Paint it black: These 5 nurseries subvert expectations in style

Decorating the nursery is one of the fun pre-baby tasks for expectant parents. Or it may become a bit of a minefield depending on the couple involved.

When The Man and I discovered we were having a baby we agreed we would prefer to keep the baby's sex as a surprise. Months later when we were planning to paint the baby's room I proposed blue walls and a green floor which I considered to be pretty gender neutral. The Man did not agree. He immediately hit the roof, convinced I had found out the sex secretly as he thought the colour scheme was way more boyish than gender neutral. It didn't help matters when the baby came along a few months later and did indeed turn out to be a boy. I put it down to mother's instinct but The Man is still a bit suspish. Here's our top 5 alternative nursery ideas to inspire: 1. For the uber-cool baby Black seems like a slightly oppressive colour for a baby's room but whimsical touches like this bauble bunting and light coloured furniture and flooring lifts the room and balances the black. Via The Boo and The Boy 2. Monochromtastic Monochrome walls create an interesting focal point while bold graphics and bursts of bright yellow keep things playful. Via The Boo and The Boy 3. Blackboard jungle A feature black wall can be used as a blackboard for everything from toddler doodles to inspiring quotes and beautiful, changeable murals. Via Project Nursery

4. Vintage vibes

This idiosyncratic take on the nursery is bold and proves that you don't have to be a slave to kiddie motifs to create a little haven for your little ones.

Via Le Sueur Interiors

5. A blank canvas

A plain white colour scheme is cleverly given a nice individual vibe with abstract, not-quite-uniform wall patterns.

Via En Las Nubes

Main image via Le Sueur Interiors and The Boo and The Boy

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