Nursery & Children's Rooms
Nursery Wallpaper Ideas: Safe Materials, Playful Patterns and Easy-Change Options
A nursery is one of the most considered rooms in the house to decorate, and also one of the most likely to be repainted or repapered within three to five years. The pattern that felt perfect for a newborn is often wrong for a toddler, and wrong again for a school-age child. That isn't a reason to compromise on the first wallpaper — it's a reason to understand exactly what you're choosing: a material that needs to be safe, a finish that needs to survive sticky hands, and ideally a hanging method that makes the next change less of a job.
Open the Wallpaper PlannerLook for low-VOC or zero-VOC materials in a nursery specifically
Standard wallpaper paste and some solvent-based inks off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as they dry and for weeks afterward. In a well-ventilated room this is a minor concern for adults; in a room where a newborn sleeps, it's worth taking seriously. Water-based inks, clay-coated papers, and paste-the-wall non-woven wallpapers generally have lower VOC profiles than solvent-printed or vinyl-coated papers. Some manufacturers certify nursery ranges explicitly — look for Oeko-Tex or similar accreditation if this matters to you.
Non-woven paper makes the first change much easier
Traditional paste-the-paper wallpaper bonds firmly to plaster over time, and removing it a few years later typically means either stripping and re-plastering or sanding the residue off. Paste-the-wall non-woven wallpaper is designed to be removed dry in large sheets rather than soaked strip by strip — not effortless, but significantly less damaging to the wall. If there's one room where the extra cost of non-woven paper pays back, it's the room most likely to be redecorated twice before the child reaches secondary school.
Pattern scale relative to wall height matters more than room size
A nursery is typically a smaller bedroom, which makes designers reach for smaller-scale patterns — but the logic isn't quite right. What matters is the height of the wall. A tall repeat on a 2.4 m wall may show fewer than two full vertical repeats top to bottom, which can look truncated and unintentional. A smaller, all-over pattern or one with a repeat of 30–40 cm reads more completely at typical wall heights. Large mural-style designs are different again — they're scaled to fill the whole wall rather than repeat across it.
Washable finishes are worth the extra cost from day one
A newborn doesn't touch the walls. A toddler touches everything. The twelve to thirty-six month window is the period when wallpaper takes the most abuse — food, crayon, and general handprints at pushing height. A standard matte paper wallpaper won't wipe clean. A scrubbable vinyl or washable coated paper will. Choosing a wipeable finish from the outset extends the useful life of the paper significantly, or at least means it still looks presentable when the decision to change it is made on your terms.
Account for the furniture footprint in your roll estimate
Nurseries tend to have a lot of furniture relative to floor area — a cot, a wardrobe or chest of drawers, a nursing chair, and often a bookshelf. Each piece pushed against a wall covers paperable surface. For an accurate roll count, measure the paperable wall area and deduct the furniture footprint from each wall — not the room perimeter — before estimating rolls needed. Overestimating by even one roll in a nursery-sized room often represents 20–25% more paper than necessary.
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See plans & pricingCommon questions
Is wallpaper safe for a nursery?
Yes, with the right choice of materials. Look for low-VOC or water-based ink papers, avoid heavy solvent-printed vinyls, and ensure the room is ventilated thoroughly before the baby moves in. Non-woven paste-the-wall papers are a good default for nurseries — they're easier to remove cleanly when it's time to redecorate.
How many rolls of wallpaper do I need for a nursery?
A typical nursery of around 3 × 3 m with 2.4 m ceilings needs 6–8 rolls for a full-room paper, but furniture coverage (cot, wardrobe, chest of drawers) often brings that down to 5–6 rolls of actual paperable surface. Measure each wall and deduct the furniture footprint for an accurate count rather than using the room perimeter.
What is the easiest wallpaper to remove from a nursery?
Paste-the-wall non-woven wallpaper is the easiest to remove — it's designed to peel off dry in large sheets rather than requiring soaking. Traditional paste-the-paper wallpapers bond more firmly over time and are significantly harder to remove without damaging the plaster beneath.
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