Sage green nursery ideas - inspiring ways to use this colour in your baby's room

Sage green has long since been a popular interior choice, with many people opting to incorporate this soothing, earthy colour throughout their home via their walls and accessories. And it couldn't be more ideally placed than in your nursery ideas, where its soft serenity will create the ultimate sanctuary for you and your little one to relax in. 

'Soft sage greens and gentle green tones are perfect for creating a soothing and calming feel in nurseries', explains paint expert Ruth Mottershead from Little Greene.

Jumaimah Hussain, Showroom Store Manager at Kiddies Kingdom agrees. 'The soft, greyish green colour of sage is perfect for a nursery. It provides a tranquil, calm feeling whilst also being gender neutral.'

It's calm, soft and inviting, but will also pair stylishly with other accent colours and patterns, which you can bring in through furnishings, wall art and accessories. The possibilities with a sage green nursery are endless, and there are plenty of ideas that will make your baby's room as cute and cosy as possible.

Sage green nursery ideas

From painting the walls to styling up your storage, we've handpicked the best sage green nursery ideas to create a little interior haven for you and your baby. You'll soon have an irresistibly comforting space full of soothing hues, earthy tones, and a couple of cuddly animal friends to join.

1. Paint your walls in earthy sage

Start with the walls when creating your sage green nursery. Paint ideas are the easiest way to introduce sage green into the space, and means you can opt for neutral white, wooden or black furniture. 

You could stick to the same shade on each wall or contrast between them by using a slightly darker green on alternating walls. If you are using more than one shade, choose paints in the same colour family so that the contrast isn't too sharp.  

Many paint brands will have a range of Child Safe or Nursery paints for you to choose from, so opt for these wherever possible. 'Paints certified under British Standard Toy Paint Regulations are free from any toxic ingredients and are safe for use in children’s rooms', explains Ruth from Little Greene.

2. Incorporate warm wooden furniture

Though sage works well with white furniture, wooden pieces match the natural, earthy tones of the colour perfectly, which are ideal for creating a relaxed boho nursery decor scheme.

Choose wooden furniture with warm hues so that the pieces assimilate nicely together in the room, and maintain the serene, soothing tones created by the sage. A cot, changing unit and perhaps a rocking chair in a warm wooden material would sit against sage green walls nicely, and create a calm bohemian vibe. 

3. Create a jungle theme

Sage green's association with nature means it is the perfect backdrop for a jungle theme in the nursery. 'Jungle animals such as tigers, giraffes and lions are always a popular choice of decor and toys to pair with sage green, as they tie into the colour’s earthy appeal', says Jumaimah Hussain from Kiddies Kingdom. 

It's easy enough to add a couple of cuddly accessories to shelves or hang some animated jungle prints on the wall. Or if you're feeling extra artsy, some painted dark leafy greens on top of your sage walls would bring a jungle theme to life for a baby boy or baby girl's nursery ideas.

4. Introduce an accent colour

Sage green is a wonderfully versatile colour, so feel free to bring in other tones through wall art, furnishings and accessories for more colourful nursery ideas. A soft muted yellow would complement the serene hues of sage well, or bring in pink or blue to create a more gendered nursery.

'I love pairing pink and sage green – there’s something incredibly fresh and soothing about this combination, says Justyna Korczynska, Senior designer at Crown. 'Pink and green are opposite on the colour wheel, so they create a beautiful contrast that’s still very easy to live with.'

5. Introduce texture with rattan storage drawers

'When it comes to nursery design, stylish storage is super important, says Sam Baldry, Head of Design at Swoon. 'You will be inundated with an abundance of new items that you have never had to store before, from baby grows to nappies, to toys.'

Clutter is a sure way to ruin the nursery's calm and cosy vibes, so adding some rattan storage drawers is an easy way to keep the space looking tidy while complementing the sage green aesthetic. Rattan and sage green are gorgeous pairing and will easily pull off an earthy, natural vibe in the nursery.

6. Stimulate the senses with a mobile arm

A mobile arm attached to the cot can add a nice finishing touch to the nursery's look, as well as helping put a smile on the little one's face before sleep. 

There are a whole variety of designs to choose from, including ones with sage green accessories that would tie in with your walls and furnishings nicely. Or, use the mobile to bring in hints of others pastel shades like muted yellows and blues via cute animal designs. 

7. Create a cosy reading zone in a complementary colour

Complete the cosy look of your sage green nursery by adding an armchair to create a designated reading zone in the corner of the room. Choose a chair in a soft sage green shade, or pair a creamy neutral with a sage blanket and cushion. 

Add a small shelf or two to the wall next to your chair and pop some classic children's stories on these. Hardback books look beautiful and will bring a comforting touch to the space.

8. Bring in patterns

The soft tones of sage green are a wonderful backdrop for earthy patterns with creams, greys and muted pastels. Play with nursery mural ideas in different shades of green, or opt for a sage green patterned wallpaper.

Alternatively, patterned items are a nice way to bring in elements of darker colours such as navy blue or botanical green. A decorative changing mat, a leafy green cushion, and a patterned rug will layer on top of the green backdrop nicely. 

9. Layer in different textures

The muted tones of sage green will create soothing and peaceful vibes in the nursery, but to make the space as cosy as possible, layer contrasting materials and textures throughout the room. 

A fluffy rug is an easy way to do this, as are soft boucle cushions in different shapes like clouds or stars. Cream coloured items will contrast nicely with sage green but complement its serene tones. Using furnishings to create texture and depth cosy up your sage green nursery for both you and baby.

10. Include wall prints in shades of green

Framed wall prints can sit nicely on top of a sage green wall, especially if you select prints that carry hints of sage in them.

'If you are choosing to go for a more simplistic theme, a small selection of prints spaced around the room works best', advises a design expert from Desenio. Pictures that feature animals or rainbows on top of a white background can add a cosy touch to the nursery without taking away from the nursery's calm vibes. 

Is sage green gender neutral?

The warm, gentle tones of sage green are ideal for all babies' nurseries, and it isn't overly associated with one gender more than another. 

'Sage green is incredibly versatile', explains Justyna from Crown. 'It can be paired with so many different shades and materials that will bring out either its warm or cool tone, making it work well for either a boy or girls nursery.'

A sage green nursery can remain either a completely gender-neutral nursery idea, or you can bring in elements of blue or pink to complement the sage and make the nursery more gendered. Pale pinks would bring out the warm, yellow undertones of sage nicely, whereas soft blues would cool it down.

Is green good for a nursery?

Aside from being gender neutral, sage green is ideal for the nursery because its warm and serene undertones create a soothing, natural atmosphere for you and your baby to relax in.

'Used on the walls, sage creates a cosy and enveloping atmosphere, while looking timeless and sophisticated', says Justyna. 

'Sage green has a strong association with nature', agrees Jumaimah from Kiddies Kingdom. 'It’s both a contemporary colour yet one that has been used for generations.'