With a baby on the way (whether you’re adopting or having your own), it’s fun to dream about their place in your home and create a room just for them. If you’re aiming for a gender-neutral nursery for your child, keep reading. 

There’s not one right way to decorate a gender-neutral nursery. Anything goes. After all, families come in all shapes and sizes and so do nursery decorations. But to help get your creative juices flowing, we’ll offer a few ideas below. Take a look.

12 gender-neutral nursery ideas

1) Rainbow

If you don’t want one color in the nursery, go with all the colors! Embrace the theme by using rainbows as part of the decoration. Think a rainbow-painted wall, a wall hanging, or rainbow pillows (just remember that your baby shouldn’t sleep with pillows in their crib). 

Or, use all the colors but without the rainbow theme as pictured in the nursery above. 

2) Travel

A travel-themed room is great for a gender-neutral nursery, and it’s quite versatile. For example, for a vintage travel theme, use a globe, vintage map, and muted colors. To make it more childlike, use brighter colors and wall-mount an illustrated map that will keep your child learning. 

Or, move away from the maps and choose a travel theme that involves transportation, such as cars, planes, or hot air balloons. 

If you and your family love to travel, you might also consider using some of your own photos or incorporating your favorite destinations into the nursery design.

Speaking of taking trips, remember that travel is a grand adventure whether it’s just you and your partner, or you’re traveling with a baby (or two). The fun doesn’t stop once you have kids. 

With the right equipment, like a compact stroller such as our Bugaboo Butterfly, a slim double stroller (check out the Donkey 5), and a travel system car seat, you won’t skip a beat.

3) Stripes

Stripes are a gender-neutral nursery decoration since you can choose any color you wish, from muted shades to bold tones. Between skinny stripes, wide stripes, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, and even a striped ceiling, the sky’s the limit with this option. 

4) Stars

If you love star-gazing, paint a night sky on the ceiling of the nursery for a starry feel. Make it more astronomical with constellation prints if you like. 

To embrace the more glitzy side of stars, steer away from nature and use gold accent stars combined with gold hardware. 

5) Black and white

What’s more neutral than black and white? Use black and white however you want, from modern, clean-cut lines to a more exotic design as you see in the photo above.

6) Animals

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Or woodland creatures in every corner? If those themes don’t strike your fancy, what about lovable farm animals? 

Use critters as your gender-neutral nursery theme through a wall sticker, wallpaper, curated prints to hang on the wall, a cozy rug, or oversized stuffed animals. 

7) Pure white

An all-white nursery can make the room feel clean, classy, and calming. If you opt for this theme, we recommend choosing furniture and decorations that can be easily wiped down or cleaned in the washing machine. Babies sure are cute, but they’re also messy.

Choosing washable baby items — down to the fabric on your stroller — is a good rule to follow in general. You won’t regret it. 

Expert tip: If you’re not sure how to clean your stroller, click here to learn.

8) Storytime

From novels to children’s books, stories or books make an excellent nursery theme. Go with a favorite classic novel and a vintage feel or a beloved character from a children’s book. 

Whatever specific theme you choose, fill the room with books. What better way to encourage a love for reading?

9) Scandinavian

Scandinavian design is known for its clean simplicity, natural feel, wooden pieces, and white touches. Choose functional, minimalistic pieces for a gender-neutral nursery that’s as calming as it is beautiful. 

10) Nature

We already mentioned the possibility of bringing the great outdoors to the nursery by painting a starry sky on the ceiling. 

Other ways to bring nature in:

• Paint mountains on one wall
• Create a daytime sky on the ceiling
• Embrace a desert theme complete with cute cacti

11) Modern art

Listen up, art lovers! Nurseries don’t have to be filled with cutesy, childish decorations. Why not choose decor that makes you feel at home? After all, between feeding, rocking, diaper-changing, and playtime, you’ll be spending a lot of time in the nursery, too! 

If modern art is what you love, make your favorite stunning piece the focal point of the room. 

12) Pops of color

Just because you want a gender-neutral nursery doesn’t mean that color is off-limits! Add pops of bold color, such as lime green, fuchsia, yellow, or teal. 

Gender-neutral style on the go

Your baby will spend their nights in the cozy, gender-neutral nursery. But, when adventure calls and you travel with your child, they’ll need their own place to sit and play. As much fun as it is to decorate the nursery, don’t forget to plan for adventures outside of your home, too. 

If gender-neutral colors and style is your jam, go with these three products to keep you moving while staying stylish. 

Customizable stroller

The Bugaboo Lynx stroller is customizable, with color options ranging from black to white and lovely gray shades in between. 

Choose from a black sun canopy and fabrics with an aluminum chassis or light grey mélange sun canopy and fabrics with aluminum chassis, just to name two of the eight options! 

This stroller is our everyday, lightweight, multi-terrain stroller that can take you and your child to the local store or on adventures in the great outdoors. And it’s easy to transport with a light, one-piece fold. Easy, breezy strolling is within reach. 

Black or grey car seat 

For a car seat that’s gender-neutral, secure, and compatible with Bugaboo strollers, look no further than the Turtle Air by Nuna. The canopy and smart shade provide extra coverage for your child, and the high-quality merino wool inlay is perfect for a newborn’s delicate skin. 

Light, easy to transport, and rigorously tested for top security on the road, the Turtle Air by Nuna is what you need for an effortless journey. Plus, you can purchase an extra base for your second vehicle to make going from car to car that much easier. 

Grey play yard

Last but not least, we recommend the Stardust play yard in grey mélange or, if you prefer, black or steel blue. Combining unique aerospace technology and smart design, the Stardust offers your child an all-in-one, ultra-comfortable play yard for at home or on the go. 

Since it unfolds in one second and folds back in three (mattress and all), we think this play yard will be a game-changer for you. In addition to providing more breathability, the all-around mesh panels help you and your baby stay connected while you both enjoy your own space.

The Stardust is up to snuff with the latest safety standards as well as easy to clean and transport. That means peace of mind for you and the everyday convenience you need.

A gender-neutral nursery for your tiny adventure buddy

Your baby will need a place to lay their head so they can rest up for all the adventures you’ll have together. To create a gender-neutral nursery that jives with your family’s style, use one of the ideas we mentioned above and make it work for your space. 

Whether your baby’s room is inspired by nature, pure white, filled with books, or covered in stripes, you can make it a soothing and secure place for them to sleep. 

To round out your collection of gender-neutral baby products, don’t forget a black car seat like the Turtle Air by Nuna, a grey mélange Stardust play yard, and a Lynx stroller in the color of your choice.

Gender-neutral design doesn’t have to mean boring. Put your thinking cap on, refer to the ideas in this article, and dream up a nursery that you and your baby will love!