The Top 2023 Nursery Trends to Watch
Note: While these nursery photos are gorgeous, please know that it’s NOT safe to place stuffed animals, pillows, bumpers, or any loose items inside your infant’s sleep space until Baby is a year old. —Dr. Harvey Karp
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A new year is on the horizon, and it’s looking like it’ll be one when we won’t be saying, “Out with the old…” so much as, “How can we use the old in new ways?” Historically, folks turn to the bright and hopeful after hard times (such as wars and recessions), and this post-pandemic period appears to be no exception.
Pop and fun permeate the home design inspo boards (and will dominate the baby name trends, too), bringing bold colors, and creative shapes and prints to the nursery. Natural lighting, environmental consciousness, and gender fluidity and inclusivity are other influential mindsets in the world of nursery trends.
Additionally, people are pulling from the past in ways that give vintage a time to shine. Decades like the 1920’s, ‘50s, ‘70s, and ‘90s bring sweet nostalgia and will have parents revisiting some of the coolest design ideas of the past.
And at a time when prices have gone up on almost everything, incorporating vintage finds, DIY designs, and family hand-me-downs in the nursery are perfectly timely ideas. Here are some the top nursery trends to look out for in 2023…
2023 Nursery Color Trends
Hello, sunshine! In the coming year, expect to see less of the washed-out millennial pinks and neutral palettes that have dominated home design recently and more bright, bold hues. And, you may notice that when blacks, whites, and neutrals are used, it’s often in a statement-making way!
Blue & Turquoise Nurseries
Photo: Snapshots and My Thoughts
Bright blues and anything in the aqua-turquoise family are the new heroes of home decor, and 2023 promises to celebrate many iterations of these stereotypically “boy colors” that are now widely used in nurseries for any gender. Pick a punchy complement like red and a soft metallic to show off all your blue, or make it the only stand-out color in the room. Either way, the blues are ready to take over this year. (See more blue nursery ideas!)
Raspberry & Deep Blush Nurseries
Photo: Instagram/projectnursery
Get your rose-colored glass on and start designing, because Benjamin Moore has stated their 2023 color of the year is a jaunty, bright raspberry. Any arguments? As shown here, a deep and striking pink is magic in the nursery, especially if used in surprising places, like the crib. Using paler blush tones throughout the room brings a softness to complement the bolder hue. (Check out more nursery paint color ideas!)
Lavender Nurseries
Photo: Rockwood Custom Homes
Another projected color topping the design charts for 2023 is called “digital lavender,” cited by the style forecasters as a serene and escapist color that also offers stability. Pretty nice associations to bring into your little one’s room, no? This color manages to be bright yet subdued, creating an environment that’s perfect for play and dreaming. Go all-out on the walls or bring lavender in with the furniture and linens; no matter how you weave in this pretty pick, it’s a step away from pink that’s on-trend and chic.
Textured Monochrome
Photo: Mindy Gayer
2023’s monochrome goes beyond black-and-white to a world where an absence of color means lots of other detail and texture. You can go full contrast or stick with a white, cream, and grayscale monochrome nursery that feels contemporary and cool thanks to the textiles and furniture. Striped, gray wallpaper paired with a mix of woods and pale, sweeping curtains shows off one way to interpret this trend. Remember, little pops of color in an otherwise monochrome baby room do not compete with your overall scheme; in this case, the watercolor pastels above the crib are just enough.
2023 Nursery Trend Influences
As we head into the future, many parents appear to be looking to the past…whether it’s digging into their own family’s treasure-trove of hand-me-downs, or mining decades of yesteryear.
Glam Grandmillennial Nurseries
Photo: Born on Fifth
A slow-rising trend in recent years mixes opulent antiques with complementary modern pieces for a design style known broadly as “grandmillennial”…basically young parents borrowing from their grandparents’ collections to create something new. This year, the style gets a boost from the Bridgerton craze for even more shimmer and gilded detail. In the nursery shown, crisp linens, a classic print in the wallpaper, gleaming gold details, and lots of toile create a baby boy look to covet. If decorating GM-style for a baby girl, think pink and feel free to add pretty bows everywhere. First stop on your decorating shopping hitlist? Grandma’s house!
‘90s Pop Nurseries
Photo: Instagram/blairbaileydesign
Parents are looking to the past as we head into the future! That means a return to the ‘90s by way of bright splashes of color, patterns that keep the eyes moving, unexpected plant placements, and bold lighting choices. While actual nurseries of the 1990s skewed mostly pastel or Ralph Lauren-ish plaid, wider ‘90s styles and color stories (hello, teal and pink) are finding their way into 2023 nurseries. This modern-retro take includes a solid mix of old and new…a nursery trend that reflects the nostalgia permeating other parts of culture, too (see also the stonewashed denim, tiny sunglasses, and chunky shoes that have landed in today’s closets).
Art Deco Nurseries 
Photo: Cleo Barbour
The sleek, gilded, angular opulence of the Art Deco period is revisiting nurseries everywhere. Originating in Paris and soon borrowed in the States and elsewhere between the nineteen-teens through the mid-1930’s, it’s a fun and fancy design style that is suited beautifully for a baby room. Whether using actual antiques from the era, framed photographs of Art Deco-style buildings, or incorporating the style with a mural like the one shown here, this pretty trend is ready for its comeback.
Vintage Nostalgic Nursery Theme
Photo: Loving Grace
Taking a peek at days gone by, new parents are loving anything and everything vintage right now. Happily, between Facebook marketplace, eBay, and a booming thrift store culture, you shouldn’t have any trouble doing your favorite decade(s) proud. Kitschy bits from the 1950s and 70’s are especially popular, but mix-and-match antique furniture and rugs with fabulous toys of any era create a vintage dream scene that feels cohesive despite not adhering to one specific style.
2023 Nursery Trend Details
When you get down to the nitty-gritty of 2023 nursery trends, you’ll notice that even tiny details mirror the overarching culture…a move toward the bright and light (literally), valuing sustainability and eco-friendliness, and generally just really going for it!
Maximalism
Photo: Studio Munroe
Move over, minimalists. Those with lots and lots of cute stuff are taking a different approach to decorating, and the nursery is fair game. While there’s something to be said for simple and serene spaces, busy-ness is a cute style to try, especially if you’re not minimalist by nature. This cheerful example incorporates print and pattern mixing, fun hanging details, and splashes of color everywhere. Add a whole bunch of well-placed objects of interest to your maximalist baby nursery for maximum impact. We’re here for it.
Sustainability
Photo: Instagram/carolinazamore
As reducing our environmental impact becomes more and more important, nursery design is picking up sustainability and efficiency traits. In addition to thrifting or using hand-me-down decor for Baby’s room, we’ll see an uptick in furniture and trappings made of recycled materials, energy-efficient lighting solutions, and small-batch made linens, rugs, and toys in 2023. (Looking for a way to add sustainability to your baby registry? Check out our SNOO rental program!)
Curves & Arcs in the Nursery 
Photo: Coco Village
They’ve been trending for a couple years throughout the home, but curves and arches are making their way into the littlest bedrooms now. If the woodwork is not conducive to arched doorways, bring the trend in with a curved crib, rug, and/or oversized light fixture. Alongside a rounded crib and screen, polka dots in the bedding and circles in the mobile are curvy details to love. This break from traditional furniture shapes brings a mod feel to any baby room.
Natural Light in the Nursery
Photo: Making Thyme for Health
With faces turned toward the sun and a brighter, clearer feeling in the air, we welcome a new year. Large windows to let in the light from the outside are prevalent in home design everywhere, and it’s easy to create this sunshine-y feeling in Baby’s room.
Even if you don’t have large, generous windows in the nursery, you can create the feeling of them. Position the crib near a window, choose white linens to reflect the light, and keep window treatments spare to let the light be the main feature. And, use full-spectrum light bulbs in fixtures to simulate or enhance daylight.
2023 Nursery Theme Trends
Like we’ve seen with nursery color stories, moms and dads aren’t holding back with themes. Expect to see imaginations in full fantasy mode, as with these emerging nursery theme trends.
Whimsical Gender-Neutral Nurseries 
Photo: Etsy/KIINOO
Plenty of parents will stick with the still-popular beige, monochrome, and boho neutral nurseries. But as more and more families go “team green” (not learning gender until birth), or just choose to avoid gender norms in the baby room, they’re exploring more and more options. After all, there’s no rule that says a gender-neutral nursery needs to be neutral or minimalist! So, lean on your favorite children’s storybooks or other whimsical ideas that can skew masculine or feminine. This Peter Rabbit paper is practically a party on the walls, and what little one wouldn’t love it? (Peep more whimsical nursery ideas!)
Fairy Tale Nurseries 
Photo: Project Nursery
Magical influence is huge right now, and while Disney princesses will always be important, a woodland or natural take is picking up speed this year on the nursery set. Think trees, moss, and fairy wings over crowns and gowns. This woodland fairy tale design would work beautifully for a little boy or girl. The feeling that you’re in a little wood surrounded by quaint and interesting pieces from days gone by and a subtle magical influence is what does it. Pick a signature color to weave throughout, as the yellow is used here. (See more magical Disney-themed nursery ideas!)
Gothic & Noir Nurseries 
Photo: Instagram/rebysky
Stepping away from the light and into the darkside, there’s a Gothic thread weaving its way through the decor trends for 2023, and black or dark gray nurseries will be on the rise. Whether you go full Goth or dabble in darks, a moody baby room has one thing over a bright one: More Sleep Potential.These parents went all the way creating a nursery that looks plucked from the darkest fairy tale. If you dare, it’s certainly a look to show off and remember. Just recreate the antique crib look in new materials to make sure Baby’s sleep safe is up to modern standards.
More Nursery Inspiration
- Floral Nursery Ideas
- Nursery Closet Organization Ideas
- Nursery Toy Storage Solutions
- Scandinavian Nursery Ideas
- Midcentury Modern Nursery Ideas
- Boy Nursery Ideas
- Girl Nursery Ideas
View more posts tagged, nursery design
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