Tips for creating the perfect nursery
Decorating for newborn or a child on the way can be one of the most exciting tasks in the early days of parenthood. But while it’s satisfying, parents can often be overwhelmed by choices. They don’t need to be. It’s all about baby steps.
Here are some tips from Sally Morse, a design expert with Hunter Douglas:
The best place to start is with choosing a colour scheme — pink, blue, yellow — any colour or colour palette can work, as long as it suits you. As the little ones spend most of their time sleeping, you’ll want soothing tones if possible, not fire engine reds that keep everyone alert — you’ll need to relax there as well.
The next step to creating a perfect nursery is to design a serene environment by softening incoming light. You might consider honeycomb shades. These are products that offer two fabric layers. Light is filtered and diffused through the layers so that harsh glare and shadows are
eliminated. These products can also block the light for daytime naps. Shadings and shades come in dozens of colour choices, so that you can coordinate with the wall colour or the trim — whichever you choose.
Most importantly, be sure to select a treatment without dangling cords. There are many options today in cordless window coverings or systems that help keep the cords out of a child’s reach or eliminate the need for cords altogether. Comfortable seating is a must, especially for older moms and dads and grandparents. Also a large rug can pull the room together — and make it seem bigger. You’ll need a crib, of course. Be sure it is up to current safety standards. A changing table or area should also be firm and secure.
In terms of the furniture placement, never put a crib near the window. Babies are too curious and adventuresome for that. And, we’ve talked about the window covering cords, but you should also use window guards on all windows above the first floor. Look for quick-release features for easy emergency exits. If it’s necessary to keep windows open for ventilation, install locks that limit the size of the opening.
For the wall art and other decorative objects — rooms that teach with colourful numbers, letters, animals and more provide the right kind of stimulation. Whimsy is fun too — large trees with animals, giraffes, moon and stars….They can all find their place in the nursery.
A perfect place for baby
A well-designed nursery is fun, nurturing, practical and above all, safe! One of the main things to concern yourself with when you are picking out the nursery decor is the overall atmosphere. When you are picking out the different decorations, keep in mind how it is hard for most babies to differentiate the different things within the room. Therefore, you should make sure that nothing in the room could be perceived as scary. If you are looking to create a peaceful environment for your baby, then you have come to the right place.
Wall colours
While you are in the process of choosing your colours, think of how the colours will work with the style of decor you have chosen. Some of the more popular modern colours are black and white, which works well with a modern theme. On the other hand, mostly white is better for a room that is vintage or traditional themed. As for earth friendly rooms, you should stick to colours that are earthy. When choosing the colour of preference, make sure the colour is calming to your baby and not one that stimulates them. Colours can affect the way our babies feel and the kind of mood that they are in.
Lighting
The lighting is one of the most important aspects within a nursery. Essentially, it alerts your baby to the times when it is daytime in comparison to night. With this in mind, you do not want to have a large amount of light in the room when you are feeding the baby at night. By doing so, you can confuse your baby. When you use the right type of light, you can ensure your baby peace and comfort. At night, most parents want to check on their little one, but not wake them. In most cases, a small night light is something that will do the trick. Ambient lighting and area lights are other good choices for the times you want to change or feed them at night. A large number of choices are available and ultimately depend on the kind of preference you have. Nursery decor is something that should be creative and stimulating to the baby while also creating peaceful memories and a calming environment. Fun and relaxing colouring, beautiful wall decorations and a cozy crib are what babies love most and will enjoy day in and day out. Creating a relaxing environment for Mom as well is important as there may be many restless nights ahead and creating that ideal nursery is all a part of making it easier.
Simple Tips for Creating the Perfect Nursery
1. Don’t sacrifice style for functionality. It is easy to create a beautiful, organized space in the nursery to care for your baby without piles of diapers and a mess of toiletries. Place a basket or fabric-covered box (from an arts and crafts or paper store) on the changing table or shelf above and fill with diapers, petroleum jelly, diaper cream and rubbing alcohol. One nursery essential you won’t have to hide is the new Q-tips Baby Pack! They are available in two adorable nursery animal designs and are functional (with a new sliding drawer that keeps Q-tips cotton swabs protected for baby) so they can always be within arm’s reach.
2. Add a personal touch. Give your nursery a personal touch by adding framed covers of your favourite childhood books or classic black and white or sepia photos of you and your significant other when you were babies.
3. Create a sleepy time sanctuary. We all need our beauty rest, so it is important to create an environment that’s peaceful for your baby to sleep. Create a calming atmosphere with soothing colours and softer tones rather than bright or harsh colours. Then, use accents to add pops of colour without being too overwhelming. Be careful not to make the room too dark or too quiet at nap time. This way your child will learn to fall asleep in any environment, which is great when you are travelling or when new siblings arrive! You can also play soft, soothing
music or lullabies to help the baby fall asleep.
4. Room to grow. Choose design options that can grow with your child. Consider colour palette, furniture style, storage options and a play/reading area. Look for a dresser with drawers and cabinets, rather than a standard changing table, and simply secure a changing pad on top. Once your child outgrows diapers, you will have a beautiful piece of furniture with drawers for clothing and cabinets for toys that are within reach for your child.
5. Accessorize. A few must-have accessories for any nursery are books, books and more books! You can also add a silver piggy bank and a few irresistibly soft stuffed animals that will quickly become your child’s best friends! Even my celebrity clients still go for the traditional accessories. They bring us all back to that magical time of childhood.
