Designing a nursery has to be one of the loveliest parts of getting ready for a new arrival. From obsessing over paint colours and finding the cutest little cot, to choosing furniture and all those tiny finishing touches, it’s a room you naturally want to make feel extra special.
And that’s why we love coving for a nursery. It’s one of those details you might not think about straight away, but once it’s there, it completely finishes the space. Better yet, it can grow with your little one too. As the nursery slowly turns into a toddler’s room (and before you know it, a big kid’s room!), you can switch up the colours, furniture and décor while your coving stays as a gorgeous, timeless feature.
Choosing your nursery coving should be part of the fun, not another job to add to the never-ending list! We’re going to talk you through different styles, sizes and ideas to help you find something that feels just right for your space – and create the sweetest little backdrop for all those special moments to come.
What is the best coving for a nursery?
When it comes to a nursery, we think the best coving is something that adds to that soft, dreamy feel you're trying to create. This is such a special little room, so its the perfect excuse to get a little creative with the details!
Gentle curves, floral details and pretty decorative profiles just work so beautifully in a nursery, especially if you love that traditional, vintage or storybook-inspired look. Below is our gorgeous Swan Neck cornice, and honestly, its one of those styles you just can't go wrong with. Paired with a pretty patterned wallpaper, and those carefully chosen accessories, the Swan Neck adds the perfect finishing touch and brings the whole space together.
Is plaster coving a good choice for a child's bedroom as they grow?
Yes, and this is one of the reasons we think plaster coving works so well in a nursery. Although you might be decorating the room for a new baby right now, the coving itself doesn't need to feel babyish or something you'll want to change in a few years.
As your little one gets older, the room around it can completely change. Soft nursery shades can become bright colours, the cot can make way for their first proper bed, and toys and accessories can naturally change too. Your coving can simply stay exactly where it is, giving the room a beautiful feature that works through every stage.
Does nursery coving have to be painted white?
Not at all! White coving will always be a classic, but a nursery is such a lovely room to have a little more fun with the colour.
Try painting your coving the same shade as the walls for a colour-drenched look. Soft sage greens, powder blues, warm neutrals and dusky pinks can all look beautiful carried right to the ceiling, the the shape of the coving adding detail without introducing another colour.
Or, if you've fallen in love with a patterned wallpaper, pick out one of the shades from the design and use it on your coving. It's a simple little detail, but it can make the whole nursery scheme feel much more pulled together.
Here is another great example of how adding colour to your coving can completely transform a nursery. Rather then keeping the plasterwork white, the colour has been carried across the coving and ceiling, creating a really lovely feature against the softer walls. It adds personality and draws attention to those beautiful plaster details, while still keeping the room calm and perfect for a little one.
What other plaster features work with nursery coving?
Your coving can actually play a huge part in bringing your nursery theme together. Whether you're going for something traditional and sweet, colourful and playful, or soft and neutral, there's a coving style to suit any nursery.
Picture rails and wall panelling are another gorgeous way to style your coving. A picture rail underneath can break up the walls beautifully, especially if you want to use wallpaper on one section and paint on another. Wall panelling can add even more character and is perfect for creating that classic storybook nursery look. And of course, a ceiling rose is the perfect finishing touch to bring all your plaster details together - but we'll save that one for a little later in the blog.
Our LPC030 cornice works so beautifully.
How do I choose the right size coving for a nursery?
Getting the size right can make such a difference to how your coving looks once its fitted. Rather than choosing based on the design alone, have a little look at the proportions of your nursery too - particularly the ceiling height and overall size of the room.
If you're stuck between a couple of sizes, ordering samples is a great way to see the profiles in your actual nursery before committing. Hold them up where the wall meets the ceiling and you'll get a much better idea of which one feels right for the space.
Framing the Room: A Quick Guide to Choosing Coving for Nursery's
| Low - Average Ceilings | As a rough guide, a coving with a drop and projection of around 50-100mm is a lovely choice for lower ceilings of around 2.4-2.6m high. |
| Recommendations: | SPC014, SPC015, SPC070, SPC022, MPC064, MPC061 |
| High Ceilings | For bedrooms with higher ceilings, around 2.7m and above, you have a little more freedom to choose coving that makes a big impact. A larger profile of around 100-200mm can suit the extra ceiling height beautifully. |
| Recommendations: | LPC019, LPC018, LPC027, LPC036 |
| Period Property | Our website features coving inspired by different architectural periods, making it easier to find a style that suits you the original character of your home. |
| Recommendations: | LPC024, LPC021, XLPC005, LPC008 |
Can I use decorative coving in a small nursery?
Absolutely! Having a smaller nursery doesn't mean you have to stay away from decorative coving. In fact, a little bit of plaster detail can be just what a smaller room needs to give it some extra charm
The key is finding the right balance. Look for decorative profiles with pretty detailing that aren't to deep or heavy for the space. You can still have those traditional details, just on a smaller scale.
Our Egg & Dart coving is perfect for this, pictured below. The timeless repeated detail gives the room traditional, elegant feel, while sitting beautifully alongside the soft colour palette and wall panelling.
Small space, plenty of character.
Can I pair plaster coving with a ceiling rose in a nursery?
Definitely! If you've already chosen coving for your nursery, adding a ceiling rose is such a pretty way to carry that detailing across the ceiling and make the whole room feel considered.
Our roses look lovely with a pendant light and can make the ceiling feel like part of the design too. Have a look at some of nursery inspiration below, featuring our plaster ceiling roses.
And that's a wrap on our nursery guide! Have fun with it, order a few samples, play around with different styles and create a room that feels completely your own. And if you're staring at far too many coving samples and can't decide (we've all been there!), our customer service team is always happy to help with suggestions and find a style that works beautifully in your space.
Because the tiniest member of the family deserves some pretty fabulous ceilings too!