Adorable Baby Room Decor Ideas for Both Boys and Girls

A new baby deserves a comfortable and calming first room. Enjoy this selection of top baby room ideas.

Creating a beautiful nursery is one of the privileges of bringing a new life into the family. Because you and your baby will spend many hours in this room, make it as functional and welcoming as possible. Your nursery ideas may follow the rest of your interior style, or you might see it as an opportunity to do something entirely different. The choice is yours.

While an infant’s physical needs are quite simple, he or she will quickly accumulate a lot of stuff. It’s worth it to invest in nursery furniture that grows with the child. You can purchase a crib that converts to a toddler bed and then a headboard for a lifetime of use. Enjoy browsing this gallery of ideas created for the newest love of your life.

1. Adorable Ideas for Girl’s Rooms

Designing a baby girl’s nursery can turn even the most down-to-earth parent into a lover of all things pink and frilly. There is something magical about the colors, textures, and accessories that represent classic little girl decor. However, your daughter’s baby room doesn’t have to be over-the-top girly. Modern and Scandinavian-inspired nurseries beautifully envelop your girl in a clean, feminine atmosphere.

Now, all colors – even blue – are welcome in a baby girl’s nursery design. If you’re not into pink but want a similar feeling of warmth, use pale peach or lavender instead. Gray goes well with these soft feminine hues, and you can use it for flooring or furniture. Gray is also good for an accent wall behind the crib, or for painting the closet door, room door, window frames, and trim.

Every design element that softens and feminizes other rooms will work well in a baby girl nursery. Hang sheer, flowing curtains and look for artwork that includes hearts, flowers, or butterflies. Set a vase of lifelike silk flowers on a high shelf and replace the overhead light fixture with a sparkly chandelier. Drape a string of fairy lights along the ceiling for a sweet night light alternative.

2. Charming Inspiration for Boy’s Rooms

Blue is still the most popular color when it comes to baby boy nursery design. However, your son’s nursery decor doesn’t have to include a single drop of blue. Black and white paired with a splash of bright yellow or red has a modern, masculine vibe. As in girls’ nursery decor, gray is wildly popular and pairs well with white and turquoise.

Because contrasting colors help your baby’s sight develop, don’t be afraid to use bright colors and patterns in your son’s baby room. A variety of geometric shapes, stripes, and dots make for a modern nursery theme. Add a rocking horse and plenty of stuffed animals to emphasize that it’s a baby nursery and not a room for an older kid.

Using a nautical theme is a classic baby boy room idea. Nautical decorating ideas include navy blue stripes, anchor-printed fabrics, and artwork featuring boats and fish. Simple zigzag wall decals can represent ocean waves without being overly obvious. Break up the sea of blue and white with a splash of red, metallic gold, or silver.

3. Stylish and Inclusive

If you don’t know if you’re having a baby boy or a baby girl, a gender-neutral nursery theme is a must. Even if you do know the baby’s sex, your plan might be to reuse the nursery for future siblings. If so, keeping the space gender-neutral eliminates the need to redecorate for each new baby. You may also be a parent who simply prefers a child’s room to have no indication of gender.

Certain baby room ideas work well in a gender-neutral nursery. An animal-themed baby room is fun and friendly, whether your decor depicts a variety of zoo animals, teddy bears, or dogs and cats. Paint clouds on blue walls and hang colorful umbrellas from the ceiling for a weather-themed nursery room. Using a full range of rainbow hues is a festive and fun way to brighten a small nursery.

4. Embracing Simplicity

White is the color of innocence, cleanliness, and dreamy, fluffy clouds. It is a perfect addition to any nursery, whether it covers the walls or colors the rug your baby crawls upon. White paint instantly refreshes furniture and opens up a small nursery. It is the perfect blank canvas for any nursery color palette, from primary to pastel.

Sheer white drapes soften the look of a modern nursery design, and a white crib skirt will coordinate with most crib bedding styles. One stunning way to use white as a nursery decor idea is to paint the walls the palest shade of blue, pink, green, or purple. Then fill the room with white furniture, bedding, light fixtures, and other decor.

5. Creating a Serene Oasis

Although most people envision color when thinking of nursery ideas, a neutral color palette can work well in a baby room. Neutral nursery shades include the entire spectrum of browns and grays. Modern and Scandinavian designs rely on a neutral color background to highlight the room’s textures. This same concept shows off the simple lines of a beautiful crib or the plush pattern of a hand-crocheted blanket.

If you love a neutral nursery, get creative with the elements you include in your nursery ideas. Get a high-end crib and changing table crafted from a beautiful type of wood. Replace an ordinary closet door with a sliding barn door for a neutral farmhouse feel. Look for crib bedding that has an exciting geometric pattern incorporating several shades of your chosen color.

Texture is what makes a neutrally-colored room interesting. Corduroy, velvet, chunky cable knits, or shimmery satin takes curtains or blankets from boring to inviting. Hang a bouquet of tan or gray feathers above the changing table or dangle light paper lanterns from darker ribbon strings. A series of high-contrast black and white photographs are vital decor in a nursery decorated in grayscale hues.

6. Embracing Nature and Boho Vibes

A nature-inspired baby room gives a nod to the great outdoors. It may transport you into the middle of the jungle or to the peaceful seashore. A mural featuring palm trees, succulents, or a hardwood forest can anchor a nature-inspired nursery theme. Add an abstract cluster of metal butterflies or dangle a row of origami birds from the ceiling.

A boho baby room is one where anything goes. The opposite of minimalism, these “maximalist” baby rooms are colorful, eccentric, and artsy. Choose a rug or chandelier accented with fringes and tassels, and feel free to mix and match fabric textures. Embrace international decor with a colorful Persian rug on the floor and silk mandala-printed pillows in your nursing chair.

7. Dark Color Palettes for Baby Room Ideas

Most parents shy away from dark colors in a nursery, but proper use of these hues can be the one thing that takes the room from “Okay” to “Wow!” The secret to making dark colors work in a nursery is to use them intentionally and somewhat sparingly. A dark gray or walnut crib and dresser add a classic touch that lighter woods cannot convey. Dark flooring firmly anchors your nursery design.

Painting one wall midnight blue or deep eggplant gives you an excellent place to show off lighter artwork and accessories. Use chalkboard paint on one wall or just a portion of it. You will enjoy doodling pictures for your baby now, and he or she will love coloring on them as a toddler. Its dark shade makes a chalkboard wall a functional and attractive feature.

8. Baby Room Inspiration for Twins and Siblings

Designing a nursery for twins or multiples presents unique challenges, particularly if floor space is hard to come by. Making room for two cribs is something that can wait until your babies are mobile. Newborn twins generally sleep better close to one another than they were in the womb.

When you need to put up two cribs, or you need a crib and a bed for an older child, keep your other furniture simple. If you can, have your kids share a dresser or utilize closet space for clothes storage. Forgo the changing table and change your baby’s diapers on a floor mat instead.

If your baby must share a room with an older sibling, get a bunk bed or twin bed for your older child. If you can find a bunk bed with a dresser built-in, that will help open up extra floor space. In a small bedroom for siblings, a loft bed may allow you to place the crib in the space beneath it.

9. Statement Wall Baby Room Ideas

A statement wall is a fantastic design element in any room, and the options for a baby nursery are nearly endless. Paint one wall a dark gray or navy blue to show off light-colored furniture, shelves, or artwork. Hire an artist to paint a mural on one wall, or buy an adhesive mural that you can remove later. You can also make an accent wall with wallpaper that reflects your baby’s nursery theme.

Wall stickers come in a dizzying array of designs and are a quick way to add an interesting touch to your nursery decor. Apply a bundle of flower blossom decals above the changing table, or run a line of chevron-shaped decals around the room. Painter’s tape makes it easy to section off a geometric pattern or stripes. Use multiple colors to create a patterned statement wall.

FAQs

What colors make babies happy?

Babies are visually attracted to colors and patterns with strong contrasts, such as black and white. However, cool colors are calming and peaceful, making them perfect for a baby’s room. Think shades of blue, green, or purple. Neutral colors can also be soothing, but you should add pops of red, pink, or yellow to brighten up the space.

When should you start decorating your baby’s room?

Ideally, you should start decorating the baby’s nursery at least three months before your due date. That way, you’ll finish the room even if you go into preterm labor. If you have the time and resources, you can start working on the nursery design even earlier. Just don’t wait until your last month to get started.

What do you need for a baby room?

A baby’s nursery doesn’t have to be over the top. As for furniture, your baby needs a safe crib and a dresser for their clothing. A changing table and a nursing chair aren’t necessities, but they are nice to have. You will need a crib mattress, waterproof mattress cover, crib sheets, and diapers.