Considering Wallpaper for the Nursery

It might sound a little odd after the ordeal of stripping five different wallpapers from this house, but we’re seriously thinking about adding wallpaper to the nursery. I even hinted at it in an earlier post about the nursery mobile. Ever since we first planned the built-ins, we imagined an accent between them—maybe a bold color, a pattern, or a planked wall. Those ideas cooled a bit once the built-ins were in place and filled with things, since we didn’t want to overwhelm the space above the crib. Still, neither of us could shake the idea of introducing a distinct accent somewhere in the room.

One night while browsing wallpaper options, John found a pattern he liked and ordered samples without running it by me first. He bought a lighter version and a darker counterpart, paying about $13 total for both samples with tax and shipping. I admit I gave him a look—not about the cost, but because I can still vividly picture the claw-like residue from the last time I peeled wallpaper. The tension eased when he told me the samples were removable, and I warmed to the pattern itself. It felt like something that could grow with our child, not just a fleeting baby-themed choice.

The samples arrived a couple of weeks later; they were large and revealed a subtle linen-like texture in the gray tones that wasn’t obvious online. That tiny detail made the pattern feel more sophisticated and natural in person. We taped the samples up in the nursery to test how they would read against the existing decor. John, getting bolder by the minute, placed them on the wall with the bike art, which surprised me but also made sense: that wall had less of the built-ins’ clutter, so an accent there might feel balanced.

I photographed the taped samples on the wall so I could mock up a full-wall version in Photoshop. The method was simple: I overlaid the sample photo on a larger image of the wall, adjusted the size until the scale matched, and then tiled the wallpaper rectangle to fill the full wall. To make the result realistic, I masked out the frames, doors, and changing table so the wallpaper appeared to sit behind them. I repeated the same process to test the pattern on the crib wall, too, so we could compare our original idea with this new option.

We also tried a few variations: I darkened the pattern to mimic the alternate sample John ordered, experimented with a bold green, and tested a charcoal tone to see how it might balance the chair and crib. The darker pattern was interesting, but both of us ultimately preferred the lighter version—the linen texture and softer tone felt more complementary to the rest of the room. The green option read flat in my mock-up and didn’t quite resonate, while the charcoal brought a neutral sophistication that made us pause and say, “Not bad.”

To widen the possibilities, a reader named Annie emailed us a quick mock-up featuring chunky painted stripes behind the crib. We love a striped wall, and that suggestion gave us yet another direction to consider. Right now we’re letting everything simmer and trying not to rush the decision. There’s a part of us excited by the idea of adding one more layer of interest to this neutral space—removable wallpaper feels like a low-commitment experiment and a new adventure, since we’ve never put up wallpaper before.

On the other hand, we want the nursery to feel playful and cozy, not overdone or chaotic. With the crib skirt, mobile, framed art, and built-in shelves already contributing pattern and texture, the challenge is striking the right balance: an accent that enhances the room without making it feel cluttered. So we’re asking for opinions: would you place removable wallpaper on the bike art wall, choose a solid band of color like green or charcoal behind the crib, try painted stripes, or leave the room as it is?

We appreciate any input that helps us decide whether to introduce this new layer of pattern and texture—or to walk away and enjoy the room as it stands. For now the voting is closed, but we’re still weighing options and enjoying the creative process.

VOTING ON THIS POLL HAS CLOSED