Top tips for designing a gender-neutral nursery

Before your baby arrives, you will no doubt be creating multiple Pinterest boards of your favourite nursery ideas before you go ahead and actually buy furniture and begin to decorate. It is becoming increasingly popular to design a gender-neutral nursery, whether you know the sex of your baby or not. It shouldn’t be a daunting task though, there are so many amazing ideas out there that aren’t gender stereotypical, but to make it even easier, we’ve put together a list of top tips to help you create the look you want.

Colour

The safest option is to choose soft, neutral tones such as white, cream & pale grey for the wall colour and bedroom furniture, this can then be complemented nicely with coloured accents around the room in either soft pastels or cheerful brights. Metallics are another great way of adding gender-neutral highlights; silver, gold or rose gold add a touch of elegance and sophistication too.

Theme

It’s always good to tell a story with the theme of your nursery, try thinking of non-gender-specific themes such as travel/adventure, animals, storybook characters, under the sea etc. Try not to overdo it, consider an accent wall in a print to suit your theme, or add wall motifs alongside a few framed images or soft toys.

Texture & Pattern

When a baby is born their eyes can’t focus very well at first, studies have shown that contrasting patterns keep a babies attention much better than plain colour as they are far more distinct. Contrasting black & white is the most distinctive because it is 100% contrast, but other dark colours with lighter shades work too. So incorporating spots, stripes, chevrons and abstract patterns into your nursery décor is more stimulating for your baby than a lot of block plain colours. Textures can be added through the use of blankets, cushions, rugs and wall hangings for a more cosy look, creating a room that not only your baby can enjoy.

*Cushions from Edie & Joe- click on image to shop

Furniture & decorations

For larger furniture items we recommend sticking to white or pale grey for a gender-neutral look, you can also then re-use them for your potential future babies! Smaller items such as lamps, baby mobiles and cushions are where you can add the pops of colour in a more subtle way. Hanging mobiles are a great way of incorporating your chosen theme and give your baby something to focus on from their bed.

*Mobile from Edie & Joe- click on image to shop

Personalisation

Make your nursery personal to you and your baby by including personalised items such as bunting, framed prints or a letter cushion. This is another great way to feature your colour pops and add interest to your plain walls. Depending on whether you have chosen a name yet, you may have to add these final touches later once your baby is born and named.