Your baby’s nursery is their very first personal living space. With all the decisions you face for your little one — from which pediatrician you’ll see to how you’ll feed your newborn and everything in-between — choosing between different nursery ideas is one decision that you can enjoy making!
While your little one won’t remember the wall decor or color scheme in their nursery, they will remember the “feel” of the room — specifically, the feeling of love and security.
You’ll be spending quite a bit of time in your baby’s nursery, too, so you want to make it an inviting space for both you and your little one. It’s there that you’ll change your baby’s diapers, rock them to sleep, read them books, and so much more.
But what’s most important is to design a space that is comfortable and safe for your baby, where they can sleep, play, and thrive. With that in mind, take a look at these 37 nursery ideas from the Newton Baby experts! We’ll start with themes and colors then move to layout ideas and tips.
Finally, we’ll wrap up by discussing how to create a safe and comfortable nursery, from a high-quality crib to a breathable mattress.
Your Baby’s Nursery: Theme Ideas
1) Less Is More
Keep it simple by sticking with only the baby essentials and choosing a soft color scheme. The nursery isn’t necessarily all about decor. The warmth and security your baby feels are enough for them.
2) Bold Colors And Patterns
Traditionally, many parents lean toward pastel colors. But don’t be afraid to add in some bold colors throughout your little one’s nursery! You can also stimulate your baby’s vision with patterns.
Add in contrasting colors or patterns on wallpaper, a mural wall, nursery bedding, or a rug.
3) Book Nook
If you can’t seem to get your head out of a book, odds are your baby will inherit the same love of reading. But just to be sure they do, fill the nursery with shelves lined with books.
Keep the nursery walls white and stock the shelves with as many classic titles as you can. The book covers themselves will serve as the decor and add a pop of color on top of the white walls.
4) Fresh Farmhouse
Are cotton wreaths and wooden pallets on your mind? If so, rustic is the way to go. Just imagine a warm and cozy retreat for your little one.
Mix woods with natural textures to provide just the right dose of stimulation for your growing baby. The possibilities are endless with this theme. Both you and your baby will enjoy the laid-back setting for years to come.
5) Farm Animals
Speaking of the farm, a farm-animals theme for the nursery is always a hit. While a farmhouse theme involves subtle, rustic touches, a farm-animals theme means barns, tractors, and all the animals that typically come to mind — cows, horses, roosters, hens, and sheep.
Cock-a-doodle-doo! Rise and shine, little one.
6) Shabby-Chic
A shabby-chic nursery is all about textures, like ruffles and fringe. And shabby-chic themes most often incorporate a floral pattern of some sort.
The pleasant and inviting setting created from this nursery idea is the perfect space to bring your little one home to.
7) Vintage
Let your imagination run wild because the vintage genre ranges anywhere from Victorian themes to retro themes. And when it comes to vintage, think antique for an extra-special touch.
With a vintage nursery, you’ll create a space that activates not only your baby’s creative side but yours as well.
8) Boho
Mix colors, patterns, and textures to create the perfect boho setting for your baby’s nursery. Have fun with this whimsical theme by adding some creative wall art.
A bohemian feel will pique your baby’s interest and engage their senses — especially their sense of sight and touch — as they grow.
9) Beach Nursery
The beach is known for its calming effects. And that’s exactly the type of atmosphere you’ll create with this nursery idea.
The soothing blues and greens that fill the room set a relaxing mood to help your baby easily drift off to sleep.
10) Surf’s Up
While a beach theme may be more subdued and mature, a surf theme can involve bold beach colors, surfboards, and the like.
11) Woodland Nursery
Maybe the woods are your home away from home. To bring in the warmth from the outdoors, use nature-inspired decor, like fuzzy animals, trees, antlers, and wooden accents.
While the nursery may not be as quiet as the woods, you’ll enjoy sweet baby sounds in this peaceful-looking environment.
12) In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
The sky’s the limit with this nursery idea. Cozy up under the decor of the sun, moon, and stars, and gaze into your little one’s eyes while you rock them to sleep.
Not sure how to go about it? Consider creating a starry ceiling. Start by painting it a deep blue, mixing in a bit of lighter-colored paint on various areas. Then, create the stars with dots of white paint of various sizes.
13) Rockin’ The Dots
Polka dots are a fun nursery idea that provides a bit of entertainment for your little one. Adding a few nursery items with polka dots gives just the right amount of color to this playful space.
And all of the colorful circles will keep your baby occupied and intrigued!
14) Welcome To The Jungle
If the outdoors feel like home for you, then this nursery idea will suit you and your baby well. To create a jungle-inspired nursery, use tropical leaves or plants, animal prints, and plush safari animals as decor.
Then turn on your baby’s sound machine because there’s nothing like snuggling up with your little one to the sights and sounds of the rainforest in the background.
15) Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Decorate the nursery with the colors of the rainbow or use a rainbow print throughout to create a magical atmosphere.
If you’re looking for the pot of gold, you might not find it here. But a restful night’s sleep is the gold you will find in this nursery with Newton Baby’s breathable Crib Mattress.
16) Down To Earth
Create a simple yet functional nursery with earth tones. Use different shades of brown as your background for this nursery idea. To complement the natural backdrop, add accent colors with blue and green sheets and blankets.
You and your baby will be able to bond and unwind in this down-to-earth setting.
17) Personalized Nursery
If you already have a name chosen for your baby, consider decorating the nursery with personalized items. Display your baby’s name on cute signs and boards throughout their room, or personalize blankets and swaddles for your little one.
18) Wake Up And Smell The Roses
Display vases filled with flowers to freshen the nursery. Choose flower decor — wall decals, collages, wallpapers, mobiles, and floral hoop wreaths — to place throughout the nursery for a welcoming environment.
19) Adventure Awaits
Are you known for seeking out adventure? Consider decorating your baby’s nursery with maps. You can even designate one in particular to display places you’ve visited.
You’ll be sure to feel at home even when you have the urge to pack your family’s bags and go!
20) Black And White
While using black and white in your baby’s nursery might not have occurred to you, these colors (or lack thereof) can make for a unique and trendy nursery. Plus, within the black and white color scheme, there are lots of design options.
Consider a large black and white abstract painting as the focal point, a grayscale rug, or geometric designs on the wall.
21) Know Your ABCs
Looking for a cute and educational nursery idea? Incorporate the ABCs into the design. Think: an ABCs poster or wooden letter wall hangings combined with your preferred color scheme.
22) Circus Antics
A circus nursery theme can involve bright colors and a circus tent or subdued colors and vintage touches.
23) Monster Fun
Monsters don’t have to be scary! Use cute monsters for a fun, colorful theme.
24) Gold Accents
Gold accents can create a special, classy look. Think gold star wall stickers or gold hardware.
25) Cityscape
For city-dwellers (or city-lovers), make a big impression with a cityscape on the nursery wall. Hang a professional cityscape photograph or paint one with stencils. That brings us to the next idea.
26) Scandinavian
Check out this cute nursery with a Scandinavian feel! Easy to put together and so very calming.
27) Use Stencils
For every non-artistic parent who can’t whip up a freehand wall mural, stencils are your best friend. Stencils come in all shapes, sizes, and designs for you to create the look you want in your nursery.
28) Paint Away
For stripes or geometric shapes on the wall, turn to painter’s tape. This is a DIY project that’s truly for anyone. Once you’ve painted the base color and let it dry, tape the wall in the shape of the design and use your second paint color to paint the exposed wall.
After it’s completely dry, gently peel the paint off and voila! Now that was easy.
29) Paint Or Wallpaper The Ceiling
Before we turn to nursery layout ideas, here’s one more decoration idea that we love: paint or wallpaper the ceiling. This creates visual interest and can be done regardless of the nursery theme you’ve chosen.
A barely pink ceiling? Precious. A bold color? Daring. Floral wallpaper? Oh, so calming.
Nursery Layout Ideas
Choosing a theme and color palette is a fun part of designing your baby’s nursery. But creating a space that’s functional, convenient, and safe for your baby involves more than paint and decorations. It’s important to think about the layout.
Here are a few nursery ideas when it comes to the space and what goes where.
30) Use Zones
It can be helpful to think about creating zones when deciding how to layout your nursery furniture. For basic baby care, you’ll need at least three basic zones: diaper-changing, sleeping, and feeding.
Arrange your furniture accordingly, creating a flow where everything you need is easy to access.
31) Room For Two
If you’re expecting twins, conserving space and finding storage is probably at the top of your list. Mini cribs are an excellent option in this scenario, too, especially if your twins will be sharing a nursery.
32) Small Nursery
A mini crib and Newton’s Mini Crib Mattress are the best options for maximizing tight quarters. At 24 inches wide and 38 inches long, the mini crib is smaller than a standard-sized crib which measures around 28 inches by 52 inches.
But keep in mind that just because the crib and mattress are smaller doesn’t mean they’re any less functional.
With the perfect combination of cushy firmness and total breathability, your baby will get their best sleep ever (and so will you)!
33) Ditch The Closet Door
If the closet doors swing in and out, consider ditching the doors and replacing them with a curtain. Doors that swing in and out take up floor space. And if you have a small nursery, there’s no room to spare.
34) Install A Wall Lamp
Speaking of saving floor space, install a wall lamp instead of using a floor lamp. Look for one that can be securely mounted to the wall and coordinates with your nursery theme.
35) Skip The Non-Essentials
When you’re creating your baby registry, you might feel overwhelmed by all of the baby products you need! Just remember that there are some baby items that you don’t actually need to have, despite what people tell you.
If you’re short on space or simply trying to live a minimalist life, skip the non-essentials. For a list of baby must-haves, click here.
36) Be Smart With Organization
Although you don’t need every baby product on the market, you’ll still have a lot of things to organize. Be smart with your organizational strategies to make the most of the space and help maintain your sanity!
Depending on your space and needs, consider the following options:
- Baskets
- Hanging nets
- Floating shelves
- Bookshelves
- Hanging shoe organizers
- Drawers
- Drawer organizers
- Baskets
- Storage cubes
37) Look Out For Safety
What does the nursery layout have to do with your baby’s safety? More than you might think.
Since the crib is the only place your baby will be left unsupervised, it needs to be a safe place. And that includes the space around the crib. Ensure that your baby can’t reach anything from the crib. Think about curtains, outlets, cords, lamps, blinds, shelves, and more.
If you have anything hanging above or near the crib, double-check that it’s securely attached. That applies to baby mobiles, too.
What goes inside the crib is also important when it comes to safety. According to safe sleep guidelines, your baby’s crib should be bare when they sleep — only the mattress, a crib sheet, and your little one.
As cute as baby pillows, blankets, toys, stuffed animals, and crib bumpers might be, they aren’t safe when your baby sleeps. Use the above nursery ideas to decorate the rest of the room to your heart's content, but leave the crib bare.
Your Baby’s Nursery: Safe And Comfortable
The Crib
The crib is generally considered the centerpiece of the nursery. After all, it is the place where your baby will spend most of their time, making crib safety a huge concern.
Opt for style, safety, and longevity with a 3-in-1 convertible crib made by dadada in Italy.
These beechwood cribs are hand-crafted by skilled artisans in an Italian woodworking shop with a reputation for building quality wood furniture since 1932.
That said, rest assured that your crib is made to exceed US standards with durable, sustainably farmed solid FSC beech wood and non-toxic, baby-safe finishes.
In fact, this product is GREENGUARD Gold Certified. That means that our materials meet the highest environmental safety standards and contribute to healthy indoor air quality.
With three adjustable mattress heights, the crib safely changes height as your baby grows. Then, right before they're ready to climb out, it easily converts to a toddler or day bed.
Take your pick from three timeless designs: the Austin, Soho, and Kenton.
The Crib Mattress
Once you’ve decided on a safe crib, turn your attention to the mattress that goes inside the crib, which is just as important!
Here at Newton Baby, safety is our number one priority when it comes to crib mattresses. Our breathable, washable, and comfortable mattress is the perfect foundation for safe sleeping.
Breathable and washable? Yep. This mattress consists of 90% air, and the other 10% is the same material as yogurt cups. No foam, glue, latex, or springs.
First of all, that makes the mattress wonderfully breathable (more breathable than leading organic mattresses) so your baby can breathe straight through if they roll over in the middle of the night. Plus, no more sweaty backs in the mornings!
Secondly, the unique material makes our mattress completely washable from cover to core. The cover and encasement can be machine-washed on cold. To clean the core itself, rinse it off with a hose or give it a shower.
This mattress, just like our cribs, is GREENGUARD Gold Certified. If you’ve never heard of mattress off-gassing, you’ll want to read about it here.
And for an even better sleeping experience for your little one, try Newton Baby’s Crib Sheets, which are designed for superior airflow and complement the breathability of our mattresses.
They’re breathable, supremely soft, hypoallergenic, made of organic cotton muslin, and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) certified. It doesn’t get much better.
The Changing Table
With all the diapers you’ll be changing over the years, a durable changing table is a must-have. This important piece of nursery furniture will provide you with an area to place all of your diaper-changing essentials while caring for your baby.
Tip: Be sure to always keep a hand on your little one while changing their diaper, and never leave them unattended. You never know when your baby will start rolling over!
The Nursery Chair
You’ll rock your little one back and forth time and time again. There will be countless feedings and stories happening in this chair, so make it as comfortable and inviting as possible.
It may help to place a small table next to the rocking chair so you have a place for the empty bottle, your phone or book, or a glass of water, too.
The Lighting
Lastly, lighting is another contributing factor to the overall comfort of the nursery. Your baby’s eyes are sensitive during the first few months, so you don’t want the nursery to be too bright.
Fill it with warm, soft lighting to create a calming ambiance for your baby.
Welcome To Our Crib
The main focus when designing your baby’s nursery is to make it an area that is safe for your baby, comfortable for you, and that allows your little one to flourish.
Whatever nursery idea you decide to use, remember to choose a quality crib, such as our 3-in-1 convertible cribs and a durable, breathable mattress to keep your baby safe while sleeping.
With Newton’s Crib Mattress and Waterproof Crib Mattress Pad, your little one is sure to enjoy a full night’s sleep in their nursery, where they’ll rest, play, and thrive for years to come!
