Your nursery colour palette
Colour sets the mood of a nursery more than anything else in it. It decides whether the room feels calm at 3 a.m., whether it suits the light you have, and whether it still feels right as your child grows.
A beautiful palette is rarely one perfect colour. It's how a few colours work together, and where each one goes: the walls, the curtains, the rug, the art.
By Tira, founder of Nursery Design Studio · 450+ nurseries designed since 2017
Let Nest plan it for your room
- A palette built from the colours you love and your style
- The exact paint for your walls and trim
- Wallpaper in your colours, or one that goes with them
- Where every colour goes in the room
Your first board is free. Your exact paint colours come with the whole plan, $49 once.
What to think about
- The light in the room, and which way it faces
- The colours in the rest of your home
- Your style, and the wood and metal you love
- Paint, wallpaper, or both
- Undertones: the same colour can read warm or cool on your walls
- Whether you are planning for a boy, a girl or a surprise
- How the room will grow with your child
Always test before you paint; colours change with the light through the day.
Colour by style
Each of my eleven styles has its own colours. See them in real rooms in each style guide:
Questions, answered
What colours are best for a nursery?
Soft, muted colours tend to feel calmest. The right ones depend on your light, your home and your style, which is what Nest works from.
How do I choose nursery paint colours?
Start with your style and the colours you love, think about the light, and test on the wall before you commit. Nest names the exact paint for your walls.
Should a nursery be painted a dark colour?
It can be beautiful, in the right room. Your light and your style decide it.
Does Nest give exact paint colours?
Yes. Your plan names the exact paint for your walls and trim.
Designed by Tira, planned for your room.
Nest uses the same thinking I bring to client rooms, from 450+ nurseries designed since 2017.
Start my nursery plan →