Gender Neutral Jungle Safari Baby Nursery

Well, this post is a prime example of better late than never! I’ve had this jungle safari themed nursery finished and photographed for almost a year. What have I been doing, you ask? Well, it turns out having a baby tends to occupy a lot of your brain capacity… But here we are, and beautiful D is actually sleeping through the night in her jungle safari nursery now! Honestly, sitting in here reminds me of being in Malawi. It is so special to be able to share a part of my earliest memories with my children in their earliest part of childhood as well.

My goal for the nursery was to keep everything gender neutral, since we weren’t finding out the sex of the baby until birth. I also wanted to room to truly feel like 

Let me give you a tour! The first thing you see when you walk in is the two windows on the far wall, the book corner, and the bookshelf that holds toys and books. The Kallax cube shelf is from Ikea, as are the Elephant & Piggie book ends that came with the complete set of books we received as a gift. 

In the corner are spice racks that hold more books. I love the way the books can be displayed with the cover visible. Being able to see the books is so fun and inviting to young readers! On the wall, behind the spice rack shelves are tropical plant decals. I wanted to have more live plants in the room, but honestly, just didn’t want to have to worry about keeping it alive. There are enough plants in the rest of our house. Now that the room is done, and we’ve been living in it for a while, it was a good call. A live plant would have taken up a lot of space that we’d rather be playing in! Lastly, there’s a little pouf seat, also from Ikea, but I can’t seem to find the item listed online anymore.

On your right, immediately as you walk in, is the crib. What I loved about it was how it had the natural wood slats and feet paired with the white frame. The crib sheet also helps bring in the jungle feel without it having to be a real plant. Above the crib are some sweet giraffes keeping an eye on baby D. She’s loved looking at them, ever since she was a tiny little newborn! The decals came in a pack of six – I put four over the crib, and two behind the changing table. The last giraffe near the crib is the mobile. It plays music, and D LOVES to watch it. It is so cute to see her eyes light up as we wind it up!

On the far wall is a dresser, with a changing pad frame installed on top. It is the perfect height for me, and in my opinion, more functional than a classic changing table because the dresser can be used long after we grow out of needing a changing table. You’ll notice the last two giraffe decals watching over D as she is dressed each day. Lately she’s been holding toys up to them and banging the toys against the walls – maybe playing with the giraffes? Haha! To the right of the giraffes is a rail for holding supplies. I’ve got a long ikea bucket, paired with some hanging mason jars. These have been holding bibs, small toys, and pacifiers. On top of the dresser is a basket that has a wipe dispenser, a stash of diapers, and baby lotion/ointment. The floating shelf on the wall above the dresser holds a few sentimental items, some books, and some greenery. The spider plant is actually real!

In the corner, between the crib and the dresser, is where I spend most of my time. The arm chair is pretty comfy, though I definitely wish it had more lumbar support. I really wanted a chair that looked more generic than a classic rocker, though I’m beginning to see the benefits. As comfortable as it is to rock in, I definitely wish it was more supportive for my back, and taller, so I could rest my head on the back. In that corner is also a tall lamp with shelving. It’s super helpful for storing some comfort items for me while I nurse, such as a water bottle and a charging cable. On the other side of the chair is a rolling cart that holds baby books, backup snacks and water while nursing, and clean burp clothes.

I chose a very generic beige color for the walls. I just wanted something neutral and earthy, but still fairly bright. The curtains are a creamy yellow, and help to keep the room neutral but still bright and cheerful. Above the cube shelf and behind the armchair are three paintings of baby animals. They came from James River Studios, who I found through Etsy. I particularly loved that the owner, Josie, is from my home state, and that I was supporting a local artist and small business. I found the three matching frames for them at Home Goods.

As a bonus, here’s a photo of the bathroom too! D’s room connects to another bedroom through a Jack and Jill style bathroom. I had some fun using some seaweed and fish decals to give it the feeling of being under the sea!

I’m so pleased with how everything came out. I think its a little more modern and classic than cartoon-style animals, and I worked really hard to use natural textures and tones to warm up the white and give it all an earthy feel. Everything feels fresh and fun, and I’m not worried about needing to redecorate for any new babies in the future. What do you think?!

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