How To Decorate A Nursery Room

Decorating ideas for a baby’s nursery commonly revolve around a central theme, which more often than not involve an animal or a special scene, such as dinosaurs, unicorns, safari or farmyard. These themes are full of fun and innocence that will fuel your baby’s imagination as they develop and serve as a storytelling tool in the room.

But they don’t need to be so overt as themed wallpaper, bedding, rugs and accessories. This way of decorating is also very common but by taking it down a few levels, the scheme will feel much more balanced, less shouty, and 100 per cent more stylish.

A nursery theme can also be centred on a colour or a design movement, just as the other rooms in your home. A pastel palette room or a Dutch-inspired interior are baby bedroom ideas that suit both boys and girls, that still theme the space, and that will inform all of your decor choices, but are at the subtler end of the spectrum.

Decorating your baby room should always start with fabric. It’s tempting to think that the choice of cot or room colour is the place to begin, but if you’re drawn to a statement textile, it can be hard to retro-fit it into the room if other decisions have already taken place.

This is fundamental for a newborn's baby room. It’s all too easy to focus on the cot – which is admittedly the most essential piece of furniture in the whole room – but your baby isn’t the only person who’ll be using the space day after day.

Comfort is crucial, but it’s a different sort of comfort to what you’ll have asked from any living room furniture. A baby room’s armchair needs to provide you with softness and support in equal measure for late-night feeds. An antique rocking chair may look charming, but if you only have the room for one seat, prioritise a nursing chair.

Chances are, you already have some ideas when it comes to nursery room colours. Especially if you decided to do the fabric first approach, as this will very much influence which other shades you bring into the room.

Blue frequently tops the charts as a unisex nursery idea because of the connotation between the sea, the sky and their association with feelings of calmness and openness. Graduations of grey are also popular, especially when paired with a soft white or pretty pink to give them some warmth.

Newborns, babies and toddlers are unlikely to be an art critic audience, but making sure the nursery has artwork hanging is an important part of decorating. The same interior design principles apply here as in every other room of your home.

There’s not a single room in a house that doesn’t require storage. Though tiny, babies come with all sorts of paraphernalia that asks to be stored away rather than left to clutter the space. Getting savvy with storage is an especially important idea in a box room nursery.

Art is but the starting place for adding decorative touches to a baby’s room. Introducing some unique nursery accessories will both personalise the space and provide it with some interesting textures and tones to prevent the scheme from feeling one-dimensional.

Ask yourself what touches will make the room feel more appealing to both you and your baby and bring a smile to your faces, as this is a part of the home where you can exercise creativity, imagination and playfulness. Everything from monogrammed cushions in beautiful fabrics, pom-pom edged pelmets and curtains, and luxury blankets draped over an armchair to toys peeking out from curious places as though they’ve come to life will all be perfectly at home here.

For more inspiration, discover our top Children's Bedroom Ideas.