Baby girl nursery wall color ideas
Nursery Paint Color Guide – Happiest Baby
By Jenny Studenroth Gerson
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
About Jenny Studenroth Gerson
Jenny Studenroth Gerson is an Atlanta-based lifestyle journalist and novelist (Let Me Let You Go, 2020).
Her work can be seen in publications including HuffPost, Cosmo, and WSJ, among many others. Jenny has researched thousands of baby names, combed through hundreds of nursery designs, and curated dozens of baby shower guides, making her absolutely the mom—and writer—you want to talk to when planning for Baby. When not meeting deadlines, she is chasing toddlers or chugging coffee—or both! Find her on Instagram @ourlifeinrosegold for mom hacks and more.
View more posts tagged, nursery design
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Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.
10 Calming Nursery Colors to Decorate a Baby's Room In
By
Kitty Lascurain
Kitty Lascurain
Kitty Lascurain has been writing about home design and home lifestyle topics for over 10 years.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
and
Lacey Ramburger
Lacey Ramburger
Lacey Ramburger is a personality expert specializing in Zodiac, Myers-Briggs, and the Enneagram.
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Updated on 02/17/22
Fact checked by
Emily Estep
Fact checked by Emily Estep
Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.
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Stephanie Hoey Interiors
Want to create a relaxing nursery space for your baby? Choosing the right nursery color is a great place to start!
According to color psychologists, color can have a pretty significant effect on the psyche, influencing everything from mood to physical wellbeing.
But you don’t have to be a scientist to reap the psychological benefits of color. Armed with a little color know-how and a can of paint, you can easily transform a big, lonely nursery into a soothing sleep sanctuary. Just choose one of these calming nursery colors, and let science do its thing!
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Subdued Blue
Stephanie Hoey Interiors
Like a calm sea or cloudless sky, soft shades of blue tend to relax both mind and body, giving us a sense that all is right with the world. Exposure to the color blue has been known to lower blood pressure and heart rate, cooling the body and preparing it for sleep. Blue also decreases feelings of anxiety and aggression, making it a natural salve for nervous newborns and tantrum-prone toddlers.
That said, if creating a sleep-centered space is your goal, avoid dark blues. While light to medium shades promote sleep, deep, dramatic blues tend to have an energizing effect, keeping sleep at bay. Soft, calming colors like powder blue, aqua, or even light shades of turquoise are a much safer bet.
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Muted Green
Cathie Hong Interiors
Green boasts all the nurturing power of Mother Nature, providing us with a deeply instinctual sense of security that we, too, will grow and thrive in its presence. Associated with health, healing, and well-being, green reduces anxiety, allowing for better concentration. Studies have even found that exposure to the color green may improve reading ability among children!
When choosing a shade for your nursery, you can opt for light to medium greens in earthy hues like sage and moss. However, darker greens can also be implemented, particularly if they are balanced with lighter neutrals.
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03 of 10
Pale Purple
Grey Hunt Interiors
Associated with wisdom and spirituality, purple combines the soothing properties of blue with the nurturing femininity of pink.
Colors like lavender and lilac create a soft and serene atmosphere but only in very pale shades. Choose too dark of a color, and your nursery may end up looking crass or gloomy. To ensure a good pick, remember that purple will almost always appear darker than expected on the wall. Found a color you like? Opt instead for a hue that is at least one shade lighter than your original choice, and you’ll be happier with the results.
10 Perfectly Purple Nursery Shades
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04 of 10
Soft White
Becca Interior
Much like the little angels who inhabit them, white nurseries are innocent and sweet, evoking feelings of serenity and peace. That said, white can also seem cold and institutional and may promote secretiveness.
To create a soothing, white haven, think shabby chic. Avoid harsh, blue whites and opt instead for creamier shades, like soft ivory and antique white. You can also add warmth by incorporating lots of rich, earthy textures, like wicker and wood.
Adding colorful accents will encourage openness, but stick to soft and soothing colors that won’t over-stimulate your little one. -
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Glacial Gray
Ann Living
Gray promotes thought and emotion, putting you in touch with your inner self. It’s a calming, contemplative color, but it can also create a sense of sadness if the shade is too dreary.
To keep things looking cheery, avoid dark and stormy grays and opt instead for light, blue-grays. If you want to go a bit darker, pair with clean, white trim and pretty pastel accents, or even warm things up with wood accents.
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06 of 10
Pastel Pink
Forbes + Masters
Pink speaks of unconditional love and compassion, making it a fine fit for a baby’s room. It tends to inspire warm and comfortable feelings, which may help your little one relax. Studies have shown that pink has a calming effect on the human psyche and lessens aggressive behavior. To keep your kiddo calm and happy, opt for a pale, peachy shade or a dusty pastel and use sparingly, balancing the color with plenty of neutral space.
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Earthy Neutral
That Boho Mama/Instagram
Neutral earth shades have a warm, grounding effect, and can be great for creating a cozy atmosphere. Neutrals are also easy on the eyes—literally. Earthy shades of beige and brown give baby’s developing peepers a much-needed rest from stimulating color and contrast, allowing your little dreamer to wind down and sleep.
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Dandelion Yellow
Becca Interiors
Yellow is strongly associated with positivity and happiness, which makes perfect sense for your baby's nursery. Rather than choosing harsh, brighter tones like lemon or neon, go for a softer version like daffodil or dandelion. The warmth it provides creates a soothing atmosphere. Floral wallpaper with yellow as the backdrop can serve as a perfect introduction—not to mention giving it a vintage feel.
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09 of 10
Serene Teal
Ashley Webb Interiors
If you are torn between choosing blue or green as your child's nursery color, teal is a perfect solution.
Blue greens, like mint or seafoam, are also an excellent choice, combining the calming powers of both colors. With blue most notably associated with calm and green often credited with evoking peaceful feelings, teal is well-known to provide a sense of balance, which can be a much-needed reassurance for your little one. As a bonus, teal can also serve as a gender-neutral hue that works well with other colors and styles, giving you plenty of work with in terms of decor and theme.
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Soft Peach
Sarah Lynch Design/Instagram
An alternative to pink, peach can also serve as an ideal color choice for nurseries. Peach shades, especially when paired with neutrals or cool tones, create a serene environment that can brighten spirits without being too intense. Given its versatility, this color can also work for years as your child grows.
Still unsure about using a peach tone? Try working it in as an accent wall. Having one section dedicated to that shade can help you decide whether to commit fully—and balancing it with printed wallpaper can do wonders in adding to the serenity you're striving for.
The 11 Best Nursery Paint Colors Beyond Basic Blue or Pink
Watch Now: Tips to Create Good Feng Shui in the Nursery
Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Chris J. Boyatzis & Reenu Varghese. Children's Emotional Associations with Colors. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 155:1, 77-85, 1994. DOI:10.1080/00221325.1994.9914760
Kurt S, Osueke KK. The Effects of Color on the Moods of College Students. SAGE Open. January 2014. doi:10.1177/2158244014525423
AL‐Ayash, Aseel & Kane, Robert & Smith, Dianne & Green‐Armytage, Paul. The influence of color on student emotion, heart rate, and performance in learning environments. Color Research & Application.
41. 2015. doi:10.1002/col.21949. Green is Good For You. American Psychological Association.
Girl's Nursery - What Color to Paint the Nursery?
A nursery for a girl can be made in one of the seven colors of the rainbow, but it is advisable to choose desaturated colors for the bedroom. Psychologists testify that different colors affect the psyche of the child in different ways. Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the right color scheme for the room in which your daughter will spend the lion's share of her free time.
It is important that the color of the children's room helps to develop creativity in the child and positively influences his character. A girl's nursery can be decorated with various options - art wallpapers, wall paintings, vinyl stickers and so on.
Children's Room Color − The Effect of Color on the Child
Many people think that the classic color of a girl's nursery is pink.
But in fact, parents have a much wider choice of color palette. To get started, ask your daughter what her favorite color is, and together choose the best color shade for her room, taking into account the features below.
Child for Girl − Nursery interior in Red
Girl's nursery with bright red accents will charge its little mistress with energy and the will to lead. If your daughter loves red, decorate her bedroom with red decor.
IMPORTANT: Do not use a large number of red accents in the bedroom, as this color excites the psyche and interferes with normal sleep. If your daughter is a fidget, who is already so difficult to calm down after active games, then it is better to completely abandon the red color in the interior.
Try to dilute the red color liberally with white, light gray and other neutral colors.
Girl's Nursery − Pink Room
Girls' Nursery in shades of pink looks harmonious.
To decorate a nursery, you can use the entire tint spectrum of pink - from cold to warm. A pink nursery for a girl will have a calming effect on the child's psyche, while uplifting. Pink color is considered the epitome of femininity, and fits perfectly into the design of a girl's room.
IMPORTANT: Psychologists recommend diluting it with white, gray and other neutral colors in order to develop good taste in the baby.
Girl's Room − Orange Nursery
Girl's Nursery in Orange will be very cheerful and bright. The nursery in orange tones is able to improve the mood and charge the child with energy. The orange atmosphere of the holiday will always delight and charge the child with optimism in moments of sadness or bad mood.
IMPORTANT: At the same time, you need to be careful with the orange color, as it stimulates an increase in appetite. If you're worried about your daughter's figure, use orange only as an accent color.
In addition, an excess of orange in the interior can excite the psyche and negatively affect healthy sleep.
Girl's Room − Yellow Nursery Design
Girl's room in yellow is one of the brightest and most cheerful. Yellow color is considered the most beneficial for the child, because the nursery for girls with yellow accents is considered one of the best options . This sunny color evokes in children a sense of security, family warmth and comfort. At the same time, the situation in yellow will develop a craving for order in the girl. Psychologists advise filling the bedrooms of restless children with yellow.
IMPORTANT: Like orange, yellow stimulates appetite, so it is best to dilute it with other neutral colors.
Girl's Room − Green Nursery Design
Girl's Nursery Design in Green will stimulate the child to self-educate.
Children living in an environment of green shades are distinguished by an inquisitive mind and self-confidence.
IMPORTANT: If you notice that your daughter is often thoughtful and a little withdrawn, stop using green in your child's nursery. Green may exacerbate this trend.
A girl's room will look harmonious in warm shades of green .
Girl's Room − Blue Room
Girl's Room In this blue is similar to green. At the same time, a blue nursery for a girl soothes so much that it eventually scatters attention. Therefore, you should not use this color in the area where the child's desktop is located. Best use blue dosed , and only in the part where the bed is located. Otherwise, you can dilute it with harmonious shades of red, which gives energy. For example, coral color will look good with blue.
Girl's Nursery - Wall Decoration
Wall decoration in the girl's nursery can be done not only with paint, but also with different wallpaper options .
For example, children's for girl would look great with the accent wall. It should be decorated with bright wallpaper with a catchy pattern, and the rest of the walls will need to be pasted over with white or other neutral wallpaper.
A girl's nursery will look simply magical if you choose art wallpaper for its decoration. These are real picturesque works of art, designed to emphasize the unique style of the interior of the children's room. You can decorate only one wall with art wallpaper, making it accent, or paste over the whole room with them.
The design of the girl's children's room will become truly unique if you bring the real wall painting into its interior. In this case, you have a lot of opportunities, because you can show maximum imagination in choosing a plot for painting.
You can also easily find simple yet effective stories on the Internet . Even an inexperienced artist can draw them.
A girl's nursery can become filled with colors if you decorate its walls with vinyl stickers . It can be small stars of different sizes. You will only need to show a little imagination to beautifully arrange them on the wall. Or you can buy large stickers that will attract attention. Best of all, vinyl stickers look on a laconic white wall.
nursery for a girl children's room
Tips from psychologists on decorating the interior of a children's room and choosing colors for a nursery, photo
Consider in this article the advice of psychologists on choosing colors for decorating the design of a children's room. What colors do you prefer?
As you know, human thinking is directly related to visual perception.
Psychologists advise to surround a child of the first two years of life with soft, calm and desaturated colors. When he grows up, the children's room, on the contrary, becomes the brightest, most cheerful and colorful room in the house.
The baby's room should be soft and cozy, in restrained colors. It can be a combination of warm shades of blue or blue in combination with pastel yellow, light beige colors. These colors create a sense of security and comfort.
Children's furniture painted in bright, contrasting color combinations can make a room cheerful and bright, while the walls, floor and ceiling can be calm, light shades.
In such an environment, the child will be able to fully play, study and relax.
According to psychologists, starting from the fourth year of life, a child begins to prefer contrasting, bright and joyful colors: yellow, blue, orange, red, hot pink. During this period, it is important to use bright colors in the interior design of the children's room, as such colors create a sunny and mobile atmosphere in the children's bedroom and playroom.
Too dark shades of colors are undesirable for decorating a child's room, because the closer to black the shade of any color is, the more depressing effect it has on the psyche and perception of a person.
Light and bright shades, on the contrary, evoke positive emotions. Scientists have found that a good, high spirits can also be created using the color of ivory - light with a golden hue, light beige, and the pale blue color of the walls normalizes blood pressure and improves the general condition.
Two-tone walls are an interesting solution. For example, combinations of light yellow and light blue colors, but not monophonic, but with small patches of a different shade of the same color: this dilutes the monotony of color, gives the room a picturesque look that is pleasing to the eye. The room will not turn out boring in this version.
It is important to choose the right shade of color. Usually, for a girl's room, parents choose colors in pinkish tones, for a boy's room - colder color combinations, shades of blue and blue.
However, psychologists and interior decorators do not consider the data, the most common color combinations, to be a mandatory rule. There are many other shades that can be used when decorating a boy's and girl's room. One has only to show imagination and experiment. The main thing is that the colors match each other, then the children's room will turn out to be stylish, beautiful, comfortable and your child will like it.
Psychologists recommend solving the interior of a child's room in pure, delicate colors: pink, greenish-yellow, light blue, light green, light lilac. Pastel, light colors in the nursery will create harmony, help make a dark room more fun and comfortable, if there is not enough sunlight in the room, they will create a lively, cheerful atmosphere in it. You can make the nursery interesting and beautiful using a small number of colors, for example, in beige and light lilac or light blue, light green tones with the addition of brown shades.
Experts say that a light shade of purple is well suited for a schoolchild's room, as this color gives a positive creative impulse and stimulates mental activity.
Pastel colors are preferred for newborns and toddlers. Delicate shades of pink and light blue reduce excitement, soothe and lull. Perhaps that is why these colors are so popular.
The walls of a child's room for a baby can be decorated with colorful bright details: flowers, butterflies, animals that develop the child's imagination, imagination and curiosity. You can hang light, bright, contrasting decorative elements and toys that attract the attention of the child from the ceiling. Focusing on them, the child calms down and is distracted.
Psychologists and designers do not recommend using many bright colors at the same time so that the room does not become clumsy and colorful.
You should be especially careful with the use of intense red and orange shades, since their abundance can irritate the child, the child can quickly get tired of a large number of too bright colors.
Temperament and character of the child is of great importance when choosing the main color for the children's room.
For example, in the design of a room for a small phlegmatic or melancholic person, you can use separate, small objects of bright red color that stand out with colored spots, or paste over the walls with soft pink or blue wallpaper. Such a background and bright red spots will moderately stimulate the activity of the child and increase his immunity.
Delicate shades of blue background will be appropriate in the room of a restless child - choleric or easily excitable, impulsive sanguine with an explosive temperament. It is also believed that all shades of blue have the ability to strengthen the child's body and stimulate its development.
