The nursery trend you’re curious about

Advice from our Head of Product, Catherine 

With over 20 years in product design and styling, and as a mum myself, I know nursery design is about far more than creating a beautiful room. 

It’s about creating a space that feels calm, practical and ready to support real family life. But it should also feel like you. And lately, there’s one nursery design trend I keep coming back to. 

The move towards richer, moodier interiors. If you’ve found yourself saving images filled with olive tones, darker woods, rust accents and softly layered lighting, you’re not alone. Because perhaps the bigger question is… 

Who says a nursery has to be pale to feel calming? 

The shift towards moodier interiors 

For years, Scandinavian-inspired minimalism shaped our homes. Bright whites. Pale woods. Clean lines. Airy spaces. Beautiful? Absolutely. 

But over time, homes started feeling less like showrooms and more like sanctuaries. Hospitality spaces like Soho House helped lead that shift, bringing warmth, layered texture, deeper tones and atmospheric lighting into interiors in a way that felt inviting rather than formal. 

Designers like Amber Lewis and Studio McGee continued that movement, showing how richer colours, vintage textures and darker woods could still feel calm, relaxed and incredibly liveable. And once a trend reshapes the wider home, it naturally begins influencing nursery design too. 

Because parents today aren’t designing isolated “baby rooms.” They’re creating spaces that feel like a natural extension of the home they already love. 

Can darker nursery interiors actually work? 

In short? Yes. 

But a moody nursery doesn’t mean dramatic black walls or anything overly heavy. It’s about warmth, depth, texture & contrast. 

A nursery should still feel comforting and practical, but calm doesn’t have to mean colourless. Some of the most soothing interiors are the ones that feel cocooning rather than clinical. Soft lighting, layered textures & colours that shift beautifully through the day. A room that feels less “traditional nursery formula” and more simply… home. 

Start with a calm foundation 

If you’re drawn to richer nursery ideas but feeling nervous, start with balance. 

The most successful spaces begin with a softer foundation: 

Once that calm base is in place, richer accents feel intentional rather than overwhelming. 

Think: 

Bold doesn’t have to mean busy. 

Choose one brave design moment 

You don’t need to commit to an entire dramatic nursery scheme. Often, one confident choice creates enough personality. 

That might be: 

If you’re experimenting with trend-led nursery styling, one focal point can be the perfect starting place. 

Colour should feel alive 

The most beautiful interiors rarely rely on flat colour. Depth matters. 

An olive can feel soft and mossy in daylight, then richer by evening.A rust can glow warmly under softer lighting. A navy can feel cocooning rather than harsh. That’s why I always recommend testing colours in your own nursery before committing. Because how a room feels at 10am can be very different to a sleepy 2am feed. 

Texture is what makes it work 

Richer nursery interiors only feel successful when they’re softened with texture. That’s where warmth comes from. 

Think: 

The goal is comfort. 

Design for the years ahead 

One of the reasons I love this trend is its longevity. 

A nursery built around richer, timeless foundations often transitions beautifully into toddler years and beyond. Rather than designing for a fleeting baby phase, you’re creating a room with flexibility, personality and warmth. And that often makes for the most successful spaces. 

Trust your instincts 

If you keep saving olive panelling, rust textiles, darker woods and moodier nursery inspiration… this might be your sign. 

The most meaningful nurseries are rarely the ones built around rules. They’re the ones that reflect the family creating them. So if your version of calm looks a little richer, a little warmer, or a little braver than the “traditional” nursery look, trust that instinct. 

Because your nursery should feel just right for your baby… and for you.