The Best Nursery Trends of 2024

Every expert we talked to mentioned that we’ll see more parents choosing wallpaper as a way to style their nurseries. The thought of wallpapering a room used to incite immediate panic (eh, fear) but Little Crown Interiors Naomi Coe says that “it’s less scary, it’s less of an investment emotionally, and it’s much easier to remove.” Now that the wave of fear has fizzled, Coe says that she has received more requests for wallpapering entire rooms, ceilings, and even inside of closets. And with wallpaper designs taken on a more sophisticated aesthetic, mirroring the style of the rest of the home, and less obviously nursery, people aren’t afraid to throw it on all four walls. Here are some of our favorite nursery wallpapers:

It is no secret that the beige, pastels, and off white tones have dominated most home design choices. But according to Stephanie DeBrincat, nursery interior designer, while we’ll still see these neutral pallets, they will take on a deeper look like “some darker browns, some rust with a combination of a blush or a mauve,” DeBrincat tells us. And if your style lends more to the light and airy look but you’re intrigued by the warm tones trend, DeBrincat says that you can incorporate these deeper tones with accent pieces like rugs, lamps, and decor.

Generally speaking, there has been a trend of adultifying baby products (think the evolution of diaper bags) and this trend has stretched to the nursery. Coe says people have really grasped onto this type of style because “they don’t have to sacrifice their own personal style just because they’re having a baby.” In your nursery, this could show up in big ways like choosing standard furniture over nursery-specific options or in more detailed ways like the wall art you hang up. The idea is that the pieces that work in the nursery aren’t much different from the pieces that look great all throughout your home.

As parents warm up to the idea of creating a more homey, cozy space with sophisticated patterns, Coe says that she expects Morris & Co prints to lead the pact of that trend. “It’s those types of patterns that kind of leafy, whimsical but still fairly neutral in color and patterns. People are requesting a lot of that kind of nature, whimsical nature feel but without it being juvenile so it’s still a very sophisticated and adult style.” Coe tells us. With capsule collections with brands like DockATot, Coe says that in 2024, we are likely to start seeing this type of print pop up more and more. The whimsical, vintage-vibe style can add a warmness to your nursery by way of a rug or take your space over the top with wall-to-wall wallpapering.

Newborn babies have no clue who Mickey Mouse is and it’s more than likely that they haven’t worked out which house they’d be in if they went to Hogwarts. But, according to our merchandising team, there is a yearning for connecting nurseries to childhood nostalgic characters in a way that still aligns with a modern, simplistic style—even if the baby isn’t a fan (yet). “Even if it’s not the whole theme, parents are willing to register for the sheets or buy the swaddles” that have these types of themes Emily Hughes, Babylist Shop nursery and decor buyer says.

Another way we’ll see the homey vibe pop up in nurseries is with natural, warm-toned woods. DeBrincat says that we’ll see these natural woods with crib choices, as they’ll act as a “clean foundation to design the rest of space. So you’re not focusing your whole design on a very unique crib.”

While mobiles are not new to the nursery, Pam Ginocchio, co-founder of Project Nursery says that instead of simply being functional, mobiles will be “more of an art decor piece” designed to elevate the look and feel of the space. And even when your baby grows out of the stage where a mobile is useful, Ginocchio says that these intricate pieces of art will likely be a thing that hangs around in your baby’s room through toddlerhood. Here are a few of our favorite mobiles:

As you can probably tell with the prediction that natural woods and deeper tones are going to be the foundation of nursery design, there will be a strong shift away from the light, neutral-toned spaces that we’ve seen in 2023. All of the experts we’ve spoken to mentioned this rise in a desire to create a nursery that feels cozy and comforting (like a warm hug) versus being sparse and sterile. This trend can show up in the patterns you choose, furniture pieces (like your nursery glider or dresser), or smaller decor items like wooden or brass frame collages.

Traditionally, nurseries have been styled around a theme and while parents are starting to stray away from that standard, themes are not totally out of the picture. Whichever theme you choose to go with (we’ve been told that moody, whimsical woodland is gaining traction), all of the experts we spoke to said that parents-to-be are opting for cleaner, simpler versions of a theme rather than a concept that takes over the entire space.