This article will show you the best neutral paint colors for a nursery.
While pink is currently the defining color for baby girls and blue is for boys, many people don’t want to know the sex of their baby.
Others may not be able to paint or may not want to work with a limited palette. You can still have a beautiful nursery without leaning on these two paint colors.
Best Neutral Paint Colors For A Nursery
Flexible Beige: Ashwood
Ashwood is a beautifully balanced beige that you can use both in your nursery and throughout your home. This is a warm beige; it will look wonderful with red wood tones, jungle green drapes and coral cushions on your rocker or your changing table.
Because this color is so balanced between red and blue, you can actually pair this with some very strong colors.
Pastels may give this wall color a rather chalky look if you use them in large swaths.
However, a large colorful rug or a bold poster will look terrific against this wall color. The warm tones of the Winnie the Pooh color scheme would really sparkle against this wall color.
If your home is on the small side and your nursery is in a nook or is paired with a desk or craft table, you can keep the lights low and still see what you need with this paint on the walls. In total darkness, this versatile beige will go gray.
It’s light enough that one small desk lamp will brighten the whole space for that middle-of-the-night feeding and diaper change.
RGB: 220, 214, 200
Hex Code: #DCD6Ci
Paint Color Samples
Would you like to sample these paint colors? I recommend using a peel and stick paint sample from SAMPLIZE. Peel and stick paint samples are very affordable and easy to use. They are also clean and environmentally friendly!
Palest Green: Mint Whisper
While Mint Whisper is not a completely neutral color, it is quite balanced between red and blue in the RGB code. If you love pastel baby colors, this is an ideal choice.
This pale, pretty mint has a rather chalky tone. Pair it with white trim and window treatments for a crisp, clean look.
White nursery furniture and a mish-mash of delicate pink, light lavender, pale yellow, and baby boy blue will all work against this color.
Do be aware that chalky colors will tend white as the light fades.
Adding blackout curtains may be a good choice to keep the brightness down and help the baby sleep.
As your little one transitions out of baby gear, this paint can grow with them. Add a deep pine green or coffee brown rug for a fun play space. Navy blue curtains, burgundy bedding, and pale maple furniture will all work beautifully with this color.
Any time you are planning a nursery, you will want to work with paints that are free of VOCs or volatile organic compounds. If mom is painting, do your best to invest in baby-friendly paints.
Do be aware that all paint has a fragrance; even VOC-free paint can be unpleasant to be around until it dries. If mom’s sense of smell is particularly sensitive, it may be a good idea to have a nesting party instead of a baby shower.
Take mom to a friend’s house for a bit of relaxation while friends and family descend on the nursery. Clean the space, patch, and paint, and let it dry completely while airing things out before mom comes home.
RGB: 208, 248, 212
Hex Code: #C8F8D4
Warm Yellow: Butter Up Sherwin Williams SW 6681
If you love the colors of the beach or have a beach-cottage style, Butter Up Yellow is an ideal choice. This warm yellow will work beautifully with a cherry red or yellow oak floor. Add a sisal rug, a seagrass basket, and a wicker rocker for an open, airy feel.
This color stays warm no matter how much light you use in the space.
While babies may find the color stimulating, adults can find this color leaves them feeling overheated.
Add a ceiling fan and consider adding an oscillating fan to the space before you load the room with the necessary baby gear.
Depending on the light access in the space, room darkening blinds combined with lined curtains may be necessary for naps and overnight.
For those who are lucky enough to have natural wood furniture or antique pieces, this color can really make older pieces shine.
Peel-and-Stick Paint Sample – Butter Up (6681) – Sherwin-Williams
Consider a unifying fabric color, such as a deep sage green cushion on your changing pad, a matching cushion in the bassinet, and a tufted cushion in the rocker.
This is a rather old-fashioned color; yellow walls have been around since cave paintings were the primary means of decoration.
If you love antique images, rustic storage baskets, and natural woods, this wall color will suit a lot of spaces in your home.
RGB: 246, 221, 163
Hex Code: #F6DDA3
Medium Gray: Gray Huskie
If painting the nursery is the first step in painting the whole interior of the house, Gray Huskie is a wonderful choice. By the numbers, this is a nicely balanced gray that will work with many colors.
Because this gray has a small difference between red and blue, it will flex. If you pair this with pastels, it may appear lavender as the light fades.
Put in a navy blue bassinet cushion or crib mattress cover and it will pull back towards gray.
One of the challenges of decorating around the safety requirements for a very little baby is that there are so many adorable fabrics!
From bright florals to pastel tones, baby room fabrics are generally so adorable you have to buy something.
However, it’s not safe to have a lot of fabric around a very little baby.
If you’ve been given baby quilts and other handmade items, consider putting up a couple of towel bars on the wall where you can display them. As your child gets older and you can use them for a play mat, they’ll be easily accessible.
If you don’t sew and want to make something with fabric you adore, consider wrapping it around old picture frames (minus the glass) and gluing the fabric around the back.
A series of rectangles, all covered in baby-themed fabric, can make a wonderful surround for a poster or photo.
If you have the room for a border made of round “bubbles” of fabric, use embroidery hoops.
Gray Huskie can work well with pastels and bold colors, from pearly pink to a bright sunflower yellow. Even better, as the room darkens, this paint color gently settles down and encourages rest.
RGB: 183, 181, 173
Hex Code: #B7B5AD
