It is always a fun moment in any pregnancy when it is time to start decorating the nursery, and whether the room is a blank canvas ready to take whatever is thrown at it, or a room that has all the necessary furniture but just needs a bit of freshening up, it is simple to make a nursery special.
The basics
A newborn baby has no opinions, so the nursery can be decorated to reflect the taste of the parents rather than the child. As with any room, its function should be the prime influence on décor, so furniture should be kept to the essentials, such as a cot, changing station, nursing chair with footstool, and storage, such as a wardrobe and chest of drawers. Try to keep the floor area as uncluttered as possible, and ensure that there are unrestricted routes around the room.
The recycling of furniture is not only a thrifty solution when equipping a room, but also a very on-trend one. Furniture that brings a vintage feel will look particularly good in a nursery setting, with its white colour providing a clean and fresh look. Personalise a piece of furniture by adding texture and colour, such as a sheet of patterned wallpaper pasted to the panel of a wardrobe door or the front of a chest of drawers.
Safety wise, cots and other furniture should not be placed near a window or within reach of blind pulls. Good choices for windows are Venetian blinds that use a pole to open and close, or even better and far more stylish, window shutters. These are bang on-trend at the moment, and there are plenty of internet sites that will provide a shutter quote for a made to measure window treatment.
Keeping it simple
Sometimes, less is more, and a nursery will not be spoiled by a little simplicity. So often nurseries are decorated to a theme, such as a fairy-tale castle fit for a princess, to a swamp where dinosaurs roam. But kids grow out of favourites, and a simply decorated nursery with neutral coloured walls and flooring, will at least have the chance to grow with the child.
The themed nursery
Of course, there is a lot to be said for a themed nursery, as they give the parent a chance to indulge their creative streak. A theme can be something as simple as using only a few colours, or as elaborate as wall murals and rugs. Wall murals can be spectacular, with whole forest scenes decorating the wall. Or they can be minimalist, desperately pretty yet sophisticated, such as large single flowers accompanied by a famous quote from children’s literature.
The cot or bed is a perfect place for an extravagant and over the top theme. Custom made cots can be shaped to look like a carriage fit to take Cinderella to the ball, or curved to resemble a crescent moon.
So often overlooked, the ceiling can provide a great space for some really decorative ideas, such as wallpaper that represents a cloudy blue sky or a sparkly star field.
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