Decorating & Design
10 Designer-approved Ideas For Kids’ Rooms & Nurseries
Updated on November 28, 2023
Consider this a crib sheet for a stylish nursery. Here’s a round up of great ideas taken from the children’s bedrooms of designers and their clients!
1. A Cosy Rug
A soft rug chosen by designer Montana Burnett for this nursery invites babies to get down and enjoy their tummy time. Look for rugs made from natural fibres like organic cotton, wool and linen for softness.
2. Storage That Grows
As babies get bigger, their collection of toys, books and sports equipment grows too. Custom built-in shelves house an array of books, toys and objets which bring color to the space and keep the floor clear for playing.
3. Bright Shades
Contrasting colors send the strongest signals to a baby’s brain to help stimulate brain growth and aid in visual development. Children spend more time looking at bright blocks of color — especially primary colors like red, blue and yellow — rather than muted pastels or neutrals. In this nursery, blue accents are lively, and the acrylic crib doesn’t obscure the dino print wallpaper.
4. Easy-Grab Toy Boxes
Toy boxes with lids can pinch little fingers. Designer Emily Henderson chose a version that gives her daughter, Elliot, easy access to favorite stuffed animals and corrals toys at the end of a play sessions. “We have a lot of hidden storage (trunks, cabinets), and that’s the problem — they forget about them, complain they are bored until I go and actually open the toy cabinet and pull out some bins,” says Emily.
5. Color Blocking
In this nursery designed by Jennifer Koper for her baby nephew Zev, she painted out the topper the same color as the shelf above it for a look that’s cohesive and playful.
6. Great Drapes
Blackout drapes are good for a baby’s room to help with sleep training and naps. In a nursery for twins designed by Collective Studio, floor-to-ceiling grey drapes block the light from the sliding doors and are dressed up by a fun tape trim.
7. Play Up A Theme
Let your imagination run wild. This global-inspired nursery gives free rein to the safari theme, from Andrew Martin Ark wallpaper printed with images of elephants, lions and tigers to the animal figurines and a giant stuffed giraffe. Antique brass fixtures add to the whimsical look.
8. A Comfy Chair
Whether it’s used for nursing or story time, don’t forget to add an accommodating adult chair. A soft grey glider (all the better to lull a child off to sleep) makes this nursery corner a cozy spot for designer Emily Henderson and her daughter to read stories.
9. Grown-up Lighting
The woven pendant throws intriguing shadows for babies to gaze up at, yet doesn’t look too babyish. “I was able to choose the color palette and see common elements I knew I wanted to use, like textures and natural wood,” says prop stylist Rayna Marlee, who designed this room.
10. A Fun Accent Wall
Murals inject a fantastical element into a nursery, but you don’t have to cover the whole room. Limiting a mural or wallpapering one feature wall means it can be easily swapped out as a child ages. In this storybook nursery by West Coast firm Bidgood, the woodland theme wallpaper accent wall is echoed by the stuffed animals and deer stool, complete with antlers.