• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • about
    • services
    • team
  • portfolio
  • press
Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

  • book
  • blog
  • contact

The hippest nursery: black and white, not shades of gray

Annie Elliott | February 5, 2013

Have you noticed that GRAY is the in color for nurseries these days? Yep. If you’re preoccupied with what’s “trending” (hate that word), get yourself a gray nursery, pronto.

Gray and white nursery

What’s that? Sorry — I didn’t hear you. I was yawning :)

http://www.etsy.com/search?q=crib%20bedding&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US

Can I be honest with you? In addition to striking me as just plum uninspired, gray and white nurseries make me sad. The yellow saves the gray nursery above, but what about the first one, where gray is the…the what? The “pop of color” in the room?

BLACK and white nurseries, on the other hand — or better yet, black and white with dashes of color — are edgy and awesome. We’re finishing up a nursery right now with Quentin Blake’s ABC wallpaper on one wall (you read correctly, Gentle Readers: a WALLPAPER ACCENT WALL!).

Quentin Blake's ABC wallpaper

All the other walls are white. There are green, black, and orange stripey FLOR carpet squares on the floor (Sound Check in Lime…you know I’m a big fan of FLOR), a modern orange glider (not, alas, an Eames plastic molded rocker but the Eames doesn’t come in orange), and a green Roman Shade with white trim. I hope to post a picture when it’s 100% finished, but in the meantime, here’s a cheat sheet in case you, like me, want to take a stand against blah in the nursery.

Stay tuned, Gentle Readers. We also did a purple and orange nursery recently, so I’ll try to get that up, too. These kids are going to be bossy, no doubt about it.

1. FLOR Tile Made You Look in Kiwi;  2. FLOR Tile Sound Check in Lime, the one we used; 3. FLOR Tile Rake Me Over in Clementine  4. FLOR Tile Rake Me Over in Lime, which we used in another child’s bedroom; 5. Giggle Fitted Crib Sheet, but Etsy is another great resource for amazing custom crib bedding;  6.Mustache Pillow;  7. Mini Library;  8. Classic Crib;  9. Eames Molded Plastic Rocking Chair; and  10. Osborne and Little’s Quentin’s ABC Wallpaper.

Quoted in publications from The New York Times to The Washington Post to Real Simple magazine, Annie Elliott is considered an expert in color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible. Her interior design firm, bossy color, has been serving residents in the greater Washington, D.C. area since 2004.

Category: Color + paint color, Kids, Rugs, WallpaperTag: black and white kid's room, black and white nursery, black nursery, gray nursery

Sidebar

Subscribe

 

Bossy Color Blog

Categories

  • Art + accessories »
  • Bedroom »
  • Color + paint color »
  • Dining room »
  • Furniture + upholstery »
  • Kids »
  • Kitchen + bath »
  • Lighting »
  • Living Room + Family Room »
  • Renovation »
  • Rugs »
  • Wallpaper »
  • Window treatments »

View Portfolio

view Bossy Color's portfolio

Instagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 8

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17874860922370036
What if one book could help you avoid 90% of the most common decorating mistakes? My Neighbor Saw Me Naked, and Other Reasons You Need Drapes is the interior design handbook you never knew you needed. It provides straightforward answers to the questions that matter: ✔️ What size rug should I get?✔️ How high should I hang my chandelier?✔️ Do I REALLY need window treatments? Preorder now through July 11th on the Barnes & Noble website and get  25% off with code PREORDER25.....plus 10% more if you’re a B&N Premium member. Offer ends July 11! Link in bio#InteriorDesign #DesignMistakes #MyNeighborSawMeNaked #BNPreorder #AnnieElliottInteriors #HomeDesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 4

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17864165463352438
📍 St. Michael’s, Maryland views Let’s celebrate our beloved country today! 🇺🇸 And remember when we freed ourselves from a tyrannical government.You know, the Declaration of Independence is worth a re-read. The “unalienable” right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” Let’s hold onto that, shall we? I pursue happiness by surrounding people with beauty. I believe that your home not only should bring you joy, it should comfort you, energize you, and inspire you. Because when you bring that energy and inspiration out into the world, it spreads.Happy Independence Day, everyone.  @stmichaelsmd

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 26

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18509968003051969
The location of this built-in dresser is practical (between the first floor hallway and the powder room), but tbh, it looked a little odd until we intentionalized it with some grassy green paint. (Yep - I just made up that word. And I’m going to keep it 😉 Photo | @stacyzaringoldberg#annieelliott #annieelliottdesign #closetdecor #bedroomdecor #paintedfurniture #dresser #interiorstyling #interiorinspiration #interiorsandhome #homeinteriors #colorfullycollected

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 25

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17880900810340509
Sure, I love a fancy showroom—but if you want soul, patina, and weird little treasures, you need to get dusty. 💨👉My real sourcing happens in flea markets, antique stores, and the occasional estate sale.✨ That’s where the magic is. That’s where your home gets its character. Plus, it’s more fun than a mall and you might come home with a lamp that looks like a pineapple. 🍍Win-win.......#vintagestyle #antiqueshopping #eclectichome #antiques #vinatgefinds #designhunt #interiordesignerlife #interiorsandhome #dmvdesigner #interiordecor #interiorstyling #interiors

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 24

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18512936221022154
Let’s play “rules I’ve gleefully ignored,” shall we?
You must match your metals ❌
Small rooms can’t be dark ❌❌
Never mix patterns ❌ ❌ ❌
Design is supposed to be fun. If it makes you happy, it works. End of story.        Photos | @stacyzaringoldberg @mw.concepts #annieelliott #annieelliottdesign #designrules #kitchendesign #kitcheninspo #interiordetails #bedroomdesign #officedesign #interiorstyle #interiorandhome

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 19

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18019888907521092
Nothing says summer like a house that makes you slooooow down. I’m so lucky to have access to a family house in St. Michael’s…the spot is amazing, but we wanted to add a little somethin’ somethin’ to the sunroom. I leaned into the midcentury bones and brought in soft blues and reds to complement the  warm brick and beams. Now it’s got that relaxed, quiet energy that makes you want to pour a gin and tonic, sit still, and just be.📷 | @mw.concepts#annieelliott #annieelliottdesign #vacationhome #waterfronthomes #stmichaelshomes #midcenturyinteriors #midcenturymodernhome #interiordecor #interiorstyling #interiorinspiration #interiorsandhome

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 17

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18103508353553642
I was prepared to argue for this @leejofa wallpaper until I was blue in the face, but my client loved it immediately. Turned out the grannie-ness was a selling point, not an obstacle. I love it when my clients trust me! I gotta be honest: I’ve never regretted going too bold. Just playing it too safe. 📸 | @angieseckinger#annieelliott #annieelliottdesign #interiorstyling #interiorinspiration #interiorsandhome #wallpaper #hallwayinspo #leejofawallpaper #floralwallpaper #hallwaydecor #hallwaydesign #stairwellstyling #bolddesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 12

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18083963626690209
Squeeze the day! 🍊Cole and Son’s Arance wallpaper paired with @benjaminmoore’s high-gloss Strawberry Red has us drooling over this powder room. It’s the perfect reminder that a well-executed small space can be bold, bright, and irresistible!#annieelliott #annieelliottdesign #powderroom #bathroomdesign #bathroominspo #powderroomdesign #powderroomwallpaper #boldbathroom #bathroomwallpaper #coleandsonwallpaper

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jun 10

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18082916029742494
See what we did here? We painted the shelves the dark blue of the walls for a cohesive effect. Just the right amount of drama 🎭 Photos | @angieseckinger #annieelliott #annieelliottdesign #interiorsandhome #bookshelfstyling #builtins #builtinbookshleves #shelfstyling #livingroomstyle #decorinspo #homestyle #interiorinspo #livingroomdesign
Follow

Looking for something?

Don’t miss a single post

 

Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

© 2025 · Annie Elliott Design · privacy policy