Paint colors by room
Best Nursery Paint Colors
Nurseries call for colors that are gentle rather than stimulating, with enough LRV to feel bright and reassuring during nighttime feedings and enough softness to support sleep. The top-performing nursery colors are all low-chroma pastels in the LRV 65+ band: soft greens, muted blues, blush pinks, and warm whites. High-contrast color combinations are exciting for older children but can overstimulate newborns — save them for accent art, mobiles, and rugs. Durability matters too: pick a finish rated at least eggshell so marks and spills wipe clean, and verify the paint is certified low-VOC (look for GreenGuard Gold or a similar third-party certification). Zero-VOC lines from most major brands (Benjamin Moore Natura, Sherwin-Williams Harmony) are purpose-built for children's spaces.
60 ranked picks across 27 paint brands
Featured Nursery Guides
These colors rank strongly for nurserys and have full hand-authored designer guides with undertone notes, lighting behavior, coordinating trim and accents, and room-specific usage.
Top 60 Nursery Paint Colors
Eider White
SW 7014
LRV 73 · warm
Extra White
SW 7006
LRV 86 · warm
Chantilly Lace
BM OC-65
LRV 90 · neutral
Classic Gray
BM OC-23
LRV 73.67 · neutral
Swiss Coffee
BM OC-45
LRV 81.91 · warm
White Dove
BM OC-17
LRV 83 · warm
White Heron
BM OC-57
LRV 86.69 · neutral
Delicate White
PPG 1001-1
LRV 88 · warm
Strong White
F&B No. 2001
LRV 80 · warm
Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
LRV 73 · warm
Natural White
Dulux NN 01/00
LRV 87 · warm
Blue Horizon
SW 6497
LRV 78 · neutral
Gratifying Green
SW 6435
LRV 74 · warm
Green Trance
SW 6462
LRV 75 · neutral
Iceberg
SW 6798
LRV 76 · neutral
Jocular Green
SW 6736
LRV 71 · warm
Mint Condition
SW 6743
LRV 73 · warm
Open Air
SW 6491
LRV 70 · neutral
Silent Ripple
SW 9682
LRV 74 · neutral
Wishful Blue
SW 6813
LRV 72 · neutral
Bath Salts
BM 624
LRV 76.84 · neutral
Constellation
BM AF-540
LRV 72.73 · neutral
Ewing Blue
BM CW-585
LRV 73.41 · neutral
Fresh Dew
BM 435
LRV 72.82 · warm
Glade Green
BM 498
LRV 71.48 · warm
Glass Slipper
BM 1632
LRV 70 · cool
Green Cast
BM 842
LRV 76.66 · neutral
Lavender Secret
BM 1415
LRV 73.14 · cool
Nosegay
BM 1401
LRV 75.05 · neutral
Ocean Air
BM 2123-50
LRV 71.84 · neutral
Polar Ice
BM 1660
LRV 73.66 · neutral
Seattle Gray
BM 2130-70
LRV 72.9 · neutral
Sheer Bliss
BM CSP-545
LRV 70.58 · cool
Silken Pine
BM 2144-50
LRV 74.02 · warm
Sweet Celadon
BM CSP-785
LRV 70.62 · warm
Taffeta Green
BM 843
LRV 75.05 · neutral
Winter Ice
BM 866
LRV 75.12 · neutral
Aerial View
Behr S530-3
LRV 72 · cool
Aged Jade
Behr HDC-CT-22
LRV 70 · neutral
Aloe Essence
Behr 460D-4
LRV 80 · warm
April Mist
Behr 450E-2
LRV 85 · warm
April Winds
Behr PPH-41
LRV 89 · neutral
Aqua Breeze
Behr 500E-2
LRV 91 · neutral
Aqua Smoke
Behr 470E-3
LRV 84 · neutral
Aquatone
Behr PMD-100
LRV 72 · neutral
Aquifer
Behr MQ6-08
LRV 77 · neutral
Aroma
Behr M100-1
LRV 89 · neutral
Artful Aqua
Behr BIC-24
LRV 71 · neutral
Aruba Aqua
Behr ECC-65-1
LRV 87 · neutral
Ash Rose
Behr N130-2
LRV 79 · neutral
Aspiring Blue
Behr S440-3
LRV 76 · neutral
Azalea Leaf
Behr S400-4
LRV 75 · warm
Baby Aqua
Behr M440-3
LRV 79 · neutral
Back To Nature
Behr S340-4
LRV 75 · warm
Balance Green
Behr S360-3
LRV 79 · warm
Balanced
Behr T17-07
LRV 74 · warm
Balcony Rose
Behr PPF-10
LRV 75 · warm
Ballad
Behr 670D-4
LRV 76 · cool
Ballroom Blue
Behr PPU15-14
LRV 73 · cool
Bamboo Shoot
Behr MQ6-30
LRV 74 · warm
Best Nursery Paint Colors by Brand
Each brand’s top 5 ranked picks for nurserys. The lists reflect the room-specific suitability rubric applied to every color in the brand’s full catalog.
Related Rooms
Adjacent rooms in the house often share a color palette, and browsing the neighboring room guides usually surfaces picks the nursery rubric doesn’t rank as highly.
Nursery Paint Colors — Frequently Asked
- What is the best paint color for a nursery?
- Soft, high-LRV pastels are the safest universal choice — gentle greens, pale blues, blush pinks, and warm whites. Benjamin Moore Healing Aloe, Sherwin-Williams Rainwashed, and Farrow & Ball Calamine are representative picks that work across gender and stay stylish as the child grows.
- Is paint safe for a baby's room?
- Modern low-VOC and zero-VOC paints are safe when applied with normal ventilation. Choose a line certified by GreenGuard Gold, Green Seal, or equivalent — Benjamin Moore Natura, Sherwin-Williams Harmony, and Behr Premium Plus are all widely used in nurseries. Paint the room at least two weeks before the baby arrives to allow residual off-gassing to complete.
- Should I paint the nursery pink or blue?
- Neither is necessary. Gender-neutral nursery colors — soft greens, warm whites, muted peaches, and pale buttery yellows — have been the fastest-growing nursery palette for a decade and don't require repainting when preferences shift. If you do choose pink or blue, a muted, low-chroma version will age better than saturated brights.
- Are dark colors bad for a nursery?
- Dark colors aren't harmful and can actually help with sleep routines, but they need to be paired with strong task lighting for diaper changes and feedings. Moody walls (LRV 25–40) work well when the ceiling stays light and the room has warm, dimmable lamps rather than only overhead lighting.