Whoever said that all nursery furniture needed to be all-new throwaway stuff was pushing a marketing ploy. Antiques are more fun!

Check out this post from our friends at Time & Place Interiors for inspiration for your nursery or children’s bedroom. You can see more posts and inspiration from Time & Place Interiors on Instagram.

We recently welcomed a little baby into our lives, and I’ve had the pleasure of decorating her nursery. Some of the furnishings in the baby room are taken from our apartment’s other rooms that I’ve since upgraded. Others are basics like an Ikea crib, bought second-hand. But, I wanted the children’s room design to have some soul.

So I purposely left some things undone for the opportunity to come across interesting one-off antique finds. I scored a perfectly distressed, beautiful Persian rug that will easily take more wear. Instead of a conventional changing table, I bought a lovingly worn 19th Century painted cabinet. Now I’m on the hunt for a vintage shelving unit to hold children’s books.

Whoever said that every piece of nursery furniture needs to be all-new and conventionally made for children was pushing a marketing ploy. Antiques are more fun! For one, they have loads more character than garish plastics or fiberboard. And, if children’s furniture already shows some signs of wear, it’ll be easier to get over a few more inevitable dings. Plus, antiques are a sustainable alternative to our society’s throwaway consumerism.

Does using antiques in your nursery mean recreating a fussy historical period room? Of course not! To do it naturally, you can add one or two vintage or antique accents to give a bit of timeless character to your children’s bedroom or playroom. You’ll be rewarded with a unique design, and your kids will learn to appreciate living with things passed down between generations.

Interested? Here are some ideas for using antiques in your nursery or children’s room:

  • Hang cute antique prints for the nursery wall art

  • Put down a vintage rug: they’re more forgiving of stains, and are healthier alternatives to synthetic fibers

  • Repurpose an antique chest to gather toys

  • Find an antique children’s size chair or two for the craft area

  • Use a handmade textile brought back from travels for your child’s bedspread

  • Get a vintage dresser to store children’s clothes; put a changing pad on top of it

  • Choose a vintage bedside lamp: they come in fun colors and shapes

  • Pick out a fun antique rocking horse at a flea market

Before you run out to buy all-new everything for your baby room, take the cue from these inspiring designs of nurseries and children’s bedrooms that use adorable vintage, antique, or handmade decor. They’re all delightfully sweet!

A nursery with a Moroccan rug and a little vintage rattan chair would make anyone happy, regardless of their age. Design: Alice Lund / Photo: Stephanie Russo

I already own the same Ikea crib, but I’ll have to aspire to this level of classy in a Brooklyn nursery, featuring a fabulous Mid Century chair + ottoman set. Design: Hovey Design / Photo: Jonathan Hökklo

Our own Uptown nursery, where a 19th Century painted cabinet is used as a changing table and a place to store tons of diapers. On the floor is a distressed vintage Persian rug. Design: Time & Place Interiors

Doesn’t this classic 1950s armchair looks just right in this cozy children’s bedroom? Design: Joana Astolfi / Photo: Francisco Nogueira

These lucky girls! Their super stylish room includes a Raoul Guys table between the beds. Design: Emmanuelle Simon / Photo: Damien de Medeiros

Antiques will be in the DNA of these children, whose playroom features painted Craftsman furniture and naturally made toys. Design & Photo: Emma O’Connor

An antique rocking toy and a vintage-like blanket ladder give subtle touches of historic flavor to this muted tones nursery. Design: Plume Events / Photo: Brett & Jessica Photography

This nursery is filled with patina-rich antiques, and yet it’s so cheerfully playful. Design: Lonika Chande / Photo: Milo Brown

Antique prints are artfully hung above an heirloom twin bed in a Brooklyn Heights children’s room. Design: Sandeep Salter / Photo: Jonathan Pilkington

A serene and casual children’s bedroom is proof that art and decor don’t always have to be overly planned. Design & Photo: Sanne Hop

This Park Slope child’s bedroom is anything but stuffy. It has vintage suzani bedspreads from Uzbekistan, a vintage Turkish rug, and a little antique desk. Design: Kate Reynolds / Photo: Max Zambelli

Vintage accessories add just the right soft touches to a girl’s bedroom on Shelter Island. Design: Workstead / Photo: Matthew Williams

Want to add sustainable character to your family’s space?

Time & Place Interiors specializes in mixing high and low designs to create one-of-a-kind rooms. Use the link below to find out how we can craft a special space that everyone in your household will enjoy.