15 Nursery Ideas That Will Grow With Your Baby

Note: While these nursery photos are gorgeous, please know that it’s NOT safe to place stuffed animals, pillows, bumpers, or any loose items inside your infant’s sleep space until Baby is a year old. —Dr. Harvey Karp

They grow up so fast! It is the sad truth no parent wants to be reminded of, but deep down we all know these sweet baby days are fleeting. And when toddlerhood and then childhood rush in at full speed, what happens to the nursery?

Baby room themes that will grow with your child can be tricky. You want your little one’s space to feel babyish and special for those first year or two earth-side, while still being a room they want to hang out in next year, and in the years beyond that. 

There are some themes that work especially well for transitional baby rooms, letting you swap out or update a few details but keeping the main feeling in the room the same throughout toddlerhood and even elementary years plus. Here are some of the best nursery themes that grow with your child.

Outer Space Nursery

Photo: @projectnursery

An outer space nursery is just out of this world adorable, and can be done in any overall design style you favour from monochrome to metallics, bold brights to subdued hues. Your little one will continue to love this theme when the cot is swapped out for a big-kid bed and long after. 

Elegant Floral Nursery

Photo: Full Spectrum Photography

There are so many ways to pull off a flower-theme nursery for your baby girl, and they are all beautiful. But if you are looking to invest in the future and have walls and accents she will want to stick with, reach for a slightly more mature floral wallpaper; or an antique lighting fixture with roses and vines woven in; and an area rug that reads more 'beautiful feminine space' than 'baby room.'

Primary Colour Nursery

Photo: Patrick Cline

Toddlers and big kids love bright, bold colours, too! Using colour as your theme is a smart cheat when putting together a baby room that will grow with your child. A statement-making chair in bright colours is a perfect piece to tie it all together. Plus, this theme is effortlessly gender-neutral, making it a great option if you are 'team green.'

Grand & Sophisticated Nursery

Photo: Baby Letto

Hear us out for a second: A baby room that looks like your own dream space for hanging out, thinking, and enjoying life. Grownup, deeply saturated colours, lush fabrics, leather! Can it be done for Baby? Oh, Mama, can it ever. And a nursery like this will last the whole 18 years until those bags are packed for college or the workforce. Thank us later! 

Horse & Hound Nursery

Photo & To Purchase: Spoonflower

The uber-masculine, British-leaning theme is a great way to build a space for your little one that does not feel too babyish, though it will be really sweet as a nursery, too! Reach for leather, metal, browns, and greens, to build a baby room that feels like the English countryside for your bub. This wallpaper is a great place to start!

Outdoorsy, But Cool Nursery

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Kitsch baby rooms with sweet renderings of trees and flowers are wonderful. But if you want a nature-themed nursery that is going to last, try something slightly less babyish from the very start. This mountain-theme baby room inspiration is a perfect example. 

Blush & Black Nursery

Photo: Project Nursery

Another time when colours shine. Your little girl would love growing up in a space that is the epitome of sweet sophistication. As she ditches the mobile for throw pillows and the bows for books, the space will evolve but her elegant colour scheme will remain the ideal backdrop. (See more pink nursery ideas!)

Blank Canvas Baby Nursery

Photo: Project Nursery

All white everywhere is a smart choice if you own stain stick, a great vacuum, and a bottle of bleach. When you design an all-white nursery it takes off the pressure of choosing a theme to grow with your child. In this iteration, the nursery has a mild safari theme, but as Baby grows, it will be as simple as swapping out stuffed animals and accent pieces in favour of new items to pivot the entire room to a direction that suits the child. 

Urban Chic Nursery

Photo & To Purchase Mural: Etsy

A city-themed nursery is such a fun and fresh idea. Whether you reside in an urban area or the ‘burbs, deck your baby’s room out in skyscrapers, taxis, and maybe even some subway tile for a timeless yet edgy style they will love for a long time. 

Athletic Adventures Nursery

Photo & To Purchase: CB2

Sports-themed baby rooms are nothing new, and there are so many adorable and sweet ways to put one together. But if you want the nursery to grow up with Baby, consider a less babyish version, with elements like an actual basketball hoop or net, court lines, and a large-scale scoreboard as decor. Make sure to leave the room neutral enough to add their own flair and athletic passions throughout the years, and a shelf for trophies (now, stuffies) is a MUST. 

French Provincial 

Photo: Houzz

If anyone does boho nurseries right, it is the French. This classic decorating style transcends the American trend of boho-bougie for a look that is a little bit countryside and tres chic. This style is the original version of 'shabby chic,' but more in depth. With rustic yet ornate details, lovely pale colours, and antiques treated to a personalised facelift, you can have fun with a French baby room and watch it evolve in the years to come.

Vintage Music Themed Nursery

Photo: Still Being Molly

How about a baby room that totally rocks? Teal or candy pink, 1950s inspired walls, records on the ceiling, and coordinated art throughout make a music themed nursery a total hit for the littles. And swapping out the cot for a big kid bed in a couple years is pretty much all you will need to change to get it ready for the next stages with your growing boy or girl. 

Lit Lover’s Nursery

Photo & To Purchase: Etsy

From bedtime stories with you, to the chapter books that will mean so much to them as they discover reading on their own, a literature-themed baby room is a beautiful idea. Rather than sticking with storybooks and nursery rhymes which sway the theme younger, think old-school library vibes when you create this space.  

Into the Woods Nursery

Photo: Style By Emily Henderson

Forests and anything green always go well in a baby’s room, and you can deck it out with pink, yellow, or blue accents to complement. But steer clear of cartoonish woods and choose a landscape like this one to create a magic within the space that will hold them throughout childhood. 

Animal Print Nursery

Photo: Project Nursery

Like some of the other sophisticated nursery ideas on our list, you will want to envision how you would decorate your space if going with an animal theme and do that. Sometimes print makes a longer lasting statement than motifs or renderings. This leopard wall is a prime example of how an animal-themed nursery can take your child from the baby days to the teen years easily. 

A sophisticated nursery calls for a sophisticated baby bed: SNOO is a bassinet that responds to a baby's fussing with soothing womb-like sound and motion, calming most crying in under a minute! Learn more about SNOO. 

More Nursery Inspiration:

• Cloud-Themed Nursery Ideas
• DIY Nursery Projects You Can Actually Do Yourself
• Montessori Nursery Ideas
• Small Nursery Ideas That Are Big on Style

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.