Two Tone Walls Helped This Woodland Nursery Bring the Outdoors In
The painted ceiling is a must-see.
When Camille Simmons of Planning Pretty began planning her first child’s nursery, she had a lofty goal: capture the magic of hiking in the forest. With an apartment in Los Angeles as the setting, she had her work cut out for her. But by using natural, textured accents and one unexpected design choice — two-tone walls with a bold ceiling paint color — she found a way to create woodland nursery decor that’s airy, serene, and incredibly stylish.
For her gender-neutral nursery, Camille chose a muted palette of cream, mint, and grey, with warm wood tones scattered throughout the room. One of Clare’s most soothing shades, “Chill,” coats the majority of the walls, and “Headspace,” our soft blue-green, draws the eye up to the ceiling and the portion of the wall above the picture rail. We have to applaud Camille’s skill, because two-tone walls aren’t exactly easy to pull off. Here’s how she made it work.
Keep the Palette Subdued
For a peaceful vibe like Camille’s, choose analogous colors — or rather, shades that are close to each other on a color wheel. Because analogous colors occur in nature, your two tones will feel like a subtle shift instead of a jarring stripe. Picture the ombre edge of a sunset fading into the night sky, or the gradually lightening blue-green of the ocean as it stretches toward the shore. That’s what you’re going for.
Camille’s walls, ceiling, curtains, and even the accent pillow on the rocking chair are all slightly different versions of the same hue. Paired with neutral trim and fabrics, along with the soft boho chandelier and warm wicker basket, the entire space feels calm — perfect for a brand new baby’s first home.
Use Trim to Separate Your Shades
Like we said: Two-tone walls can be tricky. The easiest way to avoid an amateur, juvenile look? Create a clear border with mouldings. That way, you won’t have to worry about a sloppy line between the colors. So much easier! Camille used a narrow picture rail between her two colors, and the result is upscale and professional — and, we might add, pretty unexpected.
Play With Proportions
It’s not super uncommon to see a blue-green ceiling paint color; in fact, they’re popular on Southern porches to ward off unfriendly spirits called “haints.” But Camille took her decor a step further by drawing the shade down onto the upper wall.
This actually makes the ceiling feel larger, creating an expansive “sky” for her son’s forest retreat. And while a palette full of cool tones could easily feel cold and sterile, drawing the ceiling down creates a cozy, cocooned vibe. (The sweet animal accents don’t hurt, either.)
Create Contrast
With analogous colors on the walls and ceiling and neutrals on the floor, Camille’s tranquil woodland nursery could have easily slid past soothing into snoozy. To punch things up, she added a black ladder, dark brown woven accents, and dramatic drawer pulls.
We’ll be honest: We’re kind of jealous of Baby Simmons. Can you imagine falling asleep in this soft, ethereal space? Sign us up for a shift in that mint green crib, please.
Ready to try out your own two-tone walls?
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