Colour does not add a pleasant quality to design – it reinforces it
(Pierre Bonnard)
Your nursery
Think about your nursery as a retreat for relaxing and bonding with your child. Let it be a delight for your senses. Use natural materials as much as possible for linens, textiles, flooring, carpeting, furniture and toys.
Select multifunctional furniture that will convert to other uses as the child grows. For instance, a crib may become a set of chairs or a changing table may become a dresser. For older children, choose durable furniture that can take a pounding.
Take the design elements down to low horizontal levels so that the perspective is for the child rather than for the adult. For example, create a sitting area with diminutive chairs and paint the lower part of the wall a contrasting shade.
Bring the outside in: incorporating nature into the room will help create a sense of calm.
Think about an evolving design of the room that will grow with your child. Changing objects or pictures on displays are a good way to communicate with your baby.
Be safe. When your child becomes a toddler, cover sharp edges or choose furniture with rounded edges. Make sure bookshelves are fixed to the walls. Electrical cords should be bunched and tied. Avoid halogen torches. Lamps should not be accessible.
To keep things in budget, make use of stores such as Ikea, especially for toys and furniture that will have limited use.
Bed and bedding
Choose your crib or bed cot for its shape, safety and potential use in the future. There is no need to pay a lot of money for a crib or cot; the simpler the better. Rather, use the savings to spend more on a firm, air ventilated and easy to clean mattress. Also, keep bedding simple (no pillows, blankets, soft toys or bumper). A sleeping bag for babies is a great idea for newborns, especially if you worry about SIDS or cold feet (babies always kick off blankets during the night). A canopy or mosquito net over the crib for newborns emphasizes the cocoon feeling.
Other furniture
Encourage tidiness and “clutter control” in the room with low level storage, displays, baskets and bookshelves. A white board is very useful to note feeding times and quantity. It can be used as a reminder for doctor’s appointments or to communicate with other caregivers.
Set a very comfortable chair or armchair in the room to nurse your baby. A rocking chair is ideal for nursing, cuddling and story telling. Pick a design you like, you might want to use the chair in your own living room later.
Floors
Use comfortable flooring, such as play blankets, rugs or foam, to play with your baby on the floor; he or she will grow strong and crawl at an early age. Remember, even older children spend lots of time on the floor, so invest in flooring.
Lighting
Emphasize natural light. You can also have different sources of light in the room, for different times of the day and night. Full spectrum lighting is best; eliminate fluorescent light. Night lamps provide a soft and comforting glow.
Windows and Ventilation
Do not cover windows unnecessarily. Only during naps and early mornings will you need to block out the natural light. Try to keep the room ventilated, with moderate humidity and temperature (18-20 degrees Celsius). Sometimes it is hard to avoid air conditioning during the summer months, but try to keep the unit as far away from a newborn as possible, perhaps even in another room.
Sound and smells
Use mobiles or wind chimes to create movement and soothing sounds. Create your own with bright beautiful beads, crystals, feather, shells and ribbon.
Consider a stereo for appropriate music or natural sounds (ocean, birds and so forth). Singing, humming or reading to your baby is preferable to synthetic nursery rhymes. Open the window so that your baby can hear the birds, rain, wind or even traffic. Try to avoid too much silence, so that your baby will learn to fall asleep with the comforting noises of his parents and everyday life.
The most comforting smell for a baby is that of the mother; give your baby a comfort object with your smell on it. Avoid synthetic perfumes in baby’s products; use fresh water and a gentle baby soap.
Colour
Create a harmony of colour, but look beyond the traditional pink or blue. Gender-neutral colors will give the room a more organic, softer feeling. Remind yourself of the calming colours of nature, perhaps with touches of brightness. It has been said that newborns see only in black and white, so maybe think of adding temporary black and white motifs to areas where the baby spends a lot of time.
More…
For more ideas on decorating your child’s room with great designs in furniture, toys or baby items, see moolee moolee’s BLOG.
