Grey is the new pink… and blue.
Gender neutral nurseries are one of the hottest trends at the moment with grey being the colour of choice for most parents when it comes to decorating.
While once yellow and greens ruled the gender-neutral days now parents are opting for more Scandinavian styles that won’t date and can easily transition to an older child’s room.
If you’re looking to achieve the perfect Scandi inspired room yourself, interior design expert Natasha Rocca Devine has some great tips on how you can recreate the look in your home.
1. Theme-The-Scheme – For gender-neutral rooms, there are endless options for themes. For instance, you can opt for a unified theme throughout such as; botanical, animal prints or nautical, which are ideal for boys and girls alike. Alternatively, opt for clean, classic or block coloured themes to make a statement but still retain a classic style within the room.
2. Re-Colour: For themed rooms embrace this with your choice of colours. For example, with animal prints continue with the colours of the prints chosen. For neutral colour schemes, opt for Scandinavian white or greys or cream colours to add extra warmth. Alternatively, choose one block colour of yellow or green complimented with two to three accent colours of grey, creams or off-white.
3. Wallpaper Bright – Dress your nursery with beautiful wallpaper- a simple yet effective way to decorate this room while enhancing the theme chosen. For instance, for classic themes invest in neutral wallpaper with subtle wall art murals or opt for patterned printed wallpaper with themes like space or animals running through it.
4. Light-It-Up: Invest in your lighting scheme with interesting lampshades or dimmer switches which are a great way of changing the mood in a room. Add fairy lights over bookcases or a colourful lamp on nest tables. Pendant hanging lights and floor lamps are also a great way of adding personality to a baby’s room too.
5. Cot Chic: The cot is a key feature for this room- opt for a classic white with stylish themed bedding. Or try out a block colour of grey, green, or yellow, matched against more classic bedding. While the style of the cot can vary from classic to luxurious, to modern depending on your personal style and that of your home.
6. Blind & Curtain Care: Ensuring the baby has a blackout and appropriate window treatments are key to their sleep at this delicate time. Why not try an unconventional style of curtains to enhance this scheme? Go for botanical prints which are very fashionable right now or opt for a pop of colour on the curtains. For a safer, more classic style, add an underlay of accent colours on the lining and curtain ties. If you opt for blinds, you can find some interesting, whacky designs which are perfect for a gender-neutral scheme or stick to whites, greys and neutrals if you don’t want them to date too quickly.
7. Wall-Art-Right – Frames and art, in particular, gallery walls which are all the rage at the moment, are a key feature in nurseries. Invest in your preferred frames, prints and art. For a gender-neutral theme, you can’t go wrong with inspiring quotes or fun animal art. You can add family photos and pictures of your baby as they grow.
8. Future proof your gender-neutral nursery – Whether the room is for the baby or a shared room, either way, planning for storage and space is key. You may be adding to your brood in the future or planning on making the décor scheme last until the baby is older, in which case the colour scheme should be classic and easily adaptable. All white or neutral colours are eternally stylish. Fitted wardrobes can be a great space saver and they can also make a room look fantastic too.
9. Layer It Up – Introduce different textures in the form of rugs, carpets, bedding, throws and curtains, which will give any room a lift and give a sense of comfort to a nursery.
