When we started dreaming up a space for our baby boy, I knew I wanted something a little more magical than the usual blues and teddy bears. The classic themes are sweet, but they just didn’t feel like us. That’s when the idea of a baby dragon nursery theme landed – something whimsical and cozy, with just the right touch of storybook charm. I loved that it wasn’t overdone, and that we could build a space that felt soft, imaginative, and still totally baby-friendly. Here’s how we brought our little dragon’s nest to life.
The real impetus of this idea came after a long search on Etsy for baby mobiles. I stumbled upon this baby dragon mobile and knew it was the perfect theme for our little boy. My husband was born in the year of the dragon, and our baby is being born in the year of the snake. In the Chinese zodiac, the snake is sometimes considered a baby dragon. Naturally, I fell totally in love with the symbolism.
Since this was the first time I was putting together a nursery, I started by developing a mood board on canva. I knew I wanted green to be the primary color, so I started with this ombre green rug. We have a Ruggable rug in our living room, and it’s been the best. The best part is that it can be washed in the washing machine. Knowing the likelihood of messes with a newborn, this felt like a smart choice. I went with the thickest version, and it’s so luxe. In fact, Jolene has fallen in love with that rug and takes regular naps on it.
To compliment the green color, I went with deep walnut nursery furniture. I felt that this gave some substance to our baby dragon nursery theme and helped ground the room. The Peggy crib from Babyletto was an easy choice for us. I loved the look of it and the fact that it converts into a toddler bed for the future. Originally, I fell in love with the Palma dresser, but it has been majorly backordered. In the end, we went with the Sprout dresser, and it’s perfect. It’s got enough space for all his little baby clothes, and plenty of room on the top for a changing station.
Surprisingly, one of the most complimented parts of our dragon-themed nursery since posting it on tiktok, has been the couch. This was left over from when the nursery was still my office/guest room. It’s a fold-out couch, and we honestly didn’t have anywhere in our two bedroom apartment to move it to. I’ve gotten so much feedback that it’s great to have in case one parent needs to sleep in the nursery for a period. I’m so glad we kept it!
The last area in our magical nursery is one of my favorites. It’s the corner with our glider chair and bookshelf. I grew up with a big love for reading, and I’m so excited to sit in that recliner and read to our baby boy. This bookshelf has turned out to be a great find because it’s nice and narrow for our apartment nursery space.
As far as decor, this is where I got to have the most fun with the baby dragon nursery theme. There is a ton of mythical creature nursery decor on Etsy, but I wanted to anchor the room to something special. I had a large canvas that I originally had intended to paint for my office but never got around to. So I decided to use it to create a baby dragon mural to hang above the couch. Since we’re in a rental, I didn’t really have the opportunity to paint or wallpaper the space. This was a nice way to decorate and create interest without harming the walls.
Aside from the dragon baby mobile, I also purchased this adorable wooden sign from Etsy. I painted it a pretty green to match the rest of the decor and hung it with double-stick foam. I also got lucky and found a dragon crib sheet and stuffed baby dragon at Target that were just perfect. Some fun moon and star pillows also added to the whimsical feel of our baby boy’s nursery.
Putting this nursery together has been such a meaningful part of preparing for our baby boy. Every detail – from the dragon mobile that started it all to the cozy reading nook and that magical mural – feels like a little love letter to the kind of childhood we hope to give him: imaginative, comforting, and full of wonder. I’m so glad we chose a baby dragon nursery theme that feels unique to our family’s story. It’s already my favorite room in our home, and I can’t wait to make memories here, one bedtime story (and probably a few middle-of-the-night feedings) at a time.
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