Gender Neutral Australiana Nursery Reveal

May 29, 2020

Ok I was getting to the point where I thought this post would not get done before the baby arrives! You know when you have something on your to-do list and it just kind of lingers at the bottom for way too long? That’s what was happening with this nursery reveal blog post.

But now at almost 38 weeks (when did that happen?) I’m starting to wind down and I’ve actually stopped adding anything new to my pre baby to-do list. And while my body is begging for a nap right now I thought I’d just quickly put this together and then reward myself with that nap!

So ta-daaa! Here it is! Our gender neutral Australiana nursery…

The Theme

We didn’t need to think about it too hard to know we wanted to incorporate some kind of Australia theme into our nursery. We are both Australian and even though our baby will be born in Switzerland he or she will also be Australian. Being born in Switzerland is not enough to get you citizenship here! Not only that but we want our baby to have a connection with Australia too.

I didn’t want to go over the top but have included little pieces of Australia throughout the room. Like a little treasure trove you will find jars of gum-nuts and eucalyptus we collected during our visit home at Christmas, a book shelf full of Australian classics, cuddly koala teddies and one of my favourite pieces our big fluffy koala print. My mum has also made a sweet baby galah (pink Australian birds) cross stitch that is in the post on it’s way to us now!

I was actually quite inspired by the Australian children’s book Possum Magic – and so our nursery is full of Australian animals and magical elements like rainbows, stars, moons and clouds. I loved including the rainbows too – because this is our little rainbow baby after a previous miscarriage.

The Colour Palette

Even though I wanted to include colour, I still wanted the base of the nursery to be neutral. In a way it’s a blank canvas that I’ve added little pops of colour and fun to. Where there is colour I’ve kept it a little bit earthy with dusty rainbow hues of honey, rose and cerulean. I also liked that by having a soft rainbow palette I have been able to keep the overall feeling quite gender neutral while still including colour. Once baby is here and we know whether we have a he or she any pieces we add can easily tie in with the exisiting palette.

The Design

My main goal for the nursery was to create a warm, inviting space that feels good to be in. I didn’t want it to be overwhelming, but rather have little pockets of space that are interesting without competing for attention. So we have a reading corner, a sleeping space, a play area and the changing station. They all give each other space to breathe while coming together seamlessly.

I also wanted it to be a space that was easily organised and that makes our time here enjoyable not stressful. So I’ve used the KonMari folding method and felt baskets to organise the drawers. As well as this I have a felt caddy for changing and a felt caddy for feeding. Each contains all the things we would need to change or feed the baby. We can then move them easily around the nursery or house.

Montessori Focus

If you are not familiar with Montessori yet it’s a method of education, developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori. It takes a child-centred educational approach based on scientific observations of children. Montessori’s method has been used for over 100 years in many parts of the world. We’ve tried to incorporate as much as we can or are comfortable with from the Montessori method.

Montessori Elements

Montessori nurseries focus on simplicity, natural elements and encouraging independent exploration, leaving space for creativity. Montessori elements include:

Clutter free
Minimal visual clutter
Natural materials (timber, cotton etc.)
Live plants
Considering how the baby sees the room from the ground – making things accessible to them
Child sized furniture
Minimal toys (4-5 for a young baby)
Hanging mobile
Mirror
Floor beds without bars (we did not feel comfortable with this)
Completely baby proof so baby can move freely and safely in their space without being told ‘no’

Montessori Toys

Natural materials: Toys made of wood, wool, cotton, metal, ceramic and even rock to show different textures, temperatures and weights help children refine their senses.
No bells and whistles: Montessori toys are designed to encourage kids to explore and discover independently. Instead of toys that move and make sounds on their own, opt for passive toys that require your child to physically manipulate them and incorporate them into their pretend play.
Realistic: Montessori toys tend to be lifelike and rooted in reality, providing a great learning opportunity about the world around us. Infants and young children don’t have a framework for what’s real and what’s fake.
One-task learning: Teaching toys that hone one skill at a time.
Toys with purpose: Montessori toys can also be child-size items that allow kids to independently engage in job-like activities, like raking leaves or sweeping. Purpose draws children in and makes them like a competent and important part of their world.