How to Choose Nursery Paint Colours
Our Child Safe paints allow you to use beautiful colours from our palette in nurseries, children’s bedrooms and all areas of the family home.
Explore inspiring nursery colour ideas for your little one’s room.
Add a calming quality with blue paint shades
Blue colour schemes naturally bring depth, calmness and longevity to any space. James, Delicate Blue and Pale Wedgwood are perfect examples of light, soothing shades - ideal for creating a timeless environment which never goes out of style.
Walls: James
Woodwork: Gauze
Rocking horse: Felt & Slaked Lime - Deep
Skittles: Milk Thistle, Deep Space Blue, Marigold, Spearmint,
Phthalo Green, Leather
Add a colour highlight within a blue tonal scheme using child-safe furniture paint. Bright yellows, such as Trumpet, introduce a playful touch within an otherwise soft and neutral scheme.
Walls & Desk: Bone China Blue - Pale
Chalk board: Hicks’ Blue
Chair: Trumpet
Flooring: Bone China Blue & Bone China Blue - Pale
Create a harmonious nursery with Colour Scales
Layer different tones of the same colour for added depth and harmony. Neither too warm nor too cool, green is a calming shade that sits comfortably in any space due to its association with nature.
Wall, Ceiling & Window Trim: Green Stone – Pale
Upper Panelling: Green Stone – Light
Lower Panelling: Green Stone
Colourful Nursery Ideas
Nurseries offer an ideal opportunity to embrace bright and colourful schemes that will inspire your little one. Transform your child’s room with bold focal points or fun colour pairings.
Balance a bright nursery scheme with neutrals
Our ‘Colours of England’ collection encompasses a fabulous range of easy to use neutrals, graduated greys, soft and bold tones, as well as striking, dark shades.
Brighter colours such as Orange Aurora, Marigold, and Mambo can be used to add a colour highlight in an otherwise neutral space. Contrast gentle Bone China Blue - Pale walls with furniture in the vibrant orange, Marigold, to introduce an element of fun to your nursery space.
Drawers: Marigold
Stool: Chocolate Colour
Walls: Bone China Blue - Pale
Building Blocks: Marigold & Carmine
Flooring: Bone China Blue & Bone China Blue - Pale
Here, Slaked Lime on the ceiling and upper walls provides balance alongside a playful colour blocking design using Pale Lime, Brighton and Marigold.
Skirting: Marigold
Lower Wall: Pale Lime
Upper Wall: Brighton
Ceiling: Slaked Lime
Embrace colour and pattern on playroom walls
If you want to create impact, your child’s playroom is the perfect space to use bold colours in a striking colour blocking design that reflects the fast-paced energy of this environment. Pair Mandarin, Light Brunswick Green and Marine Blue with lighter shades, Pearl Colour and Shirting, for a joyful accent wall.
Orange: Mandarin
White: Shirting
Pale Blue: Pearl Colour
Green: Light Brunswick Green
Dark Blue: Marine Blue
Table: Pearl Colour
Bright greens and reds bring real impact, making them ideal for adding a strong and fun colour highlight to your nursery space. Use vibrant shades like Phthalo Green, Lawnmower Green or Atomic Red.
Top Wall: Phthalo Green, Lower Wall: Lawnmower Green, Shelves: French Grey
Wall: Atomic Red
How to Choose Paint Finishes for a Nursery
Our ‘Intelligent’ paint finishes have been certified under EN 71-3:2019, meaning they are eco-friendly and free from toxic ingredients. Our paints contain the lowest possible levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), so they have no odour and are completely safe for use in children’s rooms. Our water-based woodwork paint finishes can even be used for painting nursery furniture, cots and wooden toys.
In addition to providing a beautiful finish, our Intelligent, water-based paints are fully washable and resist the wear and tear of the modern home.
Paint finish for nursery walls
When painting the walls of a nursery, Intelligent Matt Emulsion provides a hard-wearing finish that can be wiped clean. It is easy to apply, achieving full depth of colour through minimal coats.
Walls: Tivoli
Bedframe: Shirting
Inside of bunk bed: Phthalo Green
Wooden chair: Deep Space Blue
Desk legs: Theatre Red
Shelf: Mister David, Edge: Phthalo Green
For practical painting advice, explore our step-by-step guide to painting walls.
Paint finish for nursery woodwork
For painting nursery furniture, such as wooden cots and even wooden toys, we would advise using our Intelligent Eggshell or Intelligent Satin finishes. These are durable, fully washable and available in our complete colour palette.
Chair: Ashes of Roses
Wicker Shelf Unit: Shirting
Xylophone: Citrine, Marigold, Obsidian Green, Mischief, Tropez Blue, Pale Lime
Discover our advice for painting interior woodwork.
Browse our selection of child and baby safe paints.
For more nursery design ideas, explore our inspiration gallery.