A modern nursery is so trendy and in no way is that depressing.

Modern, contemporary, and overall minimalistic decor is amazing for a lot of reasons. Besides being my natural choice, it is generally aesthetically pleasing.

The simple style looks GREAT on its own, but it is also the perfect foundation for every style imaginable. That is definitely my favorite part about modern style. It is beautifully basic. Very less is more (which goes great with my frugal lifestyle, too).

And since a nursery is actually for another, most special, person, it only makes sense to set these little people up with a place to put their own stamp on it in time.

RELATED: 20+ Modern Nursery Ideas for your baby to grow into

Although mid-century modern or Scandinavian design usually comes with a high price tag, there are budget friendly options for everything these days (yay!).

So factoring the cost of nursery decor into your baby fund doesn’t have to be your worst nightmare. There are only a few decorative necessities for a functional (& beautiful) modern nursery.

These are the 5 essentials for a modern nursery and where you can find them for cheap:

1. A sleek crib

Those big, beautiful, luxurious cribs are cool and all but I’m not trying to go broke. On top of that, that style doesn’t go with the rest of our home. We are definitely not trying to rival The Great Gatsby over here.

But one thing you definitely can’t have a nursery without is… a crib. The essentially essential ingredient for sleep training and an adorable baby bedroom. And the best modern cribs come with no frills.

When I was pregnant I did my fair share of shopping, and my favorite nurseries all have one thing in common: an IKEA Sniglar crib. It’s non-toxic (which is good because I guess others are) and so versatile. I bought ours at the amazing price of $79.99 for a lot of reasons, but the versatility sealed the deal.

It’s cute in its natural, unfinished beech wood state, but could be easily painted. It’s safe with only 2 adjustable heights and no adjustable front panel (FYI that’s dangerous now). It’s convertible and turns into a toddler bed, which we recently transitioned to and ?.

Via Apartment Therapy. This is one of my favorites, with some low key #shiplap and a banana palm! Isn’t it perfect?

IKEA has my heart because they give us genuine Scandinavian design for sooo little money. There is a huge market for cribs, and the prices get crazy. So I was hesitant to jump for the Sniglar, thinking there must be some drawback. I haven’t found one yet.

2. A simple rocker

I love a comfy chair as much as the next mom. But since I’m crazy cheap, I did not want to spring for a $300+ rocking chair unless it was super cute and could migrate to any room.

I’ve moved around enough to realize that I can’t shop for specific rooms. Instead I like to curate a cohesive collection. 

(Huge thanks to HGTV for educating me on pretentious furniture phrasing)

So it’s no surprise that I didn’t want to invest in the same old chair I used to see in nurseries. You know the type. Those old-timey, almost Amish rockers weren’t too fun to shop for. The good news is there are some awesome & affordable modern alternatives.

I went with the Babyletto Glider in cream and my only regret is that it is cream… Because of that it has been covered since day 1. BUT! It’s gorgeous and cozy and anyone can sit in it without wondering “where’s the baby?”

It gives off club chair vibes and it glides. We absolutely love that chair. But it’s currently unavailable and I’m pregnant again! We still have it 4 years later (i’m actually sitting it in right now) but if I felt like buying another, I’ve linked it above with the picture.

3. Gorgeous Storage

Storage is non-negotiable. And it is my not-so-secret secret to easily declutter any room. Everything needs a home. 

And babies come with a lot of junk stuff. Most of it doesn’t last a year, or even a full season! So if you’re holding on to stuff because it hasn’t been grown into or it’s already been grown out of, this is your chance to keep it out of sight.

Storage furniture comes in all shapes and sizes, but my favorites are trunks & cute storage bins.

Alas, a book nook.

4. Sophisticated Shelving

Shelves aren’t just for decorating. I like my shelves decoratIVE. I like my shelves to have style of their own.

I realize I’ve only mentioned furniture up to this point, but that’s only because you can’t live without those in ANY nursery. But the wall decor is the next big opportunity to make a modern nursery.

And this a good place to ditch the basic bitch and get something awesome. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that means a regular old bookcase is out. They’re boring af. Sorry, but it had to be said.

Something sweet and unique like these, or this hanging macrame shelf.

5. Appropriate Artwork

Gaudy cartoons are a thing of the past. That is probably my favorite thing about modern nurseries. Nothing kills my vibe quite like a framed picture of minnie mouse, or worse.

I am so happy for all the free printables, and you can even make your own with little to no artistic talent. (!!!!) Seriously. This is not an example of no artistic talent, but a Pinterest search for free printables will hook you up with some awesome, original stuff. 

The wood wall sign below is probably one of my most pinned, and I don’t even know the source! But dang ain’t it cute?

16,000 pinners agree. You can find these on Etsy and this listing charges by the amount of letters.

Designing a room for a new, perfect little person is so special. I love the challenge of keeping it bare enough to let them leave their stamp on it. A modern nursery checks all the boxes and looks sooo much better than the frills and pastels of yesteryear.

What is the star of the show in your nursery?

Please share this on Pinterest and comment below with your must-have nursery items!