As a parent, you know how important your child’s nursery is. The nursery will be the place your baby sleeps, takes their first step and says their first word. It will also be the site of late night feedings, double t’s (temper tantrums) and the double d’s (diaper disasters). You and your baby will spend many hours in the nursery, so it should be decorated in a way you both love. As you begin taking your own baby steps toward your dream room, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Design a room that will grow up with them: Before the arrival of your child, you have the luxury of starting from scratch and decorating an empty room. It is much harder to redecorate once your son or daughter is using the room. Using the right type of high quality products, such as interior paint, allows your design to stay looking new well beyond infancy and into childhood. You should also stick to timeless colors and prints. Stripes, chevrons, and polka dots will work as well for a preteen as they do for an infant. However, farm animals and cartoon characters may seem overly childish after only a year or two.
Inspire their imagination: More so than any other room, nurseries are often designed around a theme. A thematic room can capture the imagination and inspire creativity. Themes can be developed based on your hobbies or aspirations for your child. You might try combining tan walls with globes and vintage maps of your favorite destinations for a travel themed room. Walls of whisper-soft pink combine with ribbons and tulle for a beautiful ballet themed room. Science fiction fans might create a room decorated with star charts and solar system models highlighted by dark blue walls.
Paint or decorate the ceiling: Your little one will spend the majority of their first few months looking up from their crib and changing table. Unfortunately, the ceiling is often forgotten when it comes to decorating. Switching out the traditional white paint for a bold splash of color or a soothing hue will give your baby a more interesting view. You could even consider going tandem with our last tip and painting interesting objects and designs that will spark your baby’s creativity.
Think beyond pink and blue: Pale shades of pink and blue are well known as the traditional colors of infancy. However, the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing a color for a modern nursery. The color you select should be largely influenced by the mood you want to create. Soft grays accented with yellow or teal are soothing and appropriate for either gender. Rust, gold and cherry combine to create a vintage feel. High contrast palates, such as black, white and red are the easiest for babies to see as their vision develops.
If you are looking for a fresh twist on the traditional, try fuchsia, lilac and deep purple for girls and red, orange or navy for boys. Gender-neutral rooms have historically been pale green or yellow. Today, coral, aqua, tan and cream work for both genders.
*Pinterest has some unique ideas here: Pinterest Nursery Ideas
Relying on professionals: Unfortunately, the months leading up to the arrival of your new addition will be some of the busiest and most hectic of your life. While creating your nursery is a priority, you may find there’s no room in the schedule. Plus, expectant mothers may not feel comfortable moving furniture, handling tools and climbing up and down ladders. There are professional paint companies in Nashville and other craftsmen that can take care of the dirty work of making your design a reality. If you do enlist the help of a professional, all you need to do is sit back and picture bringing your new baby home to their perfect nursery.
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What does your dream nursery look like? Do you have any unique ideas that you’ve heard, used, or plan on using? We would love to hear about them in the comments below! Even better, post us a picture!