When decorating nurseries, many parents prefer to have the room revolve around central nursery room themes. These nursery room ideas are often established by the focal point of the room–the crib and baby bedding. Nursery décor themes are continued throughout the room with decorative accents such as coordinating:

• Curtains
• Lamps
• Mobiles
• Wall murals.

If you are trying to decide on one of many girl or boy nursery themes, this article will provide several helpful tips on how to choose one. You may even decide on a gender-neutral nursery!

Girl Nursery Themes

Baby girl nursery décor themes don’t have to be pink and frilly. They can be nature-based, or centered on animals, like horses. Some popular girl nursery themes include:

• Ballerinas
• Cowgirls
• Fairies
• Flamingos
• Ladybugs
• Princesses
• Tea parties.

Character designs are especially popular girl nursery room ideas. From princesses to dolls, character themes are easy to put together. Many retail stores sell character-specific bedding sets as well as the following coordinating items:

• Curtains
• Lamps
• Mobiles
• Throw rugs.

Boy Nursery Themes

Parents expecting a baby boy have many different nursery themes to choose from. Some of the most popular boy nursery themes include:

• Boats
• Dinosaurs
• Fire trucks
• Frogs
• Pirates
• Race cars
• Sports
• Trains.

Don’t feel obligated to match these nursery décor themes with standard blue walls. Most boy-centric themes look great against sage greens, reds or browns in the walls and carpets.

Gender-Neutral Nursery Room Themes

Some parents don’t want to tailor the nursery toward a specific gender. Perhaps they’re anticipating having more than one child, or maybe they want to be surprised with their baby’s gender. Either way, there are tons of neutral nursery room ideas out there, including:

• Circus
• Jungle
• Music
• Ocean life
• Popular cartoon characters
• Teddy bears
• Zoo animals.

How to Choose Nursery Room Themes

Many parents find themselves at a loss when it comes time to choosing nursery décor themes. Spend some time brainstorming. Look through baby catalogs and websites for different nursery room themes. Save the ones you like. When you review them, decide what you like about each theme. Use that to whittle your options down to a central theme for your baby’s nursery.

Alternatively, you could create a unique baby nursery based on your family’s interests and hobbies. If you’re a golf fanatic, create a golf-themed nursery using vintage golf clubs and painted sand traps on the walls. If you’re into music, consider a rock-and-roll-themed nursery. The best thing about unique nursery room ideas is that they’re often gender-neutral, so you won’t have to redecorate for another baby down the road.