Nursery Paint Color Ideas: Create a Cozy and Cheerful Space for Your Baby
Choosing the perfect nursery paint color for you and your little one is all about creating a space that feels safe and soothing but also stimulating for play and learning. With that balance in mind, here are some steps to take.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Nursery Paint Color
1. Think About Mood First
Tonally, the sweet spot depends largely on personal taste. In general, colors with softer tones help create a calm, sleep-friendly environment. Warmer colors contribute to a nurturing, comforting feel, while brighter tones can energize (use these sparingly for the sake of naps and nighttime).
Whatever kind of color you choose, you’ll want to balance it with other decor elements. More on this later.
2. Consider a Gender-Neutral Palette
Pink and blue are far from the only choices! Many opt for a gender-neutral aesthetic, and there are many excellent color options that are timeless, modern, and pair well with a range of decor themes. We’ll suggest some possibilities below.
3. Choose Colors That Grow With Your Child
While bubblegum and cartoonish hues can be very cute, they don’t tend to age well as your child grows and decor changes to suit new stages. It’s best to choose colors that adapt well as the room transitions from a nursery to a toddler’s room and so on.
4. Observe Paint Samples Throughout the Day
Every paint color looks different in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. When you sample paint colors, take the time to observe them in various lighting conditions, to get a clearer sense of how they perform. More on sampling below.
Now let’s explore some of the colors worth considering for your nursery.
Classic Nursery Colors
Saybrook Sage
This nature-inspired hue can bring a fresh and peaceful vibe, working beautifully with white trim and neutral decor.
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Accessible Beige
This cozy greige is incredibly versatile, laying down the perfect backdrop for pops of color and personality.
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Borrowed Light
This soft and serene powder blue lends a traditional charm and a gentle feel that’s ideal for a classic nursery aesthetic.
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Swiss Coffee
This light and airy color has just enough warmth to feel cozy, and pairs well with almost any accent color.
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First Light
This understated pink adds warmth without overwhelming, making it great for vintage or romantic nursery themes.
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Gender-Neutral Nursery Colors
Here are some timeless and stylish gender-neutral colors, perfect for any baby and adaptable as they grow.
October Mist
This muted green feels fresh, earthy, and calming. It pairs well with wood tones, white trim, and nature-inspired decor.
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Egret White
This earthy neutral color is sophisticated and versatile, working especially well in boho-themed nurseries.
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Mushroom Cap
This soft, buttery yellow adds warmth and lightness without feeling overly bright or busy.
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Agreeable Gray
This neutral hue blends the elegance of gray with the warmth of beige, making it understated, modern, and easy to style.
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Light Blue
This muted blue leans slightly gray, creating a modern and serene atmosphere that’s highly adaptable and not too traditionally boyish.
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White Dove
This crisp, clean color works well with any accent color or decor theme, perfect for a room that will change as your child grows.
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How to Coordinate Nursery Paint with Decor
Here are some easy steps to help ensure your nursery has a cohesive and pleasing aesthetic.
Consider the Mood You Want
As discussed above, you’ll want every element of the space to contribute to an overall mood. Defining the overall aesthetic or theme you want can help guide both your color and decor choices. For example, if you want a nature-inspired space, consider a soft sage with wooden accents and botanical prints. If you’re thinking of something more bohemian, you might like a warm clay or ivory with woven textures and neutral textiles.
Identify Your Wall Paint
If you prefer, you can let your dominant color guide all other design decisions. It’s generally best to choose a color that’s neutral enough to let the rest of your decor shine, while being distinctive enough to create atmosphere. Sampling colors is key, of course. (We’re getting to that, we promise!)
Layer in Complementary Decor Colors
Once you know your wall color, you can begin choosing textiles (curtains, rugs, sheets), wall art, and furniture to add contrast and personality. For example, if you’ve chosen a soft sage wall color, consider cream, beige, and terracotta accents. For blush pink walls, you might like white, gold, and natural wood accents. For greige walls, consider accents in dusty blue, soft green, or understated yellow.
Add Visual Interest
If your walls are a single solid color, consider breaking that up with texture in your decor. A rattan light fixture, knit blanket, or linen curtains can go a long way in adding visual interest. You can also add personality with an accent wall, painted a different, perhaps more vibrant color than the other walls.
Balance Warm and Cool Tones
If your wall paint color is cooler, you’ll likely want to add warmth through other decor elements. Likewise, if your wall color is warm, consider balancing it with soft grays, whites, or greenery.
Sampling Nursery Colors With Samplize
Finding your perfect nursery paint color is simpler with our large-format, peel-and-stick paint samples. Here’s how it works.
Step One: Choose Your Samples
Make selections from the colors we’ve discussed above, or browse our huge selection of colors from leading brands like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Farrow & Ball. Pick your favorites, place your order, and we’ll make sure your samples arrive on your doorstep the very next day.
Step Two: Peel and Stick
Your samples will be painted (not printed) with two coats of real paint. Start by testing one sample in an inconspicuous spot that’s clean and free of debris. Once you’ve tried one sample, feel free to stick on various colors side by side.
Step Three: Pick Your Color
Take your time here. Notice what each color looks like at various times of day, with the lights switched on, off, and dimmed, etc. Ask friends and family what they think. After all that, if you’ve not found your perfect color, just repeat steps one and two until you do.
Ready to Start?
The colors you use in your child’s nursery will make a significant difference in how the space looks and feels. For that reason, it’s worth taking your time to find the right hue. When you’re ready, start exploring the possibilities right here.
