This post contains affiliate links.
Searching for nursery room inspiration and love the cozy feel of vintage nursery spaces? Then kick up your feet mama, because you’re going to *love* these gorgeous cottage-y nursery rooms we’ve hand-picked for you!
individual images credited below
When it comes to trendy nursery themes, nothing has stolen our hearts quite like the vintage nursery!
This dreamy, cozy, and nostalgia-inspiring decor style is one of our favorites for creating a warm and welcoming space for baby. If you agree and you’ve been scrolling through Instagram, Pinterest, and more for the perfect inspiration for your own vintage nursery – look no further!
We’ve searched the web and compiled this list of stunning vintage nursery rooms to help you out. Below are ideas for vintage wall decor, furniture, and accent pieces alike to help you plan out a vintage nursery that you and your baby will adore.
01. Curate a Gallery Wall Full of Character
Character themes in a room are always so cute in a nursery – and you can still get this same adorable aesthetic with a vintage-themed room!
Old-fashioned cartoon portraits and art prints come together in the space above to create a fun and unique gallery wall. These images will quickly capture your little ones’ attention as they grow up and foster their imagination and sense of wonder!
Want a woodland or cottagecore vintage nursery room? Choose images of Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and classic botanical prints to achieve your desired aesthetic. Love the look of an adventure-inspired vintage nursery? Opt for hot-air balloon art, gorgeous forest prints, and images of old-fashioned bi-planes.
There are so many ways to use a gallery wall full of characters to add personality to your room and help you nail your chosen theme!
02. Mix And Match Wallpaper
Classic patterns like dainty floral prints, stripes, gingham, and more instantly add a vintage vibe to a room. So not only can you use these patterns in your nursery to get that vintage feel, but mixing and matching different wallpapers will add so much character and charm!
We suggest sticking to the same color palette when mixing wallpapers. This will ensure a harmonious aesthetic even with prints that don’t typically go together. It also helps to pair something timeless with something a little more daring, such as the bunny-printed wallpaper and classic stripes above!
03. Incorporate Vintage Thrifted Keepsakes
Nothing goes better with a vintage-themed nursery than vintage thrift finds!
Shopping secondhand is the perfect way to decorate your nursery and give it that authentic vintage touch. You can visit thrift stores, hit up antique marketplaces, shop local yard sales, and even stop by estate sales to find vintage keepsakes.
Pieces to keep an eye out for are pillows, blankets (especially handmade), ornamental decor pieces, and baby clothing, shoes, books, and toys!
04. Opt for Warm Wood Tones
While modern interior design loves to incorporate cool wood tones – vintage furniture and decor utilize warm wood tones.
If you can’t find warm-toned vintage furnishings, don’t stress! You can easily pick up newer pieces of furniture that have that same warm wooden glow and will give your nursery the old-fashioned feel you’re going for.
Other ways you can add this aesthetic are via thick wooden wall frames, wooden toys, and wooden floating shelves.
05. Add Crown Moulding
It’s no secret that vintage buildings have an incredible amount of detail and charm both inside and out. And one of the ways that these spaces achieve this is through carved details – such as crown moulding!
If you already have crown moulding in your home – lucky you! But if you have sleek, white walls that are begging for some vintage charm, there are a couple of ways to quickly and easily add these architectural details in.
If you or your partner are handy, you can simply buy ornamental wooden moulding online or from home improvement stores. These can be nailed onto the wall and painted your desired color. If you want something even easier – opt for peel-and-stick crown moulding!
06. Windowpane Checkered Details
Checkered patterns instantly evoke a feeling of nostalgia, as these timeless prints have been featured throughout history in interior design, fashion, and beyond!
Windowpane print is one of our favorites – it is simple yet sophisticated. You can add this pattern to any vintage nursery in a variety of ways. We love the printed rug in the image above, although you can choose checkered curtains, wallpaper, pillows, and blankets to create a similar aesthetic.
07. Paint A Wall Shelf
Wall shelves are perfect in a nursery. They work as both decor and a functional space for books, toys, and framed photos – there really isn’t any reason not to add them to a nursery!
And while we love the look of natural wood in a nursery (no matter the theme), painting a wooden wall shelf with a deep, muted vintage tone is an easy way to add to the overall vibe of the room.
We adore how this painted shelf matches the tone of the wall here while providing contrast on the upper white portion. However, if you choose to paint your nursery walls one color or use wallpaper, you can paint the shelf white to keep that contrasted look.
08. Go With A Spindle Crib
Spindle cribs are an iconic furniture piece in vintage nursery rooms!
These cribs feature wooden slats with a carved design, such as the rounded details on the crib slats above. If you’re lucky enough to have a vintage spindle crib that’s been passed down through your family – take advantage of it! But there are other ways to find a stunning piece of furniture like this.
You can always shop estate sales and thrift stores to find an old-fashioned spindle crib. However, if you want the peace of mind you can only get from buying a new crib for your little one, there are tons of new spindle cribs that you can find both online and in stores!
09. DIY Picture Frame Moulding
Picture frame moulding is a trendy way to accent or decorate a wall – but this decor style definitely originates from old-fashioned interior design.
Similar to the crown moulding, there are two ways to achieve this stunning wall accent. Buy wooden moulding and nail the panels together to form the “picture frames” evenly spaced along your wall. Then you can simply paint over it for a finished look. However, you can also find peel-and-stick moulding panels that will work for this aesthetic as well.
We are obsessed with the half moulding on this wall, but don’t be afraid to go bold with full-wall moulding if your heart desires!
10. Incorporate Timeless Wall Prints
Vintage decor tends to have a sophisticated and timeless feel – making timeless art prints a great way to give a nursery that vintage look.
Animal prints, floral and botanical art, and prints of classic paintings are all wonderful choices for this. And we also love that you can incorporate this idea into any aesthetic.
11. Go with a Floral Feel
Florals are honestly some of our favorite details in a vintage nursery. Whether you choose floral crib sheets, floral wallpaper, or a combination of floral wall decor – you can’t go wrong here!
This space above has a lovely combo of floral accents. The dainty print lends to the vintage vibe, and the soft pattern pairs effortlessly with the other prints throughout the room. And something else that makes this otherwise busy pattern work well here without being overwhelming – the classic, neutral color palette!
With a simple palette featuring soothing colors, you can incorporate multiple floral pieces and patterns while still creating a calming room for baby.
12. Mix Classic Patterns
Mixing classic patterns is an excellent way to infuse vintage charm into a nursery room, creating an interior that feels both timeless and cozy.
Classic patterns such as gingham, polka dots, florals, and toile carry a nostalgic quality. When thoughtfully combined, these patterns can transform a nursery into a space that feels both sweet and sophisticated.
Striped wallpaper paired with a floral rug creates a harmonious yet striking visual appeal in this room! And as we always say, a minimal and well-curated color palette is essential when putting together an aesthetic like this.
13. Add Gingham Touches
Speaking of classic vintage patterns – gingham is at the top of the list when it comes to timeless prints that have an old-fashioned vibe.
This checkered print always looks stunning in a nursery, but it’s definitely ideal for a cottagecore and vintage space.
We are in love with the unique and playful gingham glider, although you can add gingham in more ways than one. Look for gingham curtains, rugs, crib sheets, lamps, blankets, and pillows to bring together a beautiful vintage space like the one pictured above!
14. Stick with Warm Earthy Tones
Old-fashioned nurseries definitely incorporated plenty of natural elements, real-wood furniture, and handmade pieces. These items tend to have a warm and earthy palette, so simply sticking with natural tones like brown, beige, grey, cream, ivory, taupe, and shades of green is a fantastic way to give your space an overall vintage vibe!
You can choose any combination of these, mixing both light and dark tones – or combine them all for a stunning and effortless vintage nursery like this one here.
15. Go Bold
As with any nursery theme, don’t hesitate to go big and bold!
A rich, moody, and busy wallpaper like this forest-themed one will easily transform a blank canvas wall into something cottage-y and vintage. And you can choose the furnishings and decor based on the palette and aesthetic of the bold wallpaper or wall paint.
If you’re not ready to commit to a bold wall design, find a furniture set, rug, or curtain set to use as your daring detail!
16. Traditional Brass Picture Frames
Brass is absolutely stunning in any space, but this shimmering warm-toned metal couldn’t be more perfect for a vintage nursery!
While there are many ways to add brass to a nursery (cribs, lamps, sconces, etc.), brass picture frames are both simple and elegant. These matching brass frames add a bright but vintage feel to this corner of the room, but you can also use brass frames in a gallery wall if you want to mix things up!
17. Pair Beadboard with Peg Rail
The combination of beadboard and peg rails is perfect for creating a visually interesting space that’s also functional! While the green beadboard has a stark contrast against the sleek white wall, the pegs pair well with the carved wooden details and are ideal for holding decor pieces or everyday items.
For your newborn, you can hang teething toys, stuffed animals, and other cute baby essentials here. And as your bundle of joy grows older, they can hang cardigans, hats, backpacks, and some of their most loved toys on the pegs!
18. Moody Mismatched Prints
Depending on your color palette, cottagecore spaces and vintage nursery rooms can easily have a deep, moody vibe. If that’s what you’re going for – adding a gallery wall of moody mismatched prints is perfect for elevating the space behind your crib or a blank wall that needs some attention!
Nature-inspired wall art, animal prints, and botanical prints are great for this decor idea. When looking for the right pieces, search for prints and posters with a dark palette. Black, charcoal grey, and rich jewel tones are our top choices for an aesthetically pleasing yet totally moody vibe!
Wrapping Up
It’s no secret that the warm charm of vintage nurseries are one of the hottest nursery trends in 2024. Whether you opt for a classic wall treatment, lovely area rug or vintage wall prints to really achieve that cottage cozy feel, there truly are so many ways to get there – and I hope we’ve inspired you on that journey today!
Read Next:
🧸 25+ *Cutest* Baby Boy Nursery Ideas (I’m Gushing Over)
🧸 21+ Gorgeous Sage Green Nursery Ideas (That You *Need* To Copy)
🧸 25+ *Best* Natural Nursery Ideas (Beige Nursery Decor, Design & Ideas)
