7 Tips For Decorating A Unisex Nursery

A nursery doesn't have to be vanilla!

Maybe you've just found out you are expecting (congratulations!), or you are getting nearer to your due date and have decided it really is time to sort out the baby's room - if you have chosen not to find out the gender of your baby, how do you decorate the nursery?

Gender-neutral and unisex nursery decor can feel a bit tricky. How do you keep it from looking bland? Well, here are some top tips to help you with your nursery design, whether you are on a tight budget or going all out!

1. Main Colours

When people think about decorating a unisex nursery, too often they think they are limited to bland colour schemes. This really isn't the case! The colours can be neutral, but that doesn't mean boring. For example, yellow and grey make a gorgeous combination - check out some of these looks here https://www.decoist.com/gray-and-yellow-nursery-designs/ Or alternatively, go with soft pastels - greys, greens, mint, yellows, orange and blue.  Choose a plain paint then add fabric wall stickers to ring the changes.

2. Accent Colours

If you decide to go fairly neutral, bring the nursery to life with pops of colour around the room. Make sure your accent colours tone with the rest of the nursery, good example combinations are pops of yellow with grey, mint and red in a white room, navy with yellow or orange. This is a great way to pep up an otherwise neutral scheme, and can be incorporated quickly and easily with a few cushions and throws. Why not try our polka dots, in a range of neutral colours.

3. Textures

Another way to add interest while keeping things neutral is to vary the textures in the nursery. This has the added benefit of appealing to a baby's senses when they are big enough to roll and crawl around, as well as colour. Cushions with interesting textures, like chunky knit, or a woven rug, are an easy way to bring life to a nursery if you don't want to go wild with colour. We love  jumbo knitted cushions and blankets by Laura Aston Design, https://www.laurenastondesigns.com/shopreadymade 

4. Leave Some Wall Space

This may sound odd, but don't fill your walls up all at once - if you leave a little bit of wall space, you will have some room to put up some more gender specific art if you want to, or a picture to commemorate your new baby's birth date, weight or names. You may find that someone buys you a personalised piece of wall art as a gift, or that you want to put baby hand prints or casts on the wall.  A height chart made from a fabric wall sticker is a great example.

5. Flexible Storage

Never underestimate how much storage space you need with a new baby. When you have different stacks of clothes of different ages, toys to store, playmats, nappies, bedding, books and more - going for useful, flexible storage is so important. IKEA do fantastic nursery furniture that is really flexible and good value, or British companies like the Great Little Trading Co do fantastic cabin beds and storage too - check out their brilliant solutions here https://www.gltc.co.uk/collections/cabin-mid-sleeper-beds

6. Black Board Paint

Blackboard paint is such a great idea for baby and toddler rooms, and works perfectly in a unisex room. You can use it to paint a bit of wall, a whole wall, a wardrobe door or section of the room. And it doesn't have to be overpowering black, you can buy it in other colours if black is not your thing. As soon as a baby is old enough to sit and hold something in his or her hand, it's great for them to start learning 'mark making' with chalk, and they will get years of fun out of drawing on it. It's a win-win as they like drawing on the wall/door, and you don't mind as long as it's contained on the blackboard paint! 

7. Stars, Chevrons, Dots

We love nursery designs that incorporate simple, strong shapes like stars, dots or chevrons. One of our best-selling wall sticker sets is our polka dot set which comes in a range of colours, and works really well in a gender-neutral nursery. The reusable stickers allow you to move the decor around or even take it with you when you move.

Good luck and happy decorating!