A nursery is a special place that you create in your home ahead of the arrival of a baby. For many who are pregnant for the first time, it’s an exciting opportunity to transform a room and to get into what’s called the ‘nesting’ period of pregnancy. You’re a mother hen who is prepping the home for the arrival of a little one!
In order to make the most out of this experience, it’s important to prepare when creating a nursery space. After all, this often involves a renovation or decoration of the room itself. Some go all out on their first nursery, while others apply a lick of paint.
What you choose to design and incorporate into the space is totally up to you. With that in mind, here are some top tips for decorating a nursery for the first time.
- Consider the layout
First and foremost, you want to be considerate when it comes to the layout of the space. The space you’re working with is something that’s got to fit everything in without it feeling too cramped or lacking space for you and your brood to move around.
There are items of furniture that you might not necessarily need when it comes to the nursery of your dreams. It might be that in fat, you’re too limited on space to have everything you wanted. Typically, a cot and wardrobe tend to be the key elements of a nursery. Others might add drawers and a changing station, as well as a nursing chair.
However, it’s important to not get too much, otherwise navigating the space might be a lot more challenging as a result.
- Try not to create too much clutter
Clutter can often be a problem when it comes to small spaces and for households in general. We don’t quite realize how much clutter we can end up collecting as an individual, let alone a household. That’s why it’s worthwhile to declutter any space that will become your nursery area before you start decorating.
Ideally, you want to work with as much of a blank canvas as physically possible. While this might not be the case for many homeowners who are short on space, it’s a good way to help create a space that’s functional.
Declutter your space and only leave the basics you need behind. Other than that, you can dedicate as much room to the nursery as possible.
- Consider a neutral and long-lasting color theme
When it comes to your nursery colors, you don’t need to associate pink for a girl or blue for a boy anymore. You can be a little more versatile with the colors, opting for perhaps more neutral colors.
It’s good to consider the theme of your space when it comes to color, especially as this is what will be the room for the next few years at least. Think about the colors that you like now and try to incorporate more of the bold color options with soft furnishings that you can switch out.
You may even want to put in some personal touches by making some soft blankets or knitted throws with this ultra-soft merino roving wool. It’s a small touch but it makes a big difference to the space.
- Use the right lighting
Lighting is an important one because not only do you want to create a relaxed space for yourself but also for your child too. With lighting, the ambiance of the space is important and it’s useful to opt for warm lighting when dressing the space.
You want to lead with a warm approach to lighting that’s comforting and most importantly, will create an environment for a great night’s sleep for the baby.
Within the nursery, you might want to invest in blackout blinds or curtains. This is great for helping control the lighting situation in the space, especially during the summer when those early mornings can cheat your baby into waking up too early.
Make use of nightlights too as these help create a sleepy environment for the baby to relax and associate with falling asleep.
- Don’t forget to incorporate some art
Art and the design of the nursery are where you can let your creativity flow. Every nursery has a theme whether that’s hot air balloons, Disney, bear-themed and more. What you choose to hang as wall art or have as interior decor on the floors or shelves is up to you. It’s well worth considering the type of art you place in the space.
Artwork is a great stimulus for your baby too, even if you don’t think it would. They’re little explorers and even at the newborn stags, they’re looking around and taking in their surroundings. The more textures and colors you use, the better for the baby’s experience.
There are lot of inspiration for artwork and incorporating art formats into the nursery. Take to Pinterest or look online for nursery inspiration from professionals.
- Pick the right crib
The crib is an important part of the nursery space – in fact, it’s probably the most important part. You want to crib to be the right size and beneficial for you or/and your partner who will likely be bending over to put them in at night.
Find one that’s accessible but more importantly, safe for your little one to sleep in at night. It’s not really necessary anymore to get a crib set, which comes with all of the other furniture. Unless that is you would find it beneficial to have.
Sometimes, just buying the crib alone is enough and offers plenty of value. There are also cot beds that are worth considering. These are cribs that start off as a crib and can be changed into a bed for toddlers.
It’s a great option if you’re looking to get good value for money when investing in nursery furniture.
- Remember not all baby stuff needs to be in the nursery
Baby stuff doesn’t need to be contained to just the nursery itself. You may find that your home changes quite considerably after you have a baby. You’ll likely find baby stuff is found anywhere and everywhere throughout the property. With that being said, it’s well worth investing in some storage. That way you can minimize the clutter that’s created.
Storage is a great option, especially when you’re limited in the space available. Think about what areas of the home might require you to add in some extra storage to make up for the introduction of baby stuff.
- Don’t rush
It’s worth noting that the baby will likely be in your room from its newborn stage, up until six months of age. That means your nursery could go unused for the first few months at least. While some might want to get the nursery sorted in time for the baby’s arrival, others might not be so fussed about doing it to this deadline.
With that being said, don’t feel the pressure to be rushed into decorating your nursery. If you want to take your time and wait until after the baby arrives, that’s ok too. There’s no hard or fast rule to decorating a nursery. Do it in your own time without feeling the pressure!
Decorating a nursery is a great experience, whether you do it for every child or dedicate one room in your home for all the babies you have. Use these tips to get the most out of your nursery decorations and most importantly, have fun with it! Nursery decorating is certainly great fun to have as first-time parents.
