The Best Nursery Paint Colors for Your Little Dreamer
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
Designing a nursery is such a special part of planning for a baby on the way. So much of the aesthetic of the room rests on one central element—the wall color! While nursery wallpaper and other design details are having a moment, you just can’t beat a good old-fashioned can of paint. Whether you’re looking to create a serene scene, a monochrome haven, or pop of fun, there are so many nursery paint trends to explore.
Gender-neutral nursery paint colors vary from true neutrals to more saturated hues. And some parents go all-in with blues or pinks for a nursery that really speaks to their style. Black-and-white nurseries are also popular, and lots of non-pastel colors are being considered for baby rooms these days.
Basically, when it comes to setting up the nursery of your dreams, keep your little dreamer’s space as sweet, funky, or downright cool as you want! Here’s some inspiration to get you started.
Neutral Nursery Paint Colors
Image: @westelmkids
Soft, understated, and gender-neutral, these adaptable colors create a warm and peaceful escape from the outside world. They serve a blank canvas for displaying all of the precious treasures that you’ve been collecting for Baby. There are myriad reasons to consider a neutral paint color on the nursery walls, and so many directions to take this idea…
Cream and ivory diverge just enough from stark white to soften out any harshness and give your baby’s room character and charm. Beige and taupe paints bring warmth and depth to the space and play nicely with décor that’s white, black, or in a complementary color (think crimson or olive). And for a bolder paint color, copper and deep gray are daring neutrals that lend themselves to a boho nursery vibe.
Neutral Paint Color Pantone Picks:
- Pale creamy neutrals: Vanilla Ice, Cannoli Cream, Solitary Star
- Medium to tan neutrals: Sand Dollar, Rugby Tan, Iced Coffee
- Deep tans, coppers & gray neutrals: Copper, Ultimate Gray (a 2021 Pantone Color of the Year)
Modern Black-and-White Nursery Paint Colors
Image: @designedby_fran
Black-and-white baby rooms are all the rage among contemporary parents. For starters, high contrast is revered for early eye development in infants. Plus, this combo creates an interesting, not-too-babyish scene that keeps the eye moving. You might consider bright white walls and black furniture, or a black accent wall. Painting stripes or another pattern in black-and-white monochrome is another fresh idea to consider.
Black and White Pantone Picks:
- Black Soul & Angel Energy (the perfect black & white pairing)
- Polar Night (super dark gray) for those who love the look but don’t want to go too black
Bold & Bright Nursery Paint Colors
Image: Decoist
Have fun with color! This is a baby’s room, after all; splashy and playful will totally work. If you’ve ever wanted an excuse to create a truly whimsical room with lots of bright color, your moment has come. Saturated periwinkle, fiery crimson, wild yellow or alluring coral are just some examples of trendy brights in recent years to get you inspired, but anything that speaks to you goes.
Bold and Bright Pantone Picks:
- Very Peri (Color of the Year 2022)
- Illuminating (Color of the Year 2021)
- Living Coral (Color of the Year 2019)
- Ultra Violet (Color of the Year 2018)
- Greenery (Color of the Year 2017)
- Tangerine Tango (Color of the Year 2012)
Pink and Purple Nursery Paint Colors
Image: Mini Style Mag
Get in touch with your girly side, because a little love on the way only means one thing to the pink- and purple-lovers: All other colors may kindly step aside. Brights are beautiful and neutrals are nice, but if you’ve been planning a baby girl nursery in your head since you were a little girl yourself, there’s no time to be wasted on anything but the most delightful traditionally feminine hues.
Ballet pinks, breathy whites with a hint of pink, sweet peaches, and kissed-pink near-neutrals are all divine understated pink selections. Candy pink, deep rose, saturated pastels, and French pinks are classy yet decidedly bold. And lavender, lilac, or anything in the purple family will add a less expected touch.
Pink and Purple Pantone Picks:
- Soft and airy Rosewater Pink, Heavenly Pink, Cream Pink, Ballerina, Pale Peach
- Bolder pinks like Rose Quartz (a 2016 Color of the Year), Candy Pink, Nosegay, Pinkaboo
- Beautiful purple hues from deepest Serenity (2018 Color of the Year) to Pale Lavender
Blue and Green Nursery Paint Colors
Image: @babyletto
Traditionally boyish colors can create many different vibes in the nursery; it all depends on the look you love. Whether you go soft and dreamy or deep and old-world, a baby room on this end of the paint color spectrum will be awash in joy.
Sky blue, dusty blues, or whites and grays with just a hint of blue are sweet, handsome, and effortlessly chic. Midnight, deep royal, or slate blues pack a punch and are bold enough to make a statement without being excessively bright or loud. Or you could think green with a host of nursery paint color options like mint, sage, or even turquoise!
Blue and Green Pantone Picks:
- Pale and dreamy blues like Clear Sky, Serenity (2016 Color of the Year)*, and Delicate Blue
- Deep, bold, and smoky blues like Midnight, Royal, Malibu Blue, and Slate
- Fresh greens running the gamut from Hint of Mint to Sea Foam; Teal to Pineneedle
More Nursery Inspiration:
- Nursery Ideas That Will Grow With Your Baby
- Scandinavian-Style Nursery Ideas
- Gray Nursery Ideas
- Green Nursery Ideas
- Dreamy Cloud-Themed Nursery Ideas
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