13 Nursery Design Ideas That Never Go Out Of Style

While there’s a lot that goes into preparing for the arrival of a new little one, choosing the nursery design, paint colors, and decorations can be one of the most fun and exciting parts. But if you find yourself unsure of what to pick or where to start, let us help.

In this article, we’ll go over some of the basics for every nursery design, including layout, safety, and decoration and design ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to take our ideas and make them your own!

Let’s start by talking about the layout of the nursery.

Nursery Layout

A big part of choosing your nursery design is planning the layout of the room. In fact, it’s essential to create a space that is not only pleasing to the eye but also functional and safe.

Start by deciding where you’ll put the necessary pieces of furniture like the crib, changing table, dresser, and rocker.

If you’re working with a small room, those might be the only pieces of furniture in the nursery. And that’s okay because that’s really all you need! If you have more space, however, you can consider other additions like a bookshelf, reading nook, toy box, sofa, and the like.

 

When deciding where to place furniture, think about aesthetics as well as practicality and functionality. For example, you’ll need to have everything you need for changing diapers within arm’s reach of the changing table.

It may be that your supplies are in a drawer underneath the changing table, or it could mean that you need to rearrange furniture so that your changing table is close to shelves or storage.

Another thing worth considering is placing a small table next to the rocking chair. You will likely spend many hours rocking your little one, and it’s helpful to have a place to set your water bottle, mug, phone, book, or baby bottle down.

It’s also important to always consider safety when deciding on your nursery layout. That’s what we’ll go over now.

Nursery Design And Safety

As a parent, your baby’s safety is your number one priority. And a nursery that’s cute but not safe is…not a great nursery. The good news is that creating a nursery that’s adorable and safe is totally possible!

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan and decorate.

 

Placement Of Decorations And Furniture

As you plan the location of furniture and decorations, always keep safety in mind. This mostly applies to your baby’s crib and the surrounding furniture. Because your baby will spend lots of unsupervised time in their bed, it should be a safe place.

Tip: For a safe crib that will grow with your baby through the toddler years, consider our convertible crib.

Make sure that curtains, cords, lamps, blinds, and other furniture are out of reach of the crib. Before you know it, your baby will be able to roll over, scoot around, and reach through the slats of the crib.

It’s also a good idea to take decorations into consideration. When you hang art or a floating shelf on the wall, ensure that it’s secure and won’t fall off. And it’s usually best not to hang any of these decorations above the crib or changing table.

Crib And Mattress Safety

We’ve already talked about how to make the crib a safe place for your baby. But, in addition to the placement of furniture and wall hangings, there’s another way that decorations can affect safety.

While baby pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and crib bumpers may be cute, they aren’t safe for your sleeping baby. Keep them out of the crib.

What should go in the crib? A fitted crib sheet, your swaddled baby, and nothing else!

For a cute fitted crib sheet that is also breathable and 100% organic, opt for our Organic Cotton Sheets. They’re hypoallergenic, soft, and the pre-shrunk, organic muslin cotton is machine washable for the most hygienic sleep surface.

To give yourself even more peace of mind when your baby is snoozing, put them to sleep on a breathable mattress like our Crib Mattress. In addition to being 100% breathable, it’s also GREENGUARD Gold Certified for low chemical emissions and the only crib mattress that’s washable from cover to core!

 

13 Nursery Design Ideas

Now that we’ve gone over the layout and safety aspects of nursery design, we’ll leave you with some theme ideas, color scheme suggestions, and a few other tips to make the room perfectly cozy no matter what theme or scheme you choose.

1) Apply Wall Decals

Looking for a safe and easy way to decorate nursery walls? Wall decals come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and it’s easy to find something that fits your style. By using wall decals, you can make their room cute without using nails, screws, or anything heavy.

2) Get Creative With Paint

 

If you’re up for painting, the sky’s the limit! From working with stencils to painting the ceiling, a little bit of paint can go a long way. Check out our nursery paint ideas here.

3) Focus On Lighting

Regardless of your color scheme or decorating style, pay special attention to lighting as part of your nursery design.

Whether this means a pretty chandelier, strategically-placed floor lamps, or anything in between, lighting can make all the difference in the feel of a room — and your little one’s nursery is no different.

4) Say Your ABCs

Incorporating the ABCs into the nursery is a design that never gets old. You can go with bright colors and big shapes or muted tones and classy fonts for two totally different looks.

5) Decorate With Your Baby’s Name

If you already know what you’ll call your little one, decorate with your baby’s name or their initials and make it the focal point of the nursery. You can do this with wall decals, wooden cutouts, or hanging prints, just to name a few of the options.

6) Go Black And White

Creating a black and white nursery is another decorating idea that is quite versatile. This classic color scheme can grow with your child throughout the years, and you can always switch things up by adding a pop of color.

7) Display Artwork

If you are an art-lover, don’t hesitate to design your baby’s nursery around a favorite piece of artwork. After all, nurseries don’t have to be full of pastel colors, baby themes, and teddy bears to be a special place for your little one.

A striking piece of art can be the perfect focal point and help to create a room that you love to be in, too.

8) Add Some Green

 

Bring the outdoors in by incorporating a green plant into the nursery decor. You can choose fake or real — it’s up to you! Just remember that if you opt for a real plant, you’ll need to be sure it’s non-toxic and safe for your baby.

Whichever plant you choose, place them well out of reach of your little one’s crib.

9) Choose A Statement Rug

A rug in your baby’s room not only provides a cozy place for their (and your!) tootsies, but it can also make a big statement. Don’t underestimate what a rug can do to make your nursery design pop.

As we mentioned with artwork, the rug doesn’t have to be a teddy bear, train, or pastel polka dots, though it certainly could be. You can choose a modern, chic rug that you would love in any other room in the house and build the nursery around that piece.

10) Go On Safari

 

If you have an affinity for giraffes, zebras, and other safari animals, why not work them into the nursery? A safari theme lends to muted, earthy tones that will serve you well for years to come.

Speaking of animals, woodland animals is another theme that can be cute and pastel or sleek and modern.

11) Bon Voyage

Using a travel theme in the nursery can be done in so many ways. It all depends on what floats your boat.

Speaking of boats, you could add nautical touches to your decor with this idea. Or decorate with muted colors and vintage maps and globes.

 

In addition, a travel theme could also be as simple as making a print or canvas of your favorite destination the focal point of your nursery.

12) Add Rustic Touches

For a nursery design idea that has nothing to do with a baby theme, consider rustic touches. Think wood, wicker, soft colors, and old-fashioned pieces to complete the look.

13) Get Literary

We could give you many more options to choose from, but this is the last nursery design idea we’ll mention for now. Make books a part of the nursery design!

Whether they’re kids’ books or antique classics, words and literature can encourage a love for reading and make great decorations.

The Perfect Nursery Design For Both Of You

 

Choosing the decorations and colors for the perfect nursery design can be fun! And this room should be a safe, comfortable place for not only your little one, but for you as well. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time in that room, too!

Start by thinking through the furniture you want in the nursery and how to arrange it. Take into account functionality and safety, remembering to keep the crib free of anything other than a Crib Mattress and a cute fitted sheet like our Organic Cotton Sheets.

Then, choose a nursery design that you and your baby will love. That might mean personalized wall decals, warm lighting, striking black and white, modern artwork, or rustic touches. The possibilities are endless!

The most important part is to have fun with it as you wait eagerly for the arrival of your bundle of joy.