How to design a gender neutral nursery

Do you want to design a nursery for your little one that doesn’t conform to traditional gender rules? More and more of our clients are requesting gender neutral nursery design schemes that defy gender stereotypes, many have chosen not to know the gender of their child before birth while others realise they don’t need to be limited by these outdated design rules.

So, if you’re sick of blue, baby boy nurseries adorned with car toys or if you’re tired of seeing pink, soft baby girl bedrooms filled with dolls and princess paraphernalia then you've come to the right place. 

At My Bespoke Room, we’re all about creating room designs that reflect our client's personalities and nurseries should be no different. Parents should consider their own styles and tastes and translate them into their nursery. After all, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in this room, do you really want to step into a room that is an assault on the senses?!

Take a look below at some of our top tips on how to create the best gender neutral nursery for you. 

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Gender neutral nursery colours

Just because you would like a gender neutral nursery doesn't mean it has to use dull and uninspiring colours. 

A green gender neutral nursery is proving to be very popular with our clients. This is because green’s natural connections are automatically soothing and psychologically represent balance, security and new beginnings. Which are obviously beautiful and highly relevant concepts to be considered when selecting a colour for your nursery. 

You can create a green gender neutral nursery by using muted greens like mint or pale sage on the walls to pair with white or warm light wood furniture which would create a crisp almost Scandinavian feel. Or you could choose to create a feature wall using wallpapers which portray natural green landscapes prints or even paint a single wall a deep emerald green, both of which will create a stunning contrast to the space while simultaneously giving a relaxed atmosphere. 

Green also partners well with pink. Despite being traditionally a feminine colour pink is more often these days as a neutral colour to be paired with others. For example, you can use light pink paint to give the walls some warmth while adding muted green panelling to give a stunning contrast that creates a welcoming and cosy setting. 

You can also layer pink into your scheme through accents in more muted and dusky pinks which won’t scream “Disney princess” at you when you enter the room. Or if you are trying to make the room less feminine then we recommend bringing in black accents through hardware, lighting or picture frames to lessen the softness and create some crisp modern contrast. 

However, if you would like to take the term “gender neutral nursery” literally then you can always design the space by using a neutral monochrome palette, but there are some rules you need to keep in mind. If you like the idea of a white backdrop for your walls, we suggest you avoid pure white shades to avoid being blinded in the mornings and instead opt for an off-white with undertones of yellow or even black. This will soften the space and make it feel more cosy than clinical. 

Most importantly if you’re going to use neutral colours, make sure you layer in lots of texture to prevent the space from feeling flat or uncomfortable. Introduce natural materials like wooden furniture or shelves and especially lots of soft throws and cushions to help you and your baby feel relaxed and get you through the long night shifts!

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Gender neutral nursery wallpaper

Image credit: My Bespoke Room

As we mentioned briefly in the previous section, green natural landscapes can create a feeling of tranquillity but they can also create the idea of wonder. There’s a big world out there for your baby to explore and a whole world of imagination to adventure so why not give them a taste of it? 

We’ve seen parents opt for murals of maps both modern and oldy worldly depending on their personal taste. If you loved the Magic Faraway Tree books by Enid Blyton then maybe put up some forest wallpaper to give the room the same magical adventure theme. Or if you’re an active family and love going for walks and hikes - having wallpaper that envisions your trails will only ever make you happy when you walk into this room.

Never forget that wallpaper is the perfect opportunity for you to insert your own personality into a space. If you have an affinity for elephants then find some wallpaper covered in lots of tiny elephants or if you are obsessed with English flowers then go for it and use prints covered in beautiful flowers that you love. Drip-feeding your family's personality into the nursery will make the space feel so much more personal and full of love.

Boho gender neutral nursery

We’re seeing more and more Boho gender neutral nurseries popping up in our social media feed as of late - and we are here for it! And kids seem to love this theme as they get older too! In fact, during our #MBRKidsDesignCamp, many of the entries sent in by aspiring young designers were in the boho theme.

Bohemian design is beloved by those who want to add some culture into their homes, often layering elements collected over time from their adventures and giving a real unique and eclectic feel to the space. We love the warm and earthy, saturated colours, mixed with organic natural elements. It gives off such a laid-back, free-spirit vibe, which is immediately comforting and homely.

Want to see more nursery and children's bedroom inspiration?  Click the button below to browse through some of our favourite children's bedroom projects:

Gender-neutral nursery furniture

We recommend investing in neutral furniture that can be added to, reworked or adapted over the years as your child grows and their interests change. This could be either simple white/black or wooden furniture so later you can swap out paint colours, wall art and soft furnishings around them.

We always remind our clients to consider hideaway but easily accessible storage, especially for nappies, bedding, clothes etc. Don’t forget to implement some shelves and even bookshelves to display those special baby personalised prints and baby book collections.
Consider also adding in some fun sensory elements like a projector light, mobile, and fun artwork on the walls.flow

Gender neutral nursery theme

Image credit: @No2threestoryhome

Never limit your creativity when designing your nursery! If you want to have a full fun theme then go for it. However, we advise you use a theme subtly throughout the space and use non-permanent methods like stick-on wall murals or in your artwork that can be swapped out later when a new theme catches your eye.

Bring in colour through pops of bright and fun artwork on the walls. Picture ledges are a must-have so that you can swap out art and photos easily over time. You can also add in colour through your soft furnishings such as cushions and throws which can be easily and affordably swapped out over time to refresh the look.

Our Head of Design Lucy always advises green houseplants to bring texture, colour and life to any space!

Extra nursery ideas

Image credit: My Bespoke Room

You can turn any space in your home into the nursery of your dreams. Just take a look at the before and after above to see what you can do given the right design techniques and tools. Although this space is beautiful, it's worth mentioning a few functional aspects that you should consider in your gender neutral nursery.

Have you thought about blinds? If you have a light-sleeping little one then black-out blinds are worth considering in case they are likely to be woken up by early morning light, not to mention how handy these will be when you want to get them down for a long daytime nap! While we’re thinking about lighting, you need to think about soft night lights for babies who like a low-level soft light at bedtime.

We also recommend thinking carefully about the type of cot/bed you would like. Are you choosing a smaller cot that the baby will outgrow in months rather than years or would you rather opt for a larger cot bed which will last them into toddler years? We always advise our customers to think long-term. Will this room become your child's room in later years? If so then think if there is enough room for a full-size single bed and storage space.

And one of our most valuable tips when designing a nursery is to make sure there is somewhere cosy for you to sit, especially for those late-night feeds. Treat yourself to something soft and comfy and make your life as easy as possible.

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