How to Curate a Travel-Themed Nursery

How to Curate a Travel-Themed Nursery

5 years ago
It’s no secret that we are travel fanatics over here in the GM studio, and that love of exploration extends into all areas of our lives—including our nursery design! With Gray and Jeff’s adorable new additions to their family (meet PB&J!) and the reveal of their incredibly chic nurseries, we’ve been inspired to curate three different travel-inspired nurseries, and you can shop them all below. The best part? Right now you can get 20% off all photography in our shop for a limited time to help you put the finishing touches on your space. But, before we fully dive into “add-to-cart” mode, keep scrolling for a few tips and tricks to keep in mind as you’re curating your travel-themed nursery…


## 1. Mix “Theme” Pieces with Basics

While it may be fun to curate a nursery with a theme—no matter how bold or subtle—make sure to keep your design grounded with plenty of neutrals and a handful of basics. (Our design contributor Gillian Segal’s jungle-themed nursery is a great example of keeping things chic, while still having fun.) For instance, if you’re decorating with airplane printed bedding, it’s not necessary to also have curtains, rugs, and pillows printed with transportation. Instead, mix in versatile prints of varying scale, solid textiles, and interesting textures. This will create a well-curated look, without going overboard on your theme.



1. Pescadero Tiered Chandelier, $998 | 2. Watercolor World Map Mural Decal, $189 | 3. Mudcloth Throw Blanket, $80 | 4. Dot Basket, $78-$98 | 5. Disc Beads, $90 | 6. Wooden Anchor Object, $186 | 7. The Harbour, St. Tropez Print, $299+ | 8. Reva Changing Basket, $70

## 2. Think Outside the Box

When decorating with a theme, it can be easy to grab at the low-hanging fruit and go for cliché interpretations of the theme. Of course, a few of those elements here or there are certainly fine (like a vintage airplane or sailboat object on the bookshelf, a cute crib mobile, or exotic faux animal bust on the wall), but try to incorporate more subtle elements of your theme into your design for a more interesting and curated look. For instance, in a travel-themed nursery, it doesn’t have to be ALL maps, airplanes, and passport stamps. We prefer more sophisticated (but still darling!) iterations, like prints from world travels, global textiles, and subtle symbols, like clouds.



1. Wood Letter Board, Brown, $19.99 | 2. Simple Shapes Geometric Baby Mobile, $49 | 3. Highland Basket, $78-$148 | 4. Sheepskin Wool Throw, $198 | 5. Organic Cloud Crib Fitted Sheet, $24 | 6. Left to Right: The Performer, The Queen, The Pop Artist, $249+ (each) | 7. Wooden Airplane Object, $17.90

## 3. Evoke a Feeling of Wanderlust

At the end of the day, you can add all of the travel-themed nursery décor to your space, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll achieve that sought-after feeling of exploration and adventure. If you ask us, no travel-themed nursery is complete without a photograph or two of real-life landscapes from around the world to evoke true wanderlust in your design. Whether you’re inspired by a sandy scene from the beaches of Australia, the Hawaiian islands, an African safari, or the French Riviera, hanging a fine art photography print in your baby’s nursery adds just the right touch of sophistication.



1. Crochet Tassel Garland, $35 | 2. Seaplane, Great Barrier Reef Print, $249+ | 3. Chloe Vaux Adventure Art Print, $19-$399 | 4. Large Canvas Globe, $388 | 5. Dominicana Abaca Rug, $998+ | 6. Wooden Camera Toy, $38 | 7. African Mud Cloth Pillow ‘Amai in Mustard’, $55 | 8. African Mud Cloth Pillow ‘Akili Lumbar’, $60



Did any of these pieces inspire a few travel-themed nursery ideas for you?

We’re pretty into all of these looks, and we hope you found something to inspire you too. And of course, this is just scratching the surface of all the nursery-appropriate prints available in the GM shop. Hop on over to the site to browse all of our options for yourself and enjoy20% off all photography for a limited time…

Xx Team GM

Photos: Gray Malin and Header - noninonikids

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