Nursery Decorating Inspiration: The Trends to Watch in 2019

Have you hit the nesting phase yet? By month five I had a growing stack of paint charts and an obsession with finding the perfect gorgeous grey elephant accessories for my little girl’s nursery. And yes, I had my own denim dungarees for painting in, too!

If you’re desperate to get started on the nursery but not sure which colours will fit with your theme or when to start decorating, or you’re looking for wall, furniture or nursery accessory ideas, this is the post for you! We’ve gathered together insider tips from the trend experts and buyers at some of the UK’s best nursery departments to highlight which colours, themes and motifs are going to big this year. We’ve also picked out some of our favourite pieces – the nursery items we think will get snapped up and you’ll want to buy before they sell out. Spoiler: there are some seriously cute items in this post!

The Experts Share Nursery Trends for 2019

Ever wondered how retailers decide which trends to stock online and on the shelves? They take their lead from dedicated trend experts like Trend Bible’s Ruth Kelly, a Senior Trend Strategist who heads up the Baby and Kids division.

Ruth spends her days immersed in all-things baby and kids interiors. This helps her to predict what looks will be popular next, influencing global brands and retailers with her research. So who better to ask which colours, characters and themes we will see more of this year?

We asked Ruth about colour schemes that will lead in the year ahead and if gender neutral nursery designs are still the ‘in thing’. And apparently, greys are no longer the go-to shades.

“I think there’s been a key shift towards a gender-neutral approach and avoiding stereotyping, which will continue to have an impact going forward,” she told us.

Adding: “Grey has been such a popular choice because it’s such a safe neutral base but I think we’ll start to see more creativity with colour and themes, for example, blush and nude pinks becoming a neutral colour for all genders.”

For those, like me, who love a gorgeous grey. Ruth tipped that “grey-based neutrals” are becoming warmer and earthier. As for the elephant illustrations in my daughter’s room, it seems they are still on trend.

The Trend Bible Spring Summer 2019 Baby and Kids trend book shows that jungle animal characters continue to be a top choice for baby and toddler rooms, “driven by a focus on protecting the earth and animals on the brink of extinction.”

There’s “a safari feel with rhinos, lions and giraffes but done in a really sophisticated palette and illustration style.”

Love the idea of creating bright space but not sure about an animal theme? Fun “bold, clashing patterns’ are also taking centre stage.

Mothercare

“Paired back, simple and undefined,” is still the most popular choice for the nursery space, according to Mothercare. Which is good news if you are into “less is more”. Grey accessories with natural materials are in abundance with an array of blue tones too. And Mothercare told us that parents are now “coordinating nursery and interiors and pieces with the rest of their home”. This means that nurseries can be used as guest bedrooms in the future or that pieces can find new positions elsewhere in the home in the future.

If you’re looking for animal inspiration for walls, bedding and accessories, you’ll love the elephant and sheep characters in the Mothercare nursery range. Their colourful dinosaur bedding is perfect for toddlers too and there are some lovely farmyard and safari characters to look out for.

We love these tactile, soft options for sleep time…

Find this beautiful giraffe patterned and gorgeous grey sleeping bags here*.

This lovely bedding crib set can be used with cribs like the Chicco Next2Me, Tutti Bambino Cozee and SnuzPod, which are designed to keep baby close while you sleep, find them here*

We love the natural look and texture of this Moses basket, find it here*

Mamas & Papas

Do we have any The Greatest Showman fans in our midst? We love the soundtrack in our house, and according to Mamas & Papas, the movie has been influencing more than Alexa playlists. In their “Big Top Tales’ range, you’ll find pieces inspired by all things circus, with lions, elephants, trapeze artists and a ring master. This range isn’t in the shops yet, but we’re sure it will do well when it launches in Summer.

The popular woodland animal trend of 2018 has been updated by Mamas & Papas in their fantastic forest and wildflower inspired Lilybelle range, which will bring toadstool and acorn prints to Mamas & Papas stores and site this Summer.

In the meantime, there’s a distinct under-the-sea vibe going on at Mamas and Papas. With a “real emphasis on our environment and the well-being of our planet this year, with a focus on how much this impacts the sea and ocean.”

This translates into some beautiful blue, navy and white nurseries with a hint of coral and cute sea critters such as whales, lobsters, crabs and starfish being featured too. We adore their Sail Away With Me* range, which makes for the perfect nautically-inspired nursery

Find this flippin’ cute whale cushion here*.

How dreamy is this cloud, moon and stars wallpaper? It’s currently on sale too! Find it here*.

 

We love this little wall hanging too – my favourite nursery colours and the little saying rhymes too! You can buy it here*.

Wayfair

Would you like to introduce your love of the outdoors and nature to your little one nice and early? A nature themed nursery is a lovely way to do so and according to Wayfair, leafy patterns and plants are making their way into nurseries this year.

This natural inspiration carries through to neutral coloured furniture pieces with colour added through accessories including “wall art, rugs and wallpaper”.

It seems Bump, Baby & You are not the only ones excited about the return of the Lion King to screens this year. The Wayfair buying team told us they expect safari themes to be very popular this year. But don’t get distracted by colours and motifs only, babies tend to generate lots of stuff.

“Storage is key – make room for storage space by using under cot drawers, changing tables and shelving, ” they tipped. We love how they’ve worked key pieces into this nursery space.

 

Find this on trend grey tone crib here*.

How amazing is this elephant wallpaper too? We found it here*.

 

JD Williams

Want your little one to Dream Big? JD Williams tell us that star, rainbow cloud motifs are floating into 2019, with mythical creatures such as unicorns, mermaids and dragons making their way onto textiles, accessories too. Are you a bit of a magpie when it comes to interiors? Subtle geometric prints with hints of metallic show that trends from elsewhere in the home are very much creeping into the nursery.

And of course, the feel of a nursery is just as important as how it looks. According to JD Williams: “Nature based trends can be seen not just in colour and print but also in materials used. We are set to see development in product that is both sustainable as well as chemical free and kind to our little ones. Bamboo is a strong trend in both textiles, accessories and dinnerware.”

The JD Williams nursery team’s top tip is to be material savvy! Breathable fabrics and furniture as well as natural materials like Bamboo are becoming more accessible and available in trend colours and prints; offering products that look and feel fantastic but are also safe and supportive to the wellbeing of baby.

We love the storage under this luxe cot bed – which goes from cot, to toddler bed and into a day bed too. You can find it here*.

Breathable, washable and chemical and allergen free, this Purflo Purair mattress is thermo-neutral, which means it maintains room temperature. You can find it here*.

 

How soft do these cute cloud and raindrop cot bed sheets look? There are other bedding items to match too. Don’t forget to follow the instructions if you buy the matching cot bumpers and use them for decorative purposes when not in use. Find them here*.

Dunelm

Keeping things nice and simple with neutral colours can sometimes result in a grown up look, but Dunelm’s Bear Hug range has the perfect mix of subtle cute for the nursery. We love the way they’ve used traditional baby colours in a more contemporary way and there are cute characters and interesting textures to hold your little one’s interest.

Earthy neutral tones have really picked up this spring, their Bear Hugs range* is cute but subtle; perfect for contemporary nurseries. It’s about revisiting traditional ‘baby’ colours but in a modern way, introducing cute and quirky characters and interesting textures. Also in the mix are blush pinks and greys.

And while grey continues to be a great for nurseries, Dunelm tell us they are seeing more and more customers choose brighter, fun designs. Their bold unicorn range* for both kids and toddlers is flying off the shelves (and we aren’t surprised, who doesn’t love unicorns?)

Dunelm is another retailer tipping mythical and magical creatures to become popular. Along with more traditional elephants and bunnies upcoming designs feature super cute sloths and exciting dragons.

Dunelm’s decorating tip for Bump, Baby & You Mums and Dads is “Don’t be afraid of colour! Babies respond to strong, contrasting shapes and colours.”

This Bear Hugs cot bed duvet and pillow case is snuggletastic,  you can buy it here*

Know a little one who loves unicorns? Treat them to this Unicorn Dreams quilt. Find it here*.

Looking for some cute safari inspired accessories? This monochrome jungle giraffe light ticks all the boxes and makes a lovely night light. You can buy it here*.

Hopefully this post has given you some inspiration for your own nursery – which trends and colours are your favourite? Have you picked a them for your little one’s nursery yet? Let us know in the comments below.

Cover image credit to Freepik!