What colours and fabrics would you suggest for a baby boy's room?

Paint, fabrics and patterns for a baby's room.

Q. I painted our baby’s nursery with Benjamin Moore’s Bird’s Egg (2051-60), and I’m not crazy about it. However, my husband likes it and doesn’t want to change it. Can you suggest coordinating colours/fabrics to go with this colour for bedding and accessories? I don’t want any baby prints. I like contemporary stripes or solids. In case I can convince my husband to change it, can you suggest a different aqua paint but in a more subdued colour?

— Jackie Osmond

A. Pratt & Lambert’s Light Aqua has a little more green and is slightly more saturated than the Bird’s Egg, but your original colour is lovely, and a great starting point. Colours like red and orange will complement the blue, but almost any group of colours will work. Multi-coloured stripes are a great way to introduce other colours and add visual interest at the same time. If time permits, you can paint stripes right onto the walls, or just add them with crib bedding and window treatments. If you want to stay away from baby prints, go with “barcode” stripes for a more modern look, or ticking stripes for a more traditional feel. For a more subdued, tranquil nursery, go with creamy white and linen-inspired beiges as peaceful accents with the blue walls. For a break in the blue, you could install wainscotting to just below the light switches. Paint the wainscotting a warm white like Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White (OC-130), and paint the walls above it the aqua blue.

http://houseandhome.com/wall-colour/blue-baby