Decorating Your Nursery
One of the most exciting moments in pregnancy is decorating the nursery. Putting all those ideas into action, designing the space for your little one is very pleasing. Not only do you want something that visually looks beautiful but it needs to be practical and to most, reasonably priced as well. Start with listing items you need, then you can add in wishful products later on, otherwise you can waste money on things you will never use.
Of course we all want the best for our children but don’t get taken in by adverts making out their products are necessities, ask other mums for advice or check out parenting websites online. Also make a plan of the room and measure everything, the last thing you want to do is buy furniture and it doesn’t fit. Friends and family may want to pass on items to you (like a Moses basket or quilt) which is lovely and can add a lot of character and sentiment to a room.
This will furthermore save you some money and it is great to re-use old items. It could provide you with a starting subject to base the rest of the room on, we chose the nursery theme for our newest addition based on a blanket made by her great grandmother. Choosing your theme. Ideally it is advised to go for something classic and simple, that you can adapt over time easily. A popular option is to choose something that will stimulate the baby as they grow, selecting bright primary colours, geometric shapes and patterns.
Others pick softer colours that will help babies sleep without distraction. The other consideration is whether or not to go for something gender neutral, will you want more children? It may be worth not doing everything in pink or blue if you want to reuse it all. Wall stickers are perfect for decorating a nursery, if you only need something for the moment or longer lasting. You just peel them off when you change your mind or move house.
Interior design catalogues can provide a lot of inspiration, cut out bits you like and make a mood board collage, take it with you when out shopping for guidance. They can also offer alternative practical ideas to help with space saving and organisation. As a mother the top products I would recommend for a nursery are:
- Blackout blinds/curtains
- A Cot bed that you can take the sides off
- Multiple change mats (for upstairs and down)
- Several storage boxes for old clothes and endless toys
- And if money allows a video baby monitor (I spent ages just watching her sleeping in her cot!).
Safety is obviously a very important aspect. Click here to check out this helpful list of do’s and don’t’s.