Gone are the days of pink and blue nurseries. Today, parents are taking a much more personal approach when it comes to designing their nurseries. One that is comfortable and has all the essentials, while also bringing in sophisticated aesthetic preferences in the nursery interiors. Considering how much time will be spent in the nursery, a pro tip is having the room reflect your taste and for it to be consistent with the rest of your home, with whimsical elements mixed in between to bring you and your baby joy.
When designing your nursery, let it be known that it doesn’t have to have a wild theme running through it. Sure, it’s tempting but creating a minimal space with small decorative and playful touches for your baby will work better for the longevity of the room. After two or so years, babies grow out of things and by keeping the space more aligned with the rest of the interiors in your home, it’ll be easier for you in the long run to have a space that can grow with your little one as their personalities and interests come through.
With this in mind, designing your nursery is less about buying as much as you can before your baby arrives. If anything by simply focusing on the basics, knowing you can add other interiors and decor at a later date, you relieve yourself from the pressure of feeling like it all needs to be done by the time your baby is due.
Time to check off the essentials for your nursery: the cot, a changing table, wardrobe or hanging rail and a chair. Technically they’re the staple pieces for a nursery to function like a well-oiled machine; everything in sight and close for whenever you need. And chosen well, you won’t need to compromise on style or space.
Ultimately, you want the nursery to be a place of comfort and efficiency. By choosing gorgeous quality pieces that are within reach of each other, easy to wipe down, and at the same time have a good few years of use ahead of them once your baby has passed the ages of two or three will be investments worth your while.
Depending on the size of your nursery, you may want to create small sections in the room where you and your baby play and spend time together. A simple way to do this would be by adding in the likes of a gorgeous sensory tent that can be easily moved around, from the nursery to the living room for your baby to relax in outside of the cot.
While as adults we may be induced by the colours on our bedroom walls to be all soothed and calm, it’s not quite the same for babies. Sadly. So while you may be tempted by light purples and blues, it may be better to choose a colour or colours that you’d prefer to see in the room. If you have chosen a theme for your nursery, and it welcomes the use of bright colours it’s worth keeping in mind not to overstimulate with the use of bold patterns and pops of colour everywhere.
Like you would in any other room in your home, you could apply a brighter or darker shade for a feature wall or to colour block; becoming the perfect centrepiece of the room and could serve as the play area. These small charming and stylish touches in your nursery will carry your baby through the years and in many ways, are more cost-effective than using furniture to section off the different areas of the room.
A hot topic over the past years has been around the chemicals often found in paint products that is no good for either you, your baby, or the planet. These chemicals are known as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) have been shown to reduce air quality and when inhaled could put you and your baby at risk, especially if one of you suffer from asthma or allergies.
Luckily, there are plenty of brands now on the market that has made a conscious effort to keep their paints VOC-free or low (containing less than 5 grams per litre of organic compound) including Cox & Cox, Farrow & Ball, Dulux, and Frenchic. All of which have incredibly low VOCs content, making designing your nursery toxins free, one less thing for you to worry about.
In an article sharing the 18 things parents wished they’d have known when decorating their nursery, I found a tip about lighting that I loved. That is, ‘Don’t be afraid of the dark‘. When choosing the lighting for your nursery, it’s worth thinking about how the interiors that you choose can mimic nighttime whenever you need. Investing in heavy black-out curtains with lovely patterns and roller blinds will help to block out light, noise, and drafts… promising easier daytime naps for everyone.
With the natural light sorted, thinking about the type of lighting to add to the room is essential for the comfort of you and your baby. The nursery is to be comfortable and cosy, meaning it’s worth staying away from harsh bright lights, and instead opt for dimmable lights with a warm white colour with a Kelvin range between 2700 – 3000. One of the easiest ways to achieve this would be to use smart bulbs, for their efficiency and seamlessness when it comes to transitioning from day to night.
And finally, adding the small decorative elements that will add character into the room. When you want to decide on the textiles and art you add to your nursery, you’ll of course want to think about what your baby will love and be amused by and mix those pieces with pieces you’ll enjoy too. For example, art is a great addition to tying a room together or can be used to add the light touches of a particular theme you have in mind, without the need to go overboard with it.
I’m one for a gallery wall in my interiors and I’d say the same in a nursery; cute graphics mixed with pieces from your favourite artist and those paint-splashed pieces made by your baby. There you have it, a gallery wall for life. Artfinder is a place I love to browse through for unique and original art from independent artists from all around the world.
The textiles for your nursery may follow the same premise of thinking 15 years into the future, or you may want to choose special pieces that you know may not have a place inside your child’s room once they’ve grown. Yet, become a sentimental piece that reminds you of those special first years. From wildlife inspired cushion covers to beautiful quilt designs, choosing the textiles is in many ways is the last step to designing the nursery, ready to welcome your little one.
Your nursery is to be a part of your home, for you and baby to just be and let the outside world do its thing while you take care of business in there. Watching your baby grow in space that grows with them. It’s your space, meaning your rules. There’s no need to worry about what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to designing the room. The best that can be done is to try and get the most from this space that makes this time beautiful (minus the poop, obviously) easier and safe.
And lastly, congratulations and good luck!
Looking for an extra pair of handing and ideas on how to design your nursery? No problem, share your ideas with Jacklyn and let’s get working on a project together.
Photo credits: 1. Sissy and Marley 2. Gunter and Co 3. The Every Mom 4. Chris Loves Julia 5. Sissy and Marley 6. Akin Design Studio
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