11 stylish nursery ideas for a house's youngest occupants
Nurseries are certainly one of the trickier rooms in a house to decorate. It has to be a comfortable and practical place for a newborn, whilst also possessing the ability to evolve with your child. Your first considerations will probably include ventilation, natural light, light blocking, sound and proximity to the parents' room.
Yes, it has to be child-friendly, but as an adult, you'll be spending a lot of time in there too, tackling (most likely) seemingly endless feeds and changes and well as some special moments reading and playing. So you have to think about how you, your co-parents and other children will be using the room too. Lots of clever storage is absolutely vital for the room to work for everyone.
Historically, nurseries in the west were considered purely practical spaces to be kept in the smallest dwellings in the house, with no design or play features. It wasn't until the late 19th century that parenting experts began recommending introducing interactive play elements and design features that would be educational and aesthetically pleasing. Famous nursery spaces that captured popular imagination include the surreal haven in Goodnight Moon (1947) by Margaret Wise Brown.
Aesthetics are now often a big priority for parents, who want to create cosy spaces for their family. Whether you're after something cute and whimsical, or a slightly more sophisticated look, we've gathered some beautiful nursery ideas for every taste. Click through our favourite decorating ideas for your baby's nursery below and as they grow up consult our kids' bedroom design guide...
Stylish nursery ideas for a house's youngest occupants
Christopher Horwood1/11In the nursery of artist Natasha Mann's London house, the scheme is rich and sophisticated in deep greens. The benefit of a green room is the gender-neutral associations, so it will work for any style or taste. Plus, this will suite a child as well as a baby. Shelves are always a good idea in baby rooms, for storage and displaying an array of charming objects and books.
Owen Gale2/11The baby's bedroom in Alice Palmer's house is painted in stripes of Farrow & Ball's ‘Foley Green’ on the ceiling. The stripes are a major motif throughout Alice's house, and the lampshade (designed by Alice) is similarly stripy and fun.
Paul Massey3/11Interior designer Irene Gunter’s own flat, in an Arts and Crafts house in south London, is an example of how clever design can make the most of an awkward space. In the nursery, a dropped ceiling was removed to reveal the beams and an LED track was inserted between the top of the walls and the pitched ceiling to shine upwards. The gold spots on the walls are stickers, bought from Amazon. ‘I cut them where they meet the windows and skirting boards to make them look more like wallpaper.’
Rachel Whiting4/11Pandora Sykes' house in London was decorated on a tight schedule before the birth of her daughter. But her optimism, bold vision and love of a vintage bargain helped her achieve the distinctive look she wanted in record time. Curtains in Nina Campbell’s ‘Beau Rivage’ co-ordinate with similar shades of blue in Christian Lacroix’s striped ‘Beach Club’ wallpaper in Pandora's daughter's room.
Alicia Taylor5/11Interior designer Gytha Nuttall has adapted the structure of an office space in a former schoolhouse in south London to create a flat within a flat as a home for her family. Pale blue walls and an oval crib make for a modern nursery for her three-year-old son Eric, whose room is situated on a suspended floor within her double height flat.
Paul Massey6/11The Queen's Park house where Lonika Chande lives with her husband and son is filled with rich colour and pattern. Papier-mâché letters from Edit58 spell out Sasha’s name on ‘Alice in Wonderland’ wallpaper – a Thirties design by CFA Voysey from Trustworth Studios. A Berber rug and woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Picture Gallery Red’ full gloss add warm tones and texture.
Simon Brown7/11At her Oxfordshire cottage, Alexandra Tolstoy has created a traditional interior with the help that incorporates and complements her collection of antiques.The vintage fabric for the blind in one of the children's rooms also came from The Lacquer Chest, and Emma had the cot, one of two, specially made.
Lucas Allen8/11A dramatic use of geometric pattern teamed with modern furniture creates a playful yet sophisticated effect in this Notting Hill town house by Suzy Hoodless. A striped rug and bold mural make this nursery fit in perfectly with the rest of the house.
Rachel Whiting9/11Maria Speake of Retrouvius has transformed this London house into a practical family home full of style and soul, using a cornucopia of reclaimed materials in characteristically imaginative ways.The wallpaper in this child's bedroom is by Daniel Heath.
Alexander James10/11Colour and pattern both enliven and define this family home. The graphic red and white Vivienne Westwood wallpaper in the nursery is far more diverting than any mobile. "Small children seem absolutely riveted by it," says the home's owner, interior designer Bunny Turner of Turner Pocock.
Rachel Whiting11/11Vincent Frey is the grandson of the eponymous Pierre Frey founder (and the current deputy manager of the French fabric and furnishing company). Vincent and his wife Bianca hired architect Marika Dru, an old school friend of Vincent's, to work on their Parisian flat, although they decided to decorate it - including son Vasco's room - themselves. We love the mix of a grand painting with a quirky hanging basket.
