From bright patterns to cool neutrals with splashes of colour, there is a huge breadth of nursery decoration ideas floating around on social media platforms such as Instagram. The nursery is a place where you can really let your imagination run wild to create something that feels perfect for both you and your new-born. Creative director at Dulux, Marianne Shillingford added:

“Soft dreamy colours that help you and your baby feel relaxed are perfect for a nursery. Use warm organic neutrals and greys like Gentle Fawn, Egyptian Cotton and Polished Pebble for the predominant background colours then make it more personal by adding colour to a feature like the door and skirting boards or a band around the room. Try whispered chalky pastels like Blush Pink, Mineral Mist and Tranquil Dawn”.

We’ve done the hard work for you and taken a look at the top trends, colours and themes for nurseries to help you decide how to complete your look.

Top trends for nurseries

White furniture

As you browse through nursery posts on Instagram, there are certainly some recurring trends that will come up again and again. The most common trend is the use of white furniture, which appears in 31% of all posts. White furniture adds an air of versatility to any room; it goes with most colours whether they might be complimentary lighter shades such as Blossom White, or darker more contrasting shades like Chic Shadow. Marianne says:

“White furniture for a nursery is so popular because it simply goes with everything you have and adds a lovely shot of optimistic freshness to what is often the smallest room.  Grey is also a versatile ‘neutral’ colour as are pale natural woods but sometimes it’s on the furniture that you want to have a bit of fun and if you paint it, you can repaint to suit different styles as they get older. Try painting a small storage unit in a stronger colour that cheers you up - and makes you feel like a kid again whenever you see it.”     

Rattan furniture

Next on the list with 27% of posts is rattan furniture. Rattan has become very popular over the years as it is quite low cost, but very pleasing on the eye. The natural wooden weaves can add vibrance to any room, and as with white furniture, the natural tones are very versatile and compliment varying colour schemes and themes.

Plants

Third on the list is plants, which appear in 25% of posts. The benefits of having live plants in a room is very well documented. Plants help oxygenate the room improving air quality, but plants have also been shown to have to help reduce stress levels and improve mood. In fact, so much so that a branch of study (no pun intended!) called horticultural therapy has emerged, which has been shown to have positive impacts on patients suffering with depression, anxiety and even dementia. Common, easy to look after house plants include Christmas cactus, spider plants and nolina maya.

Top nursery colours

White

White is strong again when it comes to nursery colours. It’s a gender-neutral colour that goes with anything, so it only makes sense that 65% of all posts would include it. White adds brightness to darker rooms and can give the illusion of space to smaller rooms, it’s also been shown to have a positive impact on mood as it invokes feelings of peace and tranquillity. Off whites such as such as Jasmine White and Magnolia are always popular choices. Try pairing white walls with natural wooden furniture and neutral accessories to complete your nursery space.

Grey

Next on the list is grey, featured in 27% of posts. Grey is a dependable neutral and is more decorative than white making it an ideal colour choice for a nursery. Flourishes of accent colour can be added through furniture, soft furnishings and accessories to give the room a splash of vibrancy and personality. Greys such as Pearl Grey or Feather Flock bring warmth and an air of sophistication to a room and works with a variety of accent colours.

Pink

Third on the list is pink, usually associated with baby girls, but also a perfect colour for any new-born. The versatility and variety of shades of pink from blush pinks to hot pinks mean it features in 19% of all posts. Pink is both aesthetically pleasing and calming; having been shown to reduce stress levels and create a more relaxing atmosphere. Pinks such as Sorbet and Ballerina Dance also compliment a variety of other colours, so you certainly won’t struggle to make your furniture and accessories fit.

Top nursery themes

Animals

We have been described as a nation of animal lovers, so it should come as no surprise that animals feature heavily in many popular nursery designs. 55% of the posts we checked included animals, and within the animal category there are some favourites that show up again and again.

Our top 10 list of animals

1. Giraffes – our long-necked friends are head and shoulders above the rest
2. Rabbits – a furry cotton-tailed favourite
3. Elephants – we can’t get enough of old Nelly
4. Bears – no child’s room would be complete without a teddy or two
5. Lions – the King of the Jungle is the top cat in the nursery
6. Tigers – stripes all the way
7. Foxes – bright eyed and bushy tailed
8. Monkeys – our cheeky cousins are a fond favourite
9. Birds – soaring in to our top 10
10. Unicorns – because everybody needs a bit of rainbow sparkle in their lives

If you can’t pick just one, then go wild with a jungle-themed room and build your own personal menagerie using Willow Tree, Enchanted Eden and Putting Green paints.

Rainbows

If you are looking to add a splash of colour to your nursery, why not go for a bit of everything? Rainbows are hugely popular and crop up in 15% of posts. It’s a simple design that can add so much to a simple space, and you’ll never need to worry about what colour accessories to go for as the whole idea of the theme is to incorporate as much colour as possible! A top tip from Marianne:

“Tester pots are perfect for getting creative on your nursery walls. You can paint simple shapes like clouds, stars and bubbles using stencils and for a bigger project like a rainbow, check out this Dulux ‘how to’ video and adapt the technique to your favourite shades.”  

Stars

We’re seeing stars for the 3^rd most common theme for Instagram nurseries, featuring in 13% of posts. Colourful stars are simple to create in a room and once again add a splash of much needed colour. There are various styles to choose from to create something to draw your little one’s attention and spark their imagination, from your superhero cartoon theme to more subtle pastel stars interspersed on walls. Use Rich Black, Purple Pout, Lost Lake, Striking Cyan and White Cotton in combination to make this striking constellation on your child’s wall. This Dulux ‘how to’ video provides all the steps! 

Celebrity inspiration

If you are really looking to be inspired, you can’t go wrong by having a browse to see what some of our famous faces are up to with their homes. Samantha Faier’s tree-house bunk bed (with a slide attached), Jen Metcalfe's tent bed with dinosaur mural and Stacey Soloman's flower wall feature prove that celebs never do anything by halves. Some of the top accounts to follow include:

Zoë Sugg 

Zoë rose to fame as her YouTube alias, Zoella, where she amassed over 10 million subscribers, she has since become a big name in beauty products and released her own range of homeware products. As a new mum many of her posts have centred around her preparing for the baby, including beautiful bright and happy nursery room makeover.

Stacy Solomon

Stacy became a household name after appearing in the X-Factor in 2006, she has since made appearances on I’m a Celeb and is a regular panellist on Loose Women. She has become a huge personality on Instagram and after buying a house with her fiancé, Joe Swash, has been a fantastic source of home décor inspiration. Known for her “Tap to Tidy” videos, and later a book of the same name, Stacy has recently given birth to a new baby and spent the last few months creating one of the most extra nurseries you’ll lay your eyes on. She is due to host a new series, Sort Your Life Out, starting soon on the BBC.

Sophie Hinchcliffe

Sophie rose to fame as an influencer for her cleaning tips and tricks and has since written three bestselling books on the topic as well as her memoir last year. A friend of Stacy Solomon, she recently gave birth to her second child and her Instagram posts featuring her family life over the last few months have been a huge source of home décor inspiration.

There we have it; the top trends, colours and themes for nurseries as decided by Instagram posts, all pulled together for you by Dulux. For more inspiration be sure to check out the section of our website that is packed full of great ideas to brighten up your kid’s bedroom.