DECORATING YOUR NURSERY
Don’t wait until the last minute! Decorating and designing your baby’s nursery is something really special. Don’t leave it too late so that you are stressing over it. Get it underway early so you have enough time and energy to finish the job. It also gives you plenty of opportunity to freshen the room up, and air the furniture and newly painted spaces.
If you are not sure where to begin, read on and I’ll give you some ideas on where to start…
Choose a theme
This will give you a starting point. And by theme, I mean anything from a colour that you love; a toy or animal; a concept such as ‘travel’ or ‘adventure’ or even a style of décor – scandi, boho or geometric.
Here are some ideas to get the creative juices flowing. Use these terms to search google:
Scandi, exploring, beach, animals, mountains, ocean, nautical, outdoors, trees, flowers, forest, tribal, wigwam, teepees, boho, geometric, monocromatic.
Choose soft furnishings
If you have a seen a cushion, a rug or some bedding that you absolutely love, use this as a focus.
You can base your scheme around it.
There is nothing worse than finally finding the perfect curtains or the baby bedding of your dreams only to discover the colour scheme clashes with your paint.
It is definitely easier to paint after you have chosen your fabrics and furniture.
Choose a colour
Seek to soothe – you don’t want to stimulate your baby. Your aim is to have a relaxing and calming space, that helps them tune out the busy outside world.
Consider the paint you use
Make it washable! You’ll love me when your baby pees up the wall for the first time! In fact make everything washable….EVERYTHING! Remember, when they are older you might end up with sticky hand-prints, or crayon marks that you need to remove.
Think, too, about the using a paint that doesn’t contain toxic ingredients or harsh fumes.
Check out ‘The Intelligent’ range from The Little Greene Paint Company.
Their matt and eggshell paints are environmentally friendly, washable, officially ‘toy-safe’ and suitable for all interior walls and ceilings. (You can buy it from John Lewis).
Find a focal point
Most nurseries use the cot as the central piece of furniture. I’d rethink this as you don’t want to lock eyes with your baby every time you open the door to check on her, thus stopping the self settling she was trying to conquer.
A cot to the side of the door is best. There are other options for a focal point though, such as a spare bed (if you have space), a special toy or painted wardrobe. Have a photo taken of your newborn and place it prominently to complement the central piece. It will look amazing!
Decorate the ceiling
Babies spend much of their time on their backs so make sure the ceiling is as calm and soothing as the rest of the room. NO GLOW IN THE DARK STAR CHARTS!
Choose a look that will last
Pink, baby blue or pale yellow might be all the rage, but think about how your taste might change, or how your room may change as your baby grows up. If you want a scheme that survives the test of time, go neutral on the walls and use your furnishings to bring colour in.
Storage, storage and more storage
You might not have a huge amount of stuff at the beginning, but trust me, you will end up with a room bursting at the seams with toys, clothes, and baby paraphernalia.
Make sure that you have plenty of space to store everything so it is quick and easy to put things away without getting too cluttered. If you are thinking of have more children don’t forget you will need to have storage places for their old clothes, toys, etc. so you can reuse them for next baby.
Include black out blinds
This will help the baby to sleep longer and more comfortably. Drowning out the world is super hard for a new little brain that is wired to explore so the more help you can give, the better. Make sure the blinds and curtains cover the full width of the window frame and no sunlight is poking through.
Avoid bright lights
The aim to make your nursery a gentle, soothing place to be. Bright, overhead lights will do just the opposite and may well keep your baby awake if they are on during the settling period before sleep. A low light or soft bulbs will help. Consider a dimmer switch or a small lamp on the side table to make it even more cosy.
