Meghan Markle has shown us that she is going to do royal motherhood her way — in everything from maternity leave to DIY baby food. So the royal baby's nursery over at Frogmore Cottage will likely reflect the Duchess' personal style.
If the story of how Meghan Markle and Prince Harry fell in love is the first film in the movie franchise that is their life together, then the story of the birth of their first child is the sequel. Where might such a fairy tale sequel take place and what will it look like? Well, Tracie Battle, a design expert with Havenly thinks she has a pretty good idea of what baby Sussex’s nursery will look like.
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This is first and foremost a royal nursery. Battle studied pictures of Buckingham Palace, William and Kate's Apartment 1A, as well as Princess Diana's apartment at Kensington Palace when coming up with the rendering you see here. "Those spaces were more reflective of the traditional architectural details that you see, like detailed crown molding, extensive wallpaper, luxe chandeliers, etc."
Ultimately, though, this is a far more relaxed and laid-back nursery than what we've seen before, and that's because it's an extension of Meghan's personal style. "That comes through in the overall color palette, but also via some of the more natural details like the fiddle leaf tree, woven window shades, the raffia texture of the dresser, etc," Battle explained. "Something that can be created with neutrals."
But Battle certainly didn’t forget Harry: "It was more so about mimicking what perhaps his nursery was like, creating comfort via nostalgia. For example, the gingham style wallpaper, English roll-arm glider, neutral window linens, things like that."
According to Battle's research, nurseries only became a focus in royal families around the time Prince Harry was born: "The focus was more on an elaborate bassinet, and even then that was more of a formality."
Battle hopes that given Meghan's every-girl image, non-royals can find home decor inspiration in this design. "You’ll see that I've had a bit of fun with the wallpaper in the space, as well as with the antelope rocker and baby animal prints." For prospective parents, Battle noted that these are key elements in this space that can be easily swapped out and updated as the child grows.
Non-parents can also take note from the design: "Wallpaper is making a surprising comeback, after being seemingly exiled to the '70s and '80s." Nostalgia drips from the walls and chandeliers at all these royal homes, where the name of the game is history over trends. Maybe it's time to turn to antique shops and second-hand furniture stores for that "old world" touch. But in and out of the nursery, if we can learn anything from the Duchess it is that old always looks better with a little bit of new.