Box room nursery advice

[girlmum6]

We are going to decorate our box room (2.9m x 1.9m) soon for our daughter’s nursery. I would really like to do panelling up to waist height and then some pretty wall paper above. But I am worried this might make the room seem smaller and I’m not sure if I’m better going for something more simple. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

I think it would make it smaller, I'd keep it simpler. My nursery was a similar size. We painted it all white, colour was in the soft furnishings/pictures on the wall. I think would have been too "busy" otherwise. Furniture was a nursing chair, the cot and a chest of drawers for her clothes which doubled up as the changing table. Some shelves on the walls. There wasn't room for anything else!

Here’s someone’s nursery that’s still got lots going on and is smaller than yours https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNPp92zKyPG/?igsh=MWJ6Y29pZWxybjRuNQ==

You could get a similar effect by painting the colour up to dado height or 2/3 height (possibly in eggshell finish as it wipes clean) and then white above. This should make the room feel bigger if anything. Lots of examples if you google half height painted wall.

Benefit of this over panelling is it’s cheaper and easy to paint over if you want to change it later!

I wouldn’t do wallpaper in a child’s room tbh, too much risk of damage, and too expensive to change when they inevitably outgrow it.

Thanks so much all for replying. The room has very high ceilings so I like the idea of adding a dado rail and painting about 2/3 or 3/4 of the height to make the room seem bigger. I was thinking of going for a creamy yellow below the dado rail also which will hopefully make it seem nice and light and bright.

You could panel one wall if you want the look, but keep it lighter colours if you're worried about the size.
Honestly though, we didn't do a nursery. It was painted a neutral colour, and had her cot in and a chest of drawers with a few shelves for books but until she got older she barely spent time in there. I'm glad we kept it simple as its easier now to change now shes older and has started developing her personality.