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The Nursery Trends That Are Out for 2023

Laura Fenton
Laura Fenton
Laura Fenton is the author of The Little Book of Living Small. She writes about home design and sustainability, and is a regular contributor to Apartment Therapy. Her work has been published in Better Homes & Gardens, Eater, New York Magazine, and Real Simple.
published Dec 29, 2022
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nursery with crib and rocking horse
Credit: Parachute

Is there any room more fun to decorate than a baby’s nursery? I may be biased, but I think not. If you’re lucky enough to be planning a nursery in the New Year, I’ve got the latest scoop on nursery design trends–specifically, which ones are on the way out.

Just like with our kid room trend predictions for 2023, I asked interior designers from across the country to identify the nursery trends that they see fading and what unnecessary nursery purchases or setups they suggest parents avoid. Here’s your guide to a forward-looking baby room.

No one’s doing narrow themes anymore.

“Going too literal in a nursery design is out, says Sarah Brannon, an interior designer in Midland, Texas, who notes today’s designers are conscious of creating a space that will grow with the child. She says, “In 2023, we’ll see fewer people utilizing nursery themes, like Peter Rabbit.” 

Statement murals are out.

In the nursery, busy murals are on their way out, according to Louisville, Kentucky-based interior designer Bethany Adams, who is the mother of two young girls. Instead, she says designers are embracing calm. “You and baby are likely going to be exhausted for most of the first year and you both deserve a relaxing space for the many late-night diaper changes and feedings to come,” she adds.

…but wallpapered ceilings are in.

Lynn Stone, co-founder of Hunter Carson Design in Manhattan Beach, doesn’t think wallpaper is going away any time soon, but she does see it heading in a new direction in nurseries. “Whimsical wallcoverings that can even extend to the ceiling,” she says. “Plus, it’s an added bonus for babies bored with basic white ceilings that they look up to!”

No more pink and blue.

We’ll see less pale pink and baby blue, according to Brannon, who expects to see “out-of-the-box color palettes like greens and purples.” Desiree Edge, founder of Designs by Des in Boston, agrees, noting. “While pink and blue are default nursery colors, nursery and toddler designs are now trending toward more muted, sophisticated palettes.”

Minimalism’s moment is over.

“We are going to continue to see a trend away from all simple, modern lines to pieces with more details and embellishments,” says Mary Jo Major of Rise Interiors in Washington, DC. “After so much minimal, bare bones design in nursery furniture, parents want some whimsy and pieces that have character.” (This is right in line with our kid bed prediction!)

Sleek is out; nature’s in.

“We are seeing more parents lean towards bringing natural (and nature-inspired) elements into their kids’ spaces,” says Edge. From actual plant materials (think: wicker, rattan) to outdoor-inspired palettes, Edge says designers are more likely to draw on the things young children see every day outside of home. 

Say goodbye go changing tables.

Almost all the designers we spoke to ID’d changing tables as an “unnecessary purchase” for the nursery. Instead designers say they are using dressers topped with changing pads or the ever-popular Peanut, which can be removed at the end of the diaper phase. 

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