An Americana nursery theme celebrates this country’s history and potential, perfect for a gender neutral baby’s room. The style should definitely be shabby chic or vintage. It can be a delightful mix of country, rustic or transitional. Americana is a theme that can be expanded and adapted to any number motifs: the stars and stripes, Pilgrims and the Mayflower and other patriotic symbols will give your baby a sense of heritage and of place in the world.

An Americana themed nursery will feature heritage type colors (from Benjamin Moore); ones that introduce some color into the room while being predominately neutral. Because heritage colors were originally created from natural pigments, they can appear soft and muted. Any of these shades would work well in a gender neutral nursery.

While shabby chic or vintage is commonly used for girl nurseries, it is the right style for an Americana themed gender neutral nursery because it is casual and relaxed while being enchanting and charming. Don’t forget that the nursery isn’t just a place for baby – you will be spending almost as much time in the room as your child. And since there will be the usual visitors, your nursery should be warm and inviting, especially for you and baby.

Start with the basic pieces of nursery furniture that you will need, like a crib, a changing table and a dresser. Draw the eye to the star of this Americana themed nursery with the Westwood Design Cypress Point 4-in-1 Convertible Crib. For a vintage style room, with its paneled detailing, crown molding and bun feet, it has a charming casualness and a handcrafted appearance that is right for this theme. There is enough decorative detail to make it visually interesting but not too much that it makes it gender-specific or too “girlie.”

The BeBe Chic Chesapeake 4-Piece Baby Crib Bedding Set will create a very patriotic mood in your gender neutral nursery. The colors are essentially muted but given a splash of bold with the star motif. The use of checkers, stars and stripes gives this bedding set a fundamental Americana vibe.

When accessorizing, the little finishing touches like a table lamp, an area rug, and wall art, should have a timeless, vintage feel to them. An Americana themed gender neutral nursery should have, in addition to the crib itself, at least two other focal points to accurately capture the spirit of this great country. Add a quilt or a braided rug. An armoire or a bookcase filled with vintage toys like an Uncle Sam Teddy Bear will give your nursery design a touch of nostalgic chic for your baby girl or baby boy.