Baby Decor: The Time is Ripe for a Gender-Neutral Nursery
Shed traditional stereotypes and prepare a gender-neutral nest for your new arrival
Gone are the days when gender-specific colours like soft pink and powder blue would overarch all design decisions. As the discourse on gender-neutral rearing becomes more mainstream, the ‘girls for pink’ and ‘boys for blue’ narrative is slowly becoming an archaic concept that millennial parents are choosing to shun. Today, expectant parents have more to look forward to than ever before, with stylish gender-neutral nursery options having opened the doors a whole new world of contemporary designs.
From accents and patterns to wall decor and themes, we give you ways to shatter gender stereotypes and embrace fluid styles that are ideal for a little boy or girl.
From accents and patterns to wall decor and themes, we give you ways to shatter gender stereotypes and embrace fluid styles that are ideal for a little boy or girl.
Strike a colourful contrast
If you’re one for colour, follow the rainbow to pick contrasting gender-neutral hues for your nursery. Contrasts can work well in transcending traditional nursery colours, but it’s important to pick the right combination of shades to avoid a clash. Team opposites on the colour wheel, like purple and yellow, blue and orange, and red and green. Remember to pair light with dark to avoid overpowering the room. Go graphic with one wall to infuse energy.
This daydream wallpaper is a picture of a sunny summer’s day, complete with swirly clouds and flying swallows. The nursery pops with colour, with indigo, mint and butter yellow forming a cheerful backdrop. Colours like dark blue and yellow can work well for both genders.
If you’re one for colour, follow the rainbow to pick contrasting gender-neutral hues for your nursery. Contrasts can work well in transcending traditional nursery colours, but it’s important to pick the right combination of shades to avoid a clash. Team opposites on the colour wheel, like purple and yellow, blue and orange, and red and green. Remember to pair light with dark to avoid overpowering the room. Go graphic with one wall to infuse energy.
This daydream wallpaper is a picture of a sunny summer’s day, complete with swirly clouds and flying swallows. The nursery pops with colour, with indigo, mint and butter yellow forming a cheerful backdrop. Colours like dark blue and yellow can work well for both genders.
Create an animal theme
A central theme will tie your decor together. Your theme could be tethered to a wall painting, a recurrent motif, a floor decoration, a series of picture frames or an arrangement of wall decals. Animal themes are popular choices, because they hold a gender-agnostic appeal. For a larger-than-life theme, cover an entire wall with a montage featuring affable wildlife or wide-eyed puppies.
These life-size elephants make for a charming feature wall in this cheerful nursery. The wildlife printed on the bedspread and the stuffed alligator peeking over from inside the teal bucket serve as friendly companions for the room’s newest resident.
A central theme will tie your decor together. Your theme could be tethered to a wall painting, a recurrent motif, a floor decoration, a series of picture frames or an arrangement of wall decals. Animal themes are popular choices, because they hold a gender-agnostic appeal. For a larger-than-life theme, cover an entire wall with a montage featuring affable wildlife or wide-eyed puppies.
These life-size elephants make for a charming feature wall in this cheerful nursery. The wildlife printed on the bedspread and the stuffed alligator peeking over from inside the teal bucket serve as friendly companions for the room’s newest resident.
For a more conservative route, leave your wall colours alone and feature a framed animal photo series instead. Easier still, huddle stuffed toys in a basket to create a focal point on the floor. These can be swapped out easily if you want to overhaul your decor later on.
This sugar-and-hickory themed room draws all eyes to the wooden wagon that houses a bevy of stuffed animals. Apart from the cut-out wooden duck and the soft gold mobile that crowns the bed, the decor of the room is largely governed by the wagon and its denizens.
This sugar-and-hickory themed room draws all eyes to the wooden wagon that houses a bevy of stuffed animals. Apart from the cut-out wooden duck and the soft gold mobile that crowns the bed, the decor of the room is largely governed by the wagon and its denizens.
Use texture
A neutral palette in a nursery can be given definition and depth by throwing in a mix of textures. Pale stone cladding, wood panelling and textured wallpapers are worth considering.
This light beechwood wall complements this clean white nursery and works as an effective design statement. The panels display a subtle moss effect and the aqua rug and map transport you to a peaceful evening with baby by the seaside.
A neutral palette in a nursery can be given definition and depth by throwing in a mix of textures. Pale stone cladding, wood panelling and textured wallpapers are worth considering.
This light beechwood wall complements this clean white nursery and works as an effective design statement. The panels display a subtle moss effect and the aqua rug and map transport you to a peaceful evening with baby by the seaside.
Practise ‘less is more’
Choose one or two central elements to build a cohesive space. Photo frames, personalised stencils and pretty baubles can be brought together to create a pleasing vignette in the nursery. This way, you don’t have to bother changing any of your permanent fixtures to create a space for your baby.
In this case, the pastel pink and white palette breathes life into an otherwise plain room. Interestingly, the room doesn’t feature larger-than-life fixtures like wall paintings and motifs. The decor is composed of small portable elements, like an array of blush-pink paintings, a pelican-pink basket and a white rug. Contrary to typical pink rooms, this space has a uniquely gender-neutral vibe.
Choose one or two central elements to build a cohesive space. Photo frames, personalised stencils and pretty baubles can be brought together to create a pleasing vignette in the nursery. This way, you don’t have to bother changing any of your permanent fixtures to create a space for your baby.
In this case, the pastel pink and white palette breathes life into an otherwise plain room. Interestingly, the room doesn’t feature larger-than-life fixtures like wall paintings and motifs. The decor is composed of small portable elements, like an array of blush-pink paintings, a pelican-pink basket and a white rug. Contrary to typical pink rooms, this space has a uniquely gender-neutral vibe.
Create a nature-inspired feature wall
A feature wall showcasing nature is a brilliant way to add life to a room. Sunrises, bird formations and floral depictions can infuse character to a plain room, and still leave the baby’s gender anybody’s guess. Match the hues on your feature wall with other elements like curtains, wardrobe laminates and lamps.
The feature wall of this gender-neutral nursery shows daybreak in virtual greyscale. The grey chevron curtains and the matching storage unit in the far right corner lift the yellow sunrise on the wall. Feature walls like this one are universally applicable, ideal for a little boy or girl.
A feature wall showcasing nature is a brilliant way to add life to a room. Sunrises, bird formations and floral depictions can infuse character to a plain room, and still leave the baby’s gender anybody’s guess. Match the hues on your feature wall with other elements like curtains, wardrobe laminates and lamps.
The feature wall of this gender-neutral nursery shows daybreak in virtual greyscale. The grey chevron curtains and the matching storage unit in the far right corner lift the yellow sunrise on the wall. Feature walls like this one are universally applicable, ideal for a little boy or girl.
Play with accents
A handful of clever accents can pull a unisex nursery together. Pick animal wall hangings, pretty overhead lamps and petite showpieces that are emblematic of childhood. Place a large cuddly stuffed toy in a spare corner to see your nursery take shape. Keep your accents in line with the colour of your room.
See how this beige nursery is brought to life with the zigzag animal wall decor, the cerulean vintage pendant lamps hanging from an accent ceiling of white and blue, and the charming placement of curios along the shelf on the left. A stuffed giraffe on the floor completes the nursery. The decor scheme tilts towards simplicity, yet is full of personality.
A handful of clever accents can pull a unisex nursery together. Pick animal wall hangings, pretty overhead lamps and petite showpieces that are emblematic of childhood. Place a large cuddly stuffed toy in a spare corner to see your nursery take shape. Keep your accents in line with the colour of your room.
See how this beige nursery is brought to life with the zigzag animal wall decor, the cerulean vintage pendant lamps hanging from an accent ceiling of white and blue, and the charming placement of curios along the shelf on the left. A stuffed giraffe on the floor completes the nursery. The decor scheme tilts towards simplicity, yet is full of personality.
Place a patterned rug
Who doesn’t love a good rug? Babies certainly do. Rugs can be classic canvases for quintessential unisex patterns. Choose from stripes, polka dots and checks to give your room a truly gender-neutral appeal. Rugs can be excellent shock absorbers for active, crawling babies. Plus, layering your floor with a thick rug can offer some respite for your feet on long days and longer nights.
This pastel polka-dot rug lights up this sky-blue room, covering the floor in a sheath of comfort.
Read more:
8 Must-Haves For a Baby’s Nursery
10 Things to Know Before Designing a Nursery
Tell us:
Have you come across any interesting gender-neutral nurseries? Share pictures in Comments below.
Who doesn’t love a good rug? Babies certainly do. Rugs can be classic canvases for quintessential unisex patterns. Choose from stripes, polka dots and checks to give your room a truly gender-neutral appeal. Rugs can be excellent shock absorbers for active, crawling babies. Plus, layering your floor with a thick rug can offer some respite for your feet on long days and longer nights.
This pastel polka-dot rug lights up this sky-blue room, covering the floor in a sheath of comfort.
Read more:
8 Must-Haves For a Baby’s Nursery
10 Things to Know Before Designing a Nursery
Tell us:
Have you come across any interesting gender-neutral nurseries? Share pictures in Comments below.
Consider how your nursery will adapt as your child grows older. It’s important to be able to tailor a room to every age and stage. A unisex palette can be a good way to anchor your design, while also leaving scope for change. Move away from run-of-the-mill gender-neutral choices and choose tradition-defying colours like grey, turquoise, aqua, mint and olive. Align your decor and accents to your colour scheme.
The warm olive walls that envelope this nursery seek to highlight the pockets of colour that run through the room, like the turquoise bench, the candy-pink upholstery and the oval rug in lavender and blues. There are no traditional nursery patterns here, but the colour combination is versatile, meaning that the room can be easily turned over to suit an older child. The perky pinks and blues have been used in equal measure, tied together with the soft natural tones of the walls and floor.