Vivid Colors

• Pastel colors used to be the fail-safe choice for a nursery. Now, rather than use pastel pink for a girl’s room, consider using a vibrant pink paired with a bright yellow. For boys, skip the pastel blues and use a deep navy paired with a bright white instead.
  
  

Ceiling Painting

• The ceiling is a prime spot to showcase additional color and add dimension to the room. When using a theme, consider the theme colors and paint the walls with one and the ceiling with another. For example, for a princess-themed room, consider painting the walls with a bright purple and the ceiling with a deep pink.
  
  

Accent Wall

• Many homeowners use an accent wall to make a small room look bigger. You can use an accent wall in a nursery and not only add size to the room’s appearance, but also a splash of color. Accent walls are a great solution for parents who do not want to paint the entire room one color. Leave three of the four walls white and use the desired color on the accent wall instead. Make sure the accent wall is the focal point of the room by placing the baby’s crib against that wall.
  
  

Pinstripes

• Pinstripes are a fun accent for any room and versatile enough for both boy's and girl's nurseries. Pinstripes do not have to be white paired with another color. Consider using two different shades of the same color, such as a navy blue and a light blue for a boy's room.
  
  

Dots

• Use dots on an accent wall or to cover the entire room, and add a fun element without having to hang up wall decor. For example, create a primary-color room by painting the walls white and creating dots ranging from 2 to 14 inches wide using colors such as red, blue, green, yellow and purple.
  
  

Trim and Molding

• Trim and molding in a room act as a prime accent for the room’s overall theme. Rather than leave the trim and molding white, consider painting them an accent color. A sports-themed nursery, for example, can showcase bright white walls but have red or blue trim.
  
  

Borders

• Creating borders using wallpaper used to be the norm. Now homeowners can create borders using paint. Split a wall in half with two different colors of paint. Consider using green to create rolling hills paired on sky blue walls, or use several different shades of blue to create a wave scene for a nautical-themed nursery.
  
  

Themes

• Paints are versatile enough to complete the theme of a room without additional decorations. For a fairy-tale theme, consider using a set of colors such as bright pink, purple and yellow. Paint the walls in one color, the ceiling in another and the trim in yet another.
  
  

Painting Furniture

• The furniture of the nursery needs to match the theme of the room. A nautical room, for example, would typically have blue walls. Therefore, pair the blue walls with bright white furniture. For a room using pink, yellow and purple on the walls, consider repainting a dresser to have yellow drawers paired with a purple frame.
  
  

Wall Decals

• Vinyl wall decals are an option for finishing a painted nursery. These peel easily from the surface of the wall and save parents time on painting. Purchase little frogs to stick to a fairy-tale nursery or purchase small sailboats to stick to a sailor-themed nursery.