7 Pink Nursery Ideas You’ll Still Love After the Barbie Mayhem Subsides

From peppy walls to a whisper of wallpaper.

Published Aug 8, 2023 2:16 PM

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We simply can’t quit pink. Ever since 2017, the millennial variety has had a hold on everything from our makeup packaging to our bed linens. Then the star-studded Barbie movie catapulted bolder shades of flamingo, fuchsia, and magenta back into the spotlight and our shopping carts. Every hue is on the table, which is all the more reason to set up a pink nursery for your new addition to the family. And it’s very possible to dip a toe into the trend and still keep your baby’s room timeless. Read on for seven pink nurseries that employ lots of layers—and an unexpected accent color or two—to achieve just that.

Doên cofounder Margaret Kleveland had a few tricks up her floral sleeves when she created her daughter’s nostalgic wonderland. First, she skipped a standard dresser for a timeworn English pine dining hutch that tones down the modern lines of the crib. Next, she draped the latter in a blush pink canopy that turns all the other accents—from the chevron rug and ruffled throw pillows to the Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball walls—into one big happy family.

Dealing with tight quarters? Follow designer Allison Crawford’s lead and use the same hue everywhere. We’re talking walls, molding, ceiling, and even the floating shelves to ensure the room feels as expansive as possible. Crawford went with Clare’s bright coral Pop in this little client’s nursery, which reads cool rather than cliché.

The leafy amber Soane Britain wallpaper overhead, twin scalloped canopies, and coconut shell pendant lamp in this Diablo, California, nursery by designer Marea Clark put the dusty rose walls in a supporting role. And with its subtle gray undertone, the paint color easily swings neutral.

Activewear designer Jasmine Tookes’s starting point for turning a guest room into her daughter Mia Victoria’s nursery? “Vintage fairy-tale storybooks,” she told People. Working with Crate & Kids, she made real-life magic with James Alexander’s limewash Rosa Pink and a swath of hunter green wildflower wallpaper, all watched over by a trio of sweet felt animals.

Gucci’s Heron wallpaper, the hero of this nursery by designer Tara Magel, is undoubtedly a splurge, but it’s the only one you’ll need to make. With everyone’s eyes on the oversize print, the rest of the details, from the daybed to the dresser, can be supersimple.

A salmon pink built-in archway does it all in this nursery by Paris design studio Space Factory. For now, it creates a designated nook for the bassinet, provides enough depth for proper wardrobes on either side, and squeezes in additional storage up top. When the child is older, the open shelving will take on a new role as the bedside “table” for a twin mattress.

Can you spot the subtle optical illusion in this nursery by design firm Chango & Co.? At first glance, it seems like every wall is painted white. But look closer, and it becomes clear that the stretch behind the crib is a pastel woodland wallpaper. Thanks to the small-scale motif and pale colorway, it reads more texture than pattern—ideal if you’re not ready for all-pink everything.