When did Early Years turn Beige?

Look at any social media post featuring a typical nursery environment right now. The picture is the same – cable reels of varying sizes, hessian-backed display boards with trailing artificial ivy and fairy lights, upturned apple crates, wooden pallets in various formats, beige furniture and resources set against plain white walls. Are these nursery environments set up to maximise children’s learning potential, or are some providers jumping on current ‘trends’ and actually limiting the learning experiences we offer children? How does this room design maximise children’s learning, and support the setting’s curriculum and pedagogy?