30 Chic Nursery Ideas For Every Parent

Decorating a nursery can be a stressful task. While the primary focus should be on your baby's growth and stimulation needs, it should also be a place you enjoy. Strategically decorating the nursery can also be a budget saver — while furniture items like cribs, bassinets, and age-specific toys won't be of much use as your baby grows up, other things like basic furniture (dressers, bookshelves, lamps), and other décor pieces can be adapted to the ever-changing needs of your child.

Color is also an important thing to factor into decorating a room. Babies are particularly susceptible to the sensory aspects of their surroundings, and keeping color psychology in mind when decorating for your child can help in a myriad of ways. Per The Spruce, warm and bright colors like reds, oranges, and yellows can energize and stimulate your baby's growing mind, while soft and cool colors can help soothe and relax.

There are a multitude of approaches to a chic, timeless, versatile nursery. Maybe you want to create a caretaker haven with a more adult approach, with more classic furniture and décor pieces. Perhaps you want to create a sweet, idyllic nursery for your baby with pastels and soft textures, but with a plain wall color and staple furniture pieces. Or, maybe you're more interested in trends with fun and funky geometrics and bright and bold colors. Regardless of your preference, the nursery doesn't have to be left out of your chic décor style.

Gray is adaptable and neutral, making it versatile as your baby grows up while still fitting in with baby decorations. Consider making it animal-themed, as in the picture above, with neutral and gray animals — elephants, hedgehogs, bears, etc.

Pink is a very popular color for nurseries and young babies. It is youthful, soft, and stimulating. Keep it on the more subtle and chic side by opting for a more neutral, deeper, orange-toned pink paired with classic cream colors.

As stated earlier, gray is a great neutral for a nursery. Make it a bit more trendy with a lighter shade of gray and white wood for the floors. Tie in light blue for a soft, sweet oasis fit for both you and your baby.

Darker colors may seem antithetical in a nursery, but they don't have to be. Darker colors will soothe tired babies and make the space much more mature and enjoyable for you. If you're interested in gray, take the leap and go dark. Pair with a bright yellow accent color for a youthful pop.

White is a perpetual classic color for the base of a room. Add some fun and youthful pops for your baby with gold wall decals and decoration pieces, wicker furniture, and a sweet pink feature color, which will be both trendy and appropriate.

If pink isn't necessarily your speed, consider featuring blue instead. To keep it classic and the right balance of mature and youthful, opt for a mostly white color pallet and add pops of light blue for a clean, airy look.

For a softer approach to a darker gray pallet, swap out the earlier suggested yellow for a baby pink. Mix it in with classic gray furniture and pops of gold for a timeless and classy look.

Rainbow is a fun and classic color pallet for kids of any age. However, it tends to easily overwhelm both in terms of visual effect and the personal effect it has on both you and your baby. Keep it simple but effective with fun rainbow geometric wall decals and subtle rainbow decorations while keeping the rest neutral.

Pink is an ever-trendy and chic color and is a great color to feature in a nursery. It doesn't have to be frilly or pastel, though. Opt for a darker, warmer shade, and pair with yellow and gray as an accent color.

Yellow is a great color for a baby's room. It is bright, energetic, and stimulating. However, too much yellow can overwhelm both the visual aspect of the room, as well as a fussy baby. Keep it simple by adding various pops of bright yellow in an otherwise white room — pillows, poufs, ribbons, lamps, etc.

Pink and gold is a trendy color combination for any age and is especially fun for a nursery. To keep it more classic, keep the walls and furniture a neutral color, such as white, and add tons of pink, rose gold, and gold accessories, decorations, and more.

Many parents, caretakers, and others who work with young children find that one monotone color can help soothe a baby's active mind. If this is your approach to decorating your little one's nursery, consider opting for various shades of gray. It's classic, sleek, and adaptable.

Pairing blue and yellow in a nursery is a great way to combine the benefits of warm and cool colors, creating a bright and visually interesting room.

For a nursery that is simultaneously trendy, classic, and appropriate for your child, opt for an understated and soft boho look. Choose neutral base colors and mid-century furniture pieces, and add some trendy boho flare with a Persian rug, non-toxic plant (kept out of reach from your baby), and trendy décor.

Clouds are a great theme for a nursery and easy both to achieve and remove. Use a cloud wall stencil to easily achieve a pattern without the hassle of wallpaper. Pair with other airy and light colors for the full effect — white, light blue, and soft yellow.

If you have a preference for patterns and bold prints, there's no need skip your nursery. However, an abundance of patterns can trend towards chaotic. For a subtler approach, opt for neutrals mixed with a few fun patterned pieces — an upholstered chair, blanket, lamp, etc. — for a pop of personality.

Many remember peel-and-stick glow in the dark stars in their childhood bedroom. However, they don't have the most classic or chic look. For a similar effect with a more refined but youthful look, opt for star wall decals or stencils. Have fun and paint them in bright colors.

Animals are a popular theme for nurseries and children's rooms. For a more sophisticated update on the theme, consider looking for more simple and cartoonish pieces of animal art, softer animal toys, and decorations. Pair with a soft color pallet, such as pink, yellow, or gray for a chic and delicate look.

Express a bit more personality in your nursery with a fun and retro-inspired approach. Look for a piece or two of mod-inspired furniture — an egg-shaped chair, a flower-shaped rug — and theme the room around their colors. Keep the rest simple but unique.

Scandinavian décor is all about simplicity and comfort — two things that go excellently in a nursery. Choose simple, versatile colors, such as white and beige, and opt for lots of wicker. Add touches of color where it feels appropriate, such as a wine red crib or sky blue chair in the picture above.

Add some interest to a plain nursery by incorporating a striped feature wall. Choose a few colors that go well together you want to feature in the room, and incorporate them in the stripes.

Nautical is a very popular decoration aesthetic. Continue it into your baby's nursery in a more understated way with a white and bright blue color pallet. Add a few nautical touches — shiplap, patterns, rustic décor — for the full effect.

For those with a preference for lots of color but who don't want to overwhelm, consider muting your preferred colors. In the picture above, for example, consider taking what would be a bright green and yellow theme and pulling back the vividness, settling on soft light olive and dandelion yellow.

Create a simple but trendy nursery by going with oak and bamboo-colored woods, a deep but soft feature color, and simple Montessori-inspired toys displayed on shelves.

For a warm look in your nursery, opt for a yellow or orange wall color or pattern color, warm and rich wood tones, and plants (fake or non-toxic).

If you enjoy aspects of a themed nursery, but don't want to commit, consider incorporating a simple, understated element. In the picture above, for example — instead of theming the entire room around ladybugs, the color red, etc., opt instead for a neutral color pallet, and include a few neutral-colored ladybug wall decorations.

Geometric shapes don't have to be exclusive to wallpaper or stencils. Hexagonal shelves and funky furniture can also help create a unique look.

If the earlier geometric rainbow theme wasn't your speed, but you still want to incorporate rainbows in your nursery, go for a softer, more demure approach. Look for more muted and warm rainbow decorations, and match them with warm beiges and neutrals.

For fans of the mid-century look, incorporate it in your nursery with a few mid-century furniture pieces. Break up the neutral color pallet associated with the aesthetic with a baby sky blue, as in the picture above, or another color fit for you and your baby.