Nameberry Style: Best Nursery Trends
by Esmeralda Rocha
Ask any parent-to-be with a Pinterest account, and they’ll tell you that the nursery is the most contested room in the house when it comes to decorating trends – with debates about colors, themes and furnishings almost as hot as the debate about the baby’s name.
So what’s trending right now in baby rooms? We’ve trawled the web to come up with three top nursery trends for inspiration.
Mature color palettes
Gone are the days of white, pastel pink and baby blue (thank goodness!) Today’s parents are opting for colors and decor that will age with their children. Sophisticated colors also create far more gender-neutral spaces that can help reinforce your efforts to move beyond gender stereotypes and also accommodate siblings of different genders.
Some current hot color schemes for nurseries include mustard yellow and grey (my personal choice for my child’s room!); midnight blue and white; dusky pinks with black and olive greens; and copper rustic browns with deep blues or greens. These colors are quite deep and earthy, which keeps with the other major nursery decorating trends.
Earth and nature
Whereas cartoons and princesses used to dominate nursery decor, parents are increasingly creating more natural themes for their children’s rooms. We see subtle woods and grainy fabrics being chosen over bright, harsh plastics and metals, in both furniture and toys. Wallpapers are more likely to evoke gardens, forests, skies and space than cars, animated characters, or princesses. Some parents are even choosing reclaimed wood to create feature walls.
This trend towards the earthy can even be seen in the small touches, too: mobiles made from feathers or shells, initials on the wall or door made from flowers rather than painted plastic, and art works that use yarns, pinecones and even sand.
This trend also evidences a preference for recyclable and reusable materials, with trend-setters more likely to create an indoor tent from an old potato sack than to buy a polyester teepee. We’ve even seen wine barrel bassinets, quilts made from a favorite sweater, and mobiles made from old wooden clothes hangers and pegs.
Unusual plants and animals
Animals are a perennial favorite of the nursery. But taking the place of The Lion King–_inspired African savannah or a _Finding Nemo-esque coral reef are whimsical forest dwellers in whimsical combinations. Foxes are joined by skunks and beavers; owls are accompanied by toucans and kookaburras; rabbits are joined by badgers and moles. Echidnas, platypus, moose, llamas, tapirs are all getting more use in children’s nursery decor than they have before.
Some adventurous parents are embracing even more marginal animals and plants: jellyfish, snakes, sloths, and stick insects (as well as cactuses) are all happening sub-trends in the pandora’s box that is the nursery blogosphere.
Check out this 2018 forecast from Project Nursery for more inspirational nursery trends.
Nameberry recommends:
We asked Nameberry parents to recommend their favorite new baby products, which include these items for the nursery:
The DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Convertible Crib works beautifully in any contemporary nursery and is also the Number 1 pick of Wirecutter, the authority on quality. It comes in white or natural wood and is about $180 on Amazon.
This grey and white rocker works with any neutral nursery decor and is a boon for creating a soothing bedtime routine or middle-of-the-night feedings. About $200 from Amazon.
Crib blankets are no longer considered safe for infants, but Aden & Anais muslin squares, in a range of colors and patterns to work with any modern nursery decor, can be used for swaddling, as burp pads, for mopping up spills, or for privacy when nursing in public. About $25 for a pack of five on Amazon.