I often get asked by my customers “How do you design a Safari theme nursery?” This isn’t an easy question to answer because quite frankly there is just so much bad “art” out there and so many ways a safari theme nursery can go wrong. Given that the Safari nursery is in such hot demand, it’s time Chub & Bug answered this question. 

In this post, we not only explain why choosing a Safari theme is a great idea for your nursery, but also provide insight on how to design the perfect Safari theme nursery by showing which animals to include in this type of theme, recommending three styles to design your nursery in, and then providing 10 recommendations for Safari theme nursery furniture, decor, and accessories to help you design a nursery that will help your little one prepare for life’s grand adventure.

Why Choose a Safari Theme for your Nursery?

There are many great reasons to choose Safari as the theme for your little one’s nursery. 

The first reason to choose it is that the very idea of Safari connotes “adventure,” and it’s always a good idea to imbue your child with the sense that life is a big adventure, albeit with some risk. The definition of “safari” is an “expedition to observe animals in their natural habitat.” So safari is really setting out on a great big adventure to learn about the world and those beings who live in it. I can’t think of a better mission for your child in their life. 

The second reason to choose Safari for your baby room theme is that the animals commonly associated with Safari are known to be associated with qualities you’d want your children to emulate. 

Lions, for example, are known for being noble and fierce. Elephants are known for their wisdom and empathy. What better way than to surround your child with animals that can help them draw inspiration and become role models for them. 

Safari Animal Qualities

• Lions: Nobility, strength, and ferocity

• Elephants: Wisdom, empathy, and self awareness

• Giraffe: Elegance and grace

• Zebra: Courage

Third, from a design perspective, a Safari nursery theme is one of the most elegant and subtle motifs, which can draw heavily on “neutral” tones that will give your little one’s room a sense of understated elegance. You can read more about how Safari lends itself to a beautiful design motif below.

What Animals Do I Include in a Safari Theme Nursery?

To do a Safari theme nursery right, you need to start with the right animals. 

The most common animals used in a Safari theme room are the core four and you can’t really create a Safari theme nursery if one of these animals is missing:

1. Lion

2. Elephant

3. Giraffe

4. Zebra

Gorillas, monkeys, cheetahs, hippos, and rhinos are often included when more animals are used or as alternates for the primary four.. Sometimes hyenas round off the pack :) 

While some designers do use adult animals in the Safari nursery, it’s best to use baby animals for your baby room! Babies love to look at babies like themselves and there is nothing cuter than a baby elephant or zebra! These baby animals will provide your child with companionship, which will help to comfort them when they’re alone and start them off with a deep respect for animals and their natural habitats.

What Are Common Styles for a Safari Theme Nursery? 

Contrary to popular belief, your Safari baby room doesn’t have to look like a cliche with bright colors and obnoxious patterns. The unique pelts indigenous to animals in Africa can be brought into play, with the right design scheme. 

Modern Neutral Style 

The good news is that the Safari nursery theme works beautifully with a modern neutral color scheme and minimalist design principles.

The basic or typical Safari color palette includes, kelly green, jungle green, yellow, orange,  sienna, and brown.

However, the typical Safari color palette is often overwhelming and unsophisticated. It’s also just so overdone. Instead, at Chub & Bug, we like to think of new and intriguing ways to bring old themes and ideas to life. 

But again, there is more good news. There are lots of wonderful palettes you can use to suggest the African Serenghetti that are calming for your baby and soothing to the eye and heart.

The above color palette shows how gray and light beige can be paired with highly saturated greens and browns to produce a neutral, subtle and sophisticated look. 

Here is an example of a neutral color scheme using pale bege, gray and saturated greens and browns to convey an ultra chic minimalist look. And what’s even better is that these neutral tones also create a unisex or gender neutral look and feel. 

To get this look, check out Chub & Bug’s Safari Theme Print Set

What I love about this palette is that it is masculine but also provides just enough charm and warmth for little boys. The gray in this palette tones down the warm hues, creating a perfect harmonic balance.

And finally we have this wonderfully masculine, yet still playful Safari palette that leverages two saturated blues, which is again perfect for baby boys rooms.

Girl’s Safari Nursery Palette

Many customers ask me about how to develop a Safari theme nursery for little girls. My advice is to always go with neutral and saturated colors and provide a pop of a feminine color. 

This palette leverages a pale green and very subtle pink, which achieves a realistic look of the African landscape, but also feminizes it.

Better yet, this palette is a bit bolder and pairs complementary colors, saturated yellow and purple, to sound a perfect note. The pop of purple instantly feminizes it without taking us out of Africa so to speak. The black brilliantly reminds us of a zebra pelt, without all the melodrama ;)

Our “Bubblegum” print, which depicts a whimsical baby girl giraffe blowing a huge bubble, is a perfect way to feminize your baby girl’s Safari nursery. Just a touch of pale pink against strong neutral gray and beige can create a charming look.

10 Must-Have Neutral Safari Theme Furniture & Accessories

Below we’ve rounded up 10 amazing ideas for furniture and accessories for a neutral Safari theme nursery. All of these pieces are understated, elegant and unisex so they can be used no matter the sex of your baby:

Safari Bedding Set 

Giraffe Basket

Safari Nursery Print Set 

Safari Zebra Throw Pillow

Lion Alphabet Rug

Giraffe Rocker

Monkey and Giraffe Lamps

Safari Baby Mobile

Handmade Oak Rhino Figure

Mom & Baby Elephant Plush Toys

Wrapping it All Up

You now have everything you need to design the perfect neutral Safari nursery room for your baby.

We’ll be updating these recommendations periodically, so make sure to check back to learn about the latest Safari theme decor and latest Chub & Bug Safari artwork.