Blog>Cost Guides>The cost of decorating and furnishing your baby's nursery
Last updated: 28 March 2025
The cost of decorating and furnishing your baby's nursery
If you’re expecting a baby, putting together their nursery is probably something you’re excited about. But what’s the typical cost of decorating a nursery? Keep reading to see what other parents told us that they spend on their nursery, and use our calculator to get an estimate for your own nursery!
Expecting a baby is an exciting time. And if you’re raring to get everything ready for your little one’s arrival, the nursery is a great project to put your energy into.
What’s the cost of creating your nursery?
In a recent survey conducted by Checkatrade, we found that parents are spending £2,000 on average to create their dream bedroom for their newborns.
One in 10 of the parents we spoke to told us they would be happy to spend over £5,000 on a renovation. While two in five said they have dipped into their savings to create their bespoke nursery.
The reason? To emulate celebrity designer nurseries!
Molly Mae Hague’s neutral-themed bedroom for baby Bambi, complete with a cloud chandelier, was Gen Z’s preferred option by a long way. This was favoured by a huge 50% of young parents.
But what exactly is the cost of decorating a nursery? Here, we’ll take a look at how much you can expect to spend.
Calculate the cost of creating your dream nursery
Getting your baby’s nursery ready isn’t just about buying furniture or a fresh paint job. If you’re like most parents, you’ll want to give this room a complete overhaul.
Parents are increasingly looking for tradespeople to take on more bespoke building jobs.
Some of the improvements include:
Installing dimmable light fixtures (38%)
Built-in baby wardrobes (29%)
Refitting floors and carpets (20%)
Hot water taps for a tea and coffee supply during night feeds (9%)
Exactly how much you spend will depend on:
Whether you hire professionals or take a DIY approach
Your location
How much work you choose to do
The size of the nursery
However, here are some typical costs to bear in mind if you wish to hire a professional painter and decorator to achieve the best finish.
| Item | Unit | Cost+VAT (Lower range) | Cost+VAT (Higher range) | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painting walls | Per m2 | £8 | £16 | £12 |
| Painting woodwork | Per m2 | £10 | £15 | £12.50 |
| Wallpapering (labour) | Per m2 | £12 | £16 | £14 |
| Mural painting | Per m2 | £130 | £150 | £140 |
| Custom built-in shelving | Per m2 | £70 | £230 | £150 |
| Assemble and fix floating IKEA shelf | One shelf | - | - | £80 |
| Picture hanging | Per picture | £40 | £90 | £65 |
| Fitting blinds | Per blind | £60 | £115 | £87.50 |
| Fitting curtain pole | Per room | £60 | £90 | £75 |
| Carpet fitting (labour) | Per day | £120 | £150 | £135 |
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | ||||
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The most popular nursery design trends
From the parents that we spoke to, we found the top design trends were:
Natural light - a clear winner with 41% of parents prioritising it for their kids
Woodland animals (25%)
Gender-neutral bedrooms (23%)
Wall murals (19%)
The top 10 celebrity nurseries
If you want your baby to be down with the cool kids in their nursery, then you'll be interested to know which celebrity nurseries came out on top as the most popular:
Millie Mackintosh (26%)
Tom & Giovanna Fletcher (25%)
Dani Dyer (23%)
Lucy Mecklenburgh (19%)
Molly Mae Hague (17%)
Binky Felstead (15%)
Rochelle Humes (15%)
Mrs Hinch (15%)
Khloe Kardashian (10%)
Stacey Solomon (10%)
Jobs to explore for your nursery, and their cost
Checkatrade painter and decorator, David Couson of Grand Finishes
Painting
The chances are you’ll want to paint your baby’s nursery. And colour is still a key decision for expecting and new parents. Pink leads the way, closely followed by light blue and grey.
Painter and decorator prices can vary, but you’re looking at around £400 to paint a medium-sized room.
Wallpapering
Wallpaper can be a great way of adding some fun patterns and colours to your nursery. A painter and decorator will charge an average of £450 to wallpaper a room (not including the cost of the wallpaper and materials).
Mural
If you’d like to take a more bespoke approach to your decor, commissioning a mural can ensure your baby’s nursery is like no other.
The typical mural painting cost is around £140 per m2. However, the total cost will depend on a range of factors, including the complexity and size of the mural you’re after.
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Shelving
Adding shelving to your nursery isn’t just great for storage – it’s also a fantastic way to add some personality to the room. Shelves in a nursery look fantastic styled with toys, trinkets, books and bright artwork.
The cost of custom built-in shelves is generally around £150 per m2. However, if you want to keep your shelving costsdown, you can typically pay around£80 to get somebody to assemble and fix a floating IKEA shelf.
Hanging pictures
Of course, no nursery would be complete without pictures to brighten up the space and give it some character. The average cost of picture hanging services is £65 per picture.
Alternatively, you could call on your local handyperson to help. Handyperson prices tend to come in at around £45 for picture or mirror hanging, which typically takes between one and two hours.
Curtain or blind fitting
Blinds or curtains can really help to soften a room. Consider investing in blackout ones for your baby’s nursery, to make it easier for them to sleep during the summer months.
When it comes to curtain fitting costs, you’re looking at around £87.50 for someone to install blinds, or £75 for a curtain pole.
Carpet fitting
Need a new carpet for your child’s nursery? In which case, you can expect to pay around £135 per day in carpet fitting costs, as well as between £6 and £40 per m2 for the carpet itself.
That said, premium carpets can cost upwards of £50 per m2, so your total price will all depend on the spec you’re going for.
Furnishing costs for your nursery
The cost of furnishing a nursery can vary hugely depending on:
The quality of the furniture you buy
Whether you buy items individually or as part of a set
Whether you choose to buy new or second hand
How many items you purchase
However, here are some items that are commonly bought when furnishing a nursery, and their ballpark prices when purchased new.
| Item | Cost (Lower range) | Cost (Higher range) | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cot | £100 | £400 | £250 |
| Mattress | £35 | £170 | £102.50 |
| 3-piece nursery furniture set (cot, wardrobe, chest of drawers) | £400 | £2,000 | £1,200 |
| Nursing chair | £200 | £800 | £500 |
| Changing table | £40 | £600 | £320 |
| Nappy bin | £12 | £60 | £36 |
| Kids' rug | £20 | £300 | £160 |
| Lamp | £10 | £200 | £105 |
| Bookcase | £20 | £200 | £110 |
| Toybox | £60 | £250 | £155 |
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||
Cot and mattress
First things first, a cot and mattress are must-haves for any nursery. The NHS recommends that your baby sleeps in the same room as you for the first six months, and many parents choose to purchase a moses basket or next-to-me crib for this time. However, babies grow, and a cot or cot bed will soon become a necessity.
Some cots come with a mattress. But if not, you’ll need to find one that’s firm and fits your baby’s cot snugly without leaving gaps around the edges. Of course, don’t forget to get hold of sheets, blankets and mattress protectors too!
Changing table
Although you can get away without a changing table, having one can take the pressure off your back during those never-ending nappy changes!
There are lots of different kinds on the market. They range from stylish pieces that double up as a chest of drawers, to changing table tops that you can place over the cot to save space. Remember to purchase a changing mat to go with it!
Nursing chair
It’s not strictly a necessity, but once your baby starts sleeping in their nursery, you’ll get a lot of use out of a nursing chair. Just think of all those bedtime stories, feeding sessions and nighttime wakeups in your future!
You don’t need to buy a specially designed nursing chair if you’re on a budget. Any comfortable seat can do the job, although a rocking chair or glider could be ideal.
Wardrobe and chest of drawers
They may be small, but babies and children take up a lot of space. So, you’ll need to invest in plenty of storage if you’re going to have any hope of keeping their space neat and tidy!
You can buy storage such as a wardrobe and chest of drawers individually, but you might save money by purchasing a nursery furniture set. In particular, there are plenty of three-piece sets on the market that come complete with a cot, wardrobe and chest of drawers. Not only can they be cheaper than buying each item individually, but they’ll also give your nursery more cohesion.
Nappy bin
Any style-conscious parent will want a nappy bin in their nursery. It definitely beats having a big black bin bag taking up space!
There are lots of different kinds of nappy bins available, but we’d recommend choosing one that helps to trap or neutralise bad odours. That way, your nursery won’t just look good – it’ll smell good too!
Rug
Add a rug to your nursery to zone the space and add a touch of cosiness. You’ll have plenty of stylish and colourful kids’ rugs to choose from, and they tend to be a good deal cheaper than your standard living room rugs to boot.
Lamp
Of course, it’s important not to forget about how you’re going to be lighting your nursery. A lamp that can provide a soft, warm light will be ideal for creating a calm environment that can help you send your baby off to sleep.
Bookcase
If you’re like many parents, you’ll collect a vast number of baby books over the months and years. A bookcase can be a great way to display them. Picking a bookcase designed for children will ensure that all those exciting stories are within easy reach of your little one.
Toybox
Once you become a parent, toys can all too quickly take over your home. A toy box will make tidying up quick and easy, and add some classic charm to your baby’s nursery at the same time.
FAQs
Can I decorate my nursery myself?
Yes, a lot of the jobs involved in decorating a nursery are suitable for DIY – such as painting, hanging pictures and putting up shelves.
However, getting the help of professionals will be much quicker and will save you hassle. It will also ensure that your nursery is finished to a professional standard, so that you’re not disappointed by the end result.
What furniture do I need for my baby’s nursery?
The bare necessities for a baby’s nursery are a cot or cot bed, mattress, some kind of storage, curtains or blinds, and a lamp. However, there are many other things that you can add to a nursery to make it more comfortable and practical, such as a nursing chair, nappy bin and changing table.
When should I complete my baby’s nursery?
60% of parents get the nursery completed before their baby is born. However, the NHS recommends that you wait until your baby is six months old before they sleep in a separate room from you.
So, there’s no huge rush – the main thing is to finish your baby’s nursery before they move into it, whenever you decide that is.
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