Are you expecting a new addition to your family? If so, that’s wonderful news, and you’re likely to be extremely excited about everything that’s to come. Of course, along with the excitement, there’s a lot of planning to do, and one important aspect of preparing for your baby’s arrival is designing the perfect nursery. You’ll want to create a cosy, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing space for your little one, and if you plan things out in advance, this can be a fun thing to do that doesn’t involve a lot of stress and worry. If you’re ready to start planning the perfect nursery, keep reading to find out more.
Plan The Nursery Layout
Before you dive right into decorating, which can certainly be tempting, it’s best to stop and think about the layout of the nursery. Think about the size of the room, how much natural light it gets, and where the windows and doors are – this can all help you make sure you get things right the first time, and don’t waste a lot of effort and money making adjustments. Plus, when you have a plan in place, making any further decisions about what to add (or remove) becomes a lot easier.
Start by measuring the room and sketching a rough layout, and keep in mind that the crib should really be the focal point of the nursery; you’ll want easy access and good visibility of the crib everywhere in the room. You should arrange other key pieces like the changing table, rocking chair, and storage units around the crib, but keep the space uncluttered and open to make it easier to move around and to ensure it feels comfortable.
Choose A Colour Scheme
Choosing the right colour scheme for the nursery really sets the tone, so this is definitely something to think long and hard about. Soft, soothing colours are generally a safe bet, so opt for pastel shades of blue, pink, green, or neutral tones like grey and beige, which all create a calm atmosphere – exactly what you want for a nursery. Remember that the colour you choose will influence a lot of other things in the room, so you’ll want to pick one that’s easy to work with.
You can also consider adding a pop of colours through accessories, like curtains, rugs, and decorations. As your child gets older and finds their own taste, you can change these things to suit them and not have to redecorate the whole room.
Pick Furniture
Investing in quality nursery furniture is essential to make the room both functional and safe. As mentioned above, the most important piece of furniture to start with has to be the crib, but you’ll also want a chair, changing table, storage, and perhaps a chest of drawers and wardrobe, depending on how much space you might have.
When you’re choosing a crib, make sure it meets all the current safety standards and ideally it should also have adjustable mattress heights. Your changing table should have lots of storage so you can keep your nappies, wipes, spare clothes, and so on close to hand. Your rocking chair should be somewhere you can sit for hours if need be, so test it out to make sure it’s comfortable before committing to buying it.
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the thought of designing a nursery from scratch, or you don’t have much time or you don’t have the skills needed, it’s well worth thinking about enlisting the help of experts to help you create the ideal space for your little one.
Good Lighting
Proper lighting in the nursery is essential if you want to make the room look and feel good and if you want to be able to move around it easily and do whatever it is you need to do while you’re there, whether that’s changing nappies, soothing a baby to sleep, feeding the little one, or just spending quality time together.
A combination of natural light and artificial lighting is probably the best way to go, as you can have more control this way. One of the best things to include in the nursery in terms of lighting (or reducing the light, as is the case here) is to install blackout blinds or curtains so that your baby can get to sleep more easily and isn’t woken up when the sun rises.
A soft, adjustable nightlight can be a lovely thing to have in place for late-night nappy changes and feelings without having to switch on the main light and disrupt your baby’s sleep. If you can, consider a dimmer switch for the main light to create a soothing atmosphere.