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How to Choose Paint Colours for a Nursery | Little Greene

Close up of a panelled nursery painted Pale Lime Green featuring two teddies on chairs and a stripey teepee.

How to Choose Nursery Paint Colours

Our durable Child Safe paints allow you to use beautiful colours from our palette in nurseries, children’s bedrooms and all areas of the family home.

Explore inspiring nursery room paint colour ideas for your little one’s room.

A blue nursery with powder blue (James) walls featuring a bookshelf and a brown rocking horse with a soft toy on top.

Add a calming quality with blue paint shades

Blue nursery colour schemes naturally bring depth, calmness and longevity to any space. James, Delicate Blue and Pale Wedgwood are perfect examples of light, soothing shades - ideal for creating a timeless environment which never goes out of style.

Walls: James

Woodwork: Gauze

Rocking horse: Attic II & Slaked Lime – Deep

Nursery with Bone China Blue - Pale wall and desk, Hick's Blue chalkboard wall square and a bright yellow (Trumpet) chair.

Add a colour highlight within a blue tonal scheme using child-safe furniture paint. Bright yellows, such as Trumpet, introduce a playful touch within an otherwise soft and neutral scheme.

Walls & Desk: Bone China Blue - Pale
Chalk board: Hicks’ Blue
Chair: Trumpet
Flooring: Bone China Blue & Bone China Blue - Pale

Children's nursery painted in 3 different shades of green neutral 'Green Stone' with childrens toys and a small wicker chair.

Create a harmonious nursery with Colour Scales

Layer different tones of the same colour for added depth and harmony. Neither too warm nor too cool, green is a calming shade that sits comfortably in any space due to its association with nature.

Wall, Ceiling & Window Trim: Green Stone – Pale

Upper Panelling: Green Stone – Light

Lower Panelling: Green Stone

Painting Ideas for a Nursery

Nurseries offer an ideal opportunity to embrace bright and colourful schemes that will inspire your little one. Transform your child’s room with bold focal points or fun colour pairings.

Nursery featuring bright orange drawers (Marigold) and cartoon lion artwork on contrasting grey walls (Bone China Blue).

Balance a bright scheme with neutral nursery colours

Our colour card encompasses a fabulous range of easy-to-use neutrals, graduated greys, soft and bold tones, as well as striking, dark shades.

Brighter colours such as Orange Aurora, Marigold, and Mambo can be used to add a colour highlight in an otherwise neutral space. Contrast gentle Bone China Blue - Pale walls with furniture in the vibrant orange, Marigold, to introduce an element of fun to your nursery space.

Drawers: Marigold
Stool: Chocolate Colour
Walls: Bone China Blue - Pale
Building Blocks: Marigold & Carmine
Flooring: Bone China Blue & Bone China Blue - Pale

Nursery featuring a Pale Lime green and pale blue-green (Brighton) paneled wall, and bright orange baseboards (Marigold).

Here, Slaked Lime on the ceiling and upper walls provides balance alongside a playful colour blocking design using Pale Lime, Brighton and Marigold.

Baseboard: Marigold
Lower Wall: Pale Lime
Upper Wall: Brighton
Ceiling: Slaked Lime

How to Choose Paint Finishes for a Nursery

Our ‘Intelligent’ paint finishes have been certified under EN 71-3:2019, meaning they are eco-friendly and free from toxic ingredients. Our paints contain the lowest possible levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), so they have no odour and are completely safe for use in children’s rooms. Our water-based woodwork paint finishes can even be used for painting nursery furniture, cots and wooden toys.

In addition to providing a beautiful finish, our Intelligent, water-based paints are fully washable and resist the wear and tear of the modern home.

Children's bedroom with white bunk beds and the lower wall painted in pale blue 'Tivoli' with toys, a small desk and chair.

Paint finish for nursery walls

When painting the walls of a nursery, Intelligent Matt Emulsion provides a hard-wearing finish that can be wiped clean. It is easy to apply, achieving full depth of colour through minimal coats.

Walls: Tivoli
Bedframe: Shirting
Inside of bunk bed: Phthalo Green
Wooden chair: Deep Space Blue
Desk legs: Theatre Red
Shelf: Mister David, Edge: Phthalo Green

For practical painting advice, explore our step-by-step guide to painting walls.

Children's wooden chair painted with soft brownish red (Ashes of Roses) next to a white wicker shelf unit and pink basket.

Paint finish for nursery woodwork

For painting nursery furniture, such as wooden cots and even wooden toys, we would advise using our Intelligent Eggshell or Intelligent Satin finishes. These are durable, fully washable and available in our complete colour palette.

Chair: Ashes of Roses

Wicker Shelf Unit: Shirting

FAQ's

What are the best colours for nurseries?

As well as being a practical space, your nursery should have a calm, bright and inspiring atmosphere for your little one. For a bolder scheme, Juniper Ash will provide a strong base where you can introduce brighter accent shades. For a more muted finish, combine Masquerade and Pleat for a soft and soothing scheme that is very easy on the eye. For a calm blue scheme, paint diagonal stripes of Bone China Blue across a wall of the bright white, Shirting.

Which wallpapers are best for a nursery?

Wallpaper allows you to bring in an element of texture and add instant character to a nursery space. Lovers’ Toile is a classic bedroom wallpaper, based on a traditional Toile de Jouy. For a tranquil pairing, combine the soft Blush colourway with panelling in the mint green, Aquamarine – Mid. Alternatively, pair the charming, quirky Burges Snail - Ocean with Masquerade for a playful finish.

Browse our selection of child and baby safe paints.

For more nursery design ideas, explore our inspiration gallery.