20 Best Nursery Paint Colors And Accent Wall Ideas
Choosing the right paint color for your nursery may not be your biggest consideration among all those that come with a baby. Believe me, I know! But it’s so important to set the mood for a room where you’ll be spending a lot of time. And because I want to help, I have rounded up a giant list of the best nursery paint colors to get you started.
You may recall it took me almost a year to go from vision board to reality with my daughter’s nursery makeover almost a decade ago. It was chock full of fun DIY projects to make it extra special, and I love how it turned out.
The paint color I ultimately chose, Benjamin Moore Lido Green, ended up being a bit of a surprise. I just knew I was going to go with the more blue of the two hues, Robin’s Egg – until I tried both on the wall. More on that lovely mint green when we get to the list.
First, I will cover a few common big-picture questions about painting your nursery.
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PRO Tip
Any time you are choosing a new paint color, you need to try out the real paint color in your home first!
The easiest and quickest way to do that is with Samplize! I solely use them for paint samples now. There’s no mess, no leftover sample pots of paint. Plus, these no-mess, peel-and-stick rectangles made from real paint, are easy to move around the room and easy to save for future reference!
NOTE: If you’re painting the room yourself, these tools will help tremendously. And this post will give you my best tips for painting a room in 5 easy steps.
What paint can I use in a nursery?
For the safest paint to use in a baby’s nursery, look for paints with low-volatile organic compounds (VOC) or even better, zero-VOC paints. VOCs are solvents in chemicals released into the air as paint dries, sometimes causing symptoms like headaches and nausea. Ask your paint store about low- or zero-VOC options.
Do nurseries need to be colorful?
Not necessarily. While there are some go-to colors, your perfect nursery feels soothing for you and your little one. That may mean more color for some and little, if any, for others. I have a section below just for neutral colors in nurseries.
And while color makes a huge difference, remember that other choices like rugs, curtains, and art will all play a part in making the room feel more relaxing. Starting with a design board will help keep you focused and stay cohesive.
What are the best colors to paint a nursery?
Color psychology points to colors like pale blues and greens, lavenders, warm grays, soft pinks and yellows as your best options for soothing spaces. You will see shades of all these on this list, plus a few nontraditional color palettes with creative use of an accent color or wallpaper.
As always when choosing paint, consider the natural light the room receives. If there’s a lot, a cooler color palette will balance well with it. If there’s less light, choosing warmer colors will compensate.
Best Nursery Paint Colors for Girls
I will start with the best nursery paint colors for girls because that’s where I’ve had the most personal experience! The first three examples will show you some of the colors I’ve used in our girls’ rooms over the years.
1. Benjamin Moore Lido Green
I fell in love with this soft, minty, green-blue hue after sampling it on the wall next to my first choice Robin’s Egg blue. You can read more about it in my previous post about Lido Green paint.
2. Farrow & Ball No. 202 Pink Ground
This beautiful peachy pink color is gorgeous in a room the girls shared for a while. I remember how excited they were to finally get bunk beds! Be sure to check out this soft pink on the Farrow & Ball website, which shows how it displays in different levels of light. It’s so dynamic.
3. Benjamin Moore Cream Puff
This lovely light pink color set the tone wonderfully in our first-born daughter’s nursery and made the transition to a big girl’s room nicely as she grew up.
4. Benjamin Moore Raspberry Ice
I love the light and airy feel of this cool, pale, purple with a touch of gray undertones to keep it soft and welcoming. It also works well with the combination of warm and true whites.
5. Benjamin Moore Seaside Sand
While this deep mauve is described as a near-neutral, I like how this space lets it hold all of the impact with warm floors, a light, natural rug, white furniture and mobile.
Best Nursery Paint Colors for Boys
I admit it was fun to find my favorite nursery paint colors for boys since I haven’t gotten to design a room for one of my own. Now, with my second child’s nursery, the woodland theme I chose incorporated a nod to her father’s hunting pastime. I know it still wasn’t exactly rugged.
After playing baby-boy make-believe a bit, here are my picks for the best nursery paint colors for baby rooms for boys.
1. Sherwin Williams Retreat
Speaking of the outdoors, this medium-to-dark green has soothing blue-gray undertones and is described as filling your space with “the fresh feeling of mountain air.” The natural fabrics, tree, and earth tones keep with that theme. Check out my list of best sage green paint colors for other, similar options.
2. Benjamin Moore Hale Navy
Hale Navy is a favorite in my own home and my pick for our living room, which is full of light with a wall of windows. The contrast is so nice, just as it is here as an accent wall. Just more proof that dark colors can work just about anywhere. I thought the wooden crib against the dark wall was an interesting choice over white furniture, but with everything else light and bright, it’s nice.
3. Benjamin Moore Whitestone
Focus on the word “stone” rather than “white” in the name of this one, which is a cool light gray that pairs well with blue accessories and warm woods.
4. Benjamin Moore First Snowfall
This color is described as a “delicate blue-gray,” however I see hints of lilac when paired here with the hydrangeas and gorgeous rug, don’t you? Please click through to see this entire nursery to see how it plays off of the beautiful watercolor-effect mural on an adjacent wall.
5. Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray
A “steely gray with hints of blue,” this shade makes a lovely accent wall that appears almost like a calm sky when paired with all of the natural elements and art here.
6. Benjamin Moore Lehigh Green
This bold, grassy green is a non-traditional pick that sets a lush backdrop. It works so well with the many shades of blue because it has a bit of blue in it. I adore the blue painted ceiling, which is a custom color she shares in her nursery reveal.
Best Neutrals for Nursery Walls
While I’ve shown examples of how we transitioned our girls’ rooms along with their ages and preferences, you might consider a neutral nursery if you want the most options for the space later. I am not necessarily taking the traditional route of greens and yellows for a gender-neutral nursery but true neutral color palettes. Here are a few of my favorite neutral paint colors for that.
1. Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
This may be the best pick overall because it’s so popular for working with warm and cool tones. For example, see how it looks so nice with the cool gray crib, the warm wood frames, and the rich, darker redwood on the rocking chair? I’ve used this paint color in my former living room and primary bedroom, so I know first hand how flexible it is.
2. Benjamin Moore Big Bend Beige
Online, this color looks almost like a putty and is described as being reminiscent of desert clay. With a lot of light, you see a hint of pink. It’s such a soothing neutral for a nursery, especially with a blend of pastels and cozy textures.
3. Sherwin Williams Alabaster
This white is versatile for any room and warm enough to bring the soothing vibe you want in a nursery.
4. Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
This one has a similar warming effect and is more gray. It is reminiscent of the tree for which it’s named and pairs especially well with other natural colors, or brighter whites, as you see here.
5. Benjamin Moore Paper White
This shade has just enough blue-gray to contrast with bright white furniture and trim, adding dimension to the room.
Beautiful Nursery Wallpaper & Accent Wall Ideas
I have shown a few accent wall examples for the sake of highlighting particular colors. Here are a few more examples I like for wallpaper treatments, feature walls, or other accents. You can create a nursery accent wall with a patterned wallpaper, a contrasting color, a large gallery arrangement, or some combination of these. Take a look.
1. Traditional Woodland Nursery With Wallpaper
This entire nursery is wallpapered in Pure Acorn wallpaper by Morris & Co. in linen/ecru, which are neutral colors yet bring so much visual interest and warmth to the room. The deep greens of nature scenes and mix of woods and metals in the gallery art create a gorgeous focal point above the crib.
2. Pretty Patterns from Studio McGee
This Florencecourt wallpaper in Stone from McGee & Co. has a similar effect, where busy patterns bring so much texture while still feeling cozy because of how well the neutral colors blend. And the Benjamin Moore Just Beige on the ceiling? Just enough pink.
3. Delightful Dots Wallpaper Accent Wall
And speaking of pink, do you not just love this accent wall of Schumacher Raindots Polka Dots wallpaper in Washed Pink?
4. Fab Finished Attic With Slatted Wood Feature Wall
Last, this accent wall of grey pine shiplap wood was a game-changer in this dramatic attic makeover.
Final Thoughts
I hope these examples of best nursery paint colors will help as you’re planning a special space for your wee one. Let me know if you have favorites among these (or others!). As always, if you have questions, just ask!
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