As Steve Ford says, "What we really appreciate is that the nursery looks like a natural extension of our home, and that was important to us," per Domino.
To implement this advice into your space, look around your home and pay attention to the elements you use most frequently. Maybe you love a modern look and could add golden elements, or perhaps you love an eclectic look, in which case you could include a gallery wall.
Add both personal and comfortable pieces
The last step to decorating your nursery like Leanne Ford is adding both personal and comfortable pieces. Personalized elements are so important because they make your design stand out against others. To make her daughter Ever's space extra special to their family, Ford included a collage behind the crib filled with family pictures, love notes between Leanne and her husband, and other things like concert tickets, per People. To add a personal touch to Jack's room, she included a disco ball, something his parents and Leanne adore, per Domino.
It's also extremely important to add comfortable pieces to the space. In both Ever and Jack's nurseries, Ford layers multiple rugs to anchor the furniture in softness. In Jack's room, she added a plush rocking chair from her Crate & Kids line, and even though the space doesn't have windows, she hung curtains along one wall. Decorating with pillows, stuffed animals, tapestries, and throw blankets will also give the room warmth and coziness.