Nursery Paint Colours
A nursery needs to feel calm at 3am as well as cheerful at midday. Soft sages, gentle pinks, warm neutrals and quiet blues create a restful room that can grow with your child. All our paints are ultra-low VOC, with a maximum of 15 g/L. Every shade is available as a 60ml sample.
The best nursery colours are soft and muted rather than bright, so the room stays restful for sleep. Gentle greens, warm neutrals and soft pinks or blues work in most light, and they're easy to grow into as your child gets older. Our paints are ultra-low VOC, with a maximum of 15 g/L. Paint well before the baby arrives and keep the room ventilated while it dries.
At a glance
- Start here
- Soft colour for sleep. Choose muted, gentle shades rather than bright primaries. They keep the room restful and grow with your child.
- North light
- Warm neutrals and pinks. Warm neutrals and pinks. Cool north light suits warm neutrals and soft pinks, which keep the nursery cosy.
- South light
- Soft sages and blues. Soft sages and blues. Warm daylight keeps gentle greens and blues fresh and calm.
- East light
- Gentle warmth for later. Gentle warmth for later. East-facing nurseries cool in the afternoon. Warm neutrals keep naptimes cosy.
- West light
- Calm for bedtime. Calm for bedtime. Warm evening light softens sages and pinks for a gentle bedtime.
- Our paint
- Ultra-low VOC, max 15 g/L. All our paints are ultra-low VOC, with a maximum of 15 g/L. Paint well before the baby arrives, ventilate the room and let it dry fully before use.
- Furniture
- Match or contrast the cot. Furniture Paint lets you colour a chest of drawers or bookcase to match the walls. Let it cure fully before use.
- Sample tip
- Check every change of light. Move your sample between walls. Check it in morning and afternoon daylight, then under the lights you use at night.
Tap any tile to read more.
Soft sages and gentle greens
Calming greens that grow with your child.
Best in south-, east- and west-facing rooms
Soft greens are one of the most popular nursery choices. They are calm, gender-neutral and easy to grow into.
Best in south-, east- and west-facing nurseries. Loxley™ and Glaed™ also suit north-facing rooms.
Gentle pinks and plaster
Warm, soft pinks for cosy nurseries.
Best in north-, east- and west-facing rooms
Soft plaster pinks are warm and gentle without being sugary. They suit cool north-facing rooms especially well.
Best in north-, east- and west-facing nurseries. Lottie™ and Sakkal™ are best kept to east- or west-facing rooms.
Warm neutrals and quiet blues
Easy neutrals and soft blues for any nursery.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
Warm neutrals and soft blues make a calm backdrop for colourful toys and books, and they suit a room as it grows from nursery to bedroom.
Generale™ and Lawrence™ suit any direction; Beeston™ suits north-, east- and west-facing rooms. Zia™ and Milo™ prefer south-, east- or west-facing light.
Sample it the way we would
Step 1
Paint your peel-and-sticks
Each £5.99 sample comes with three paintable peel-and-sticks. Give them two coats and let them dry fully.
Step 2
Stick them around the room
Put them on two or three walls, including the wall opposite the window, at eye level and lower down.
Step 3
Live with them for a day or two
Look in the morning, the afternoon and under your evening lamps. Move them around until you are sure.
Your questions, answered
What is the best colour for a nursery?
Soft, muted shades such as sage, warm neutrals and gentle pinks or blues. They keep the room calm for sleep and grow with your child.
Is your paint safe for a nursery?
Our paints are ultra-low VOC, with a maximum of 15 g/L. As with any paint, decorate well before the baby arrives, keep the room ventilated and let it dry fully before use.
How early should I paint a nursery?
Give it plenty of time, ideally a few weeks before the room is used, so the paint can dry and the room can be aired thoroughly.