Designing Baby's Nursery

Over the past few months, I have noticed that I currently have many friends that are expecting little bundles of joy in the near future.  After speaking with a few of them – I thought "why not write a post dedicated to nurseries?"  If you, like my friends, are trying to come up with a comfortable and soothing nursery for your baby (as well as for yourself), please keep these tips in mind – especially if you are a new parent. 

Here is a list of essentials that every new parent should have in a baby nursery:

·        Comfortable Chair with an Ottoman or Foot Stool – Forget what you thought, this item should be the first thing that you purchase!  Keep in mind that this chair is more for you since you will be getting up sometimes several times during the night for feedings and nursing.  Try to invest in a comfortable chair that has rocking capabilities.  The rocking motion will help soothe baby and may also serve as a comfortable place for you to catch a nap as well.

·        CD Player – For playing classical music or a white noise CD, some say that white noise CDs such as those including the sounds of a vacuum cleaner or running tap water can soothe a newborn because it simulates the noises of a mother’s womb.

·        Crib – This obvious choice of the most essential item will also most likely be your most expensive piece of furniture in the room (unless you also purchase a dresser for storage of baby’s clothing and other items).  If you have a crib that has been passed down to you, just make sure it is in safe condition (i.e., not too old and with no lead based paint).  However, if you are planning to purchase a new crib, to save some cash, try and invest in a crib that can be converted to a twin bed as baby gets older.

·        Mobile – A staple form of entertainment for the baby while he/she is in his/her crib. 

·        Changing Table – Another staple of baby nurseries, try to invest in a change table that provides storage space for baby wipes, powder, diapers, and anything else that may come in handy while changing baby.  This extra storage will also come in handy during late night baby changes when sleepy parents lack the energy to hunt for these essentials.

·        Diaper Genie – A truly convenient depository for smelly diapers – although no odors will escape from it!  Empty it as you would empty the trash.  Simple.  Convenient.  Must.  Have.

·        Baby Monitor – Eventually, baby will begin sleeping in her/his own room and you will want to be able to check in on him/her.  There are many audio as well as video monitors available to serve this task and some are even so high quality that they can be used from quite a distance away!

Enough talk!  Let's see some photos :o)

All photos courtesy of The Bump.com



Clearly a traditional little girls nursery - of course, I absolutely love the usage of pink and green in this room!  I also really love the mini-chandelier. 



Another pink and green nursery, although this time with a fresher and more whimsical feel.



A traditional boys nursery - I love the play of the neutrals with the blue in this room.  Taken together, they both have an immediate calming effect.



The other side of the room above.  If you don't have storage space within your changing table - you can turn a dresser top into a storage area for changing essentials!



Another usage of blue, but a bit more modern this time.  The use of white freshens the nursery up a bit!

  

Blue is the perfect color for bedrooms and nurseries because it is calming, soothing, and can help lull baby to sleep.  Often thought of as a boys nursery color, blue can also be used in a girls nursery and can also be quite feminine if applied correctly!



Pink, green, butterflies, trees, and a crystal chandelier to boot, this nursery is definitely fit for a little princess!  If you have the space in your nursery, it's never too early to buy a good bed for when your baby gets older - if the baby gets fussy on a particular night, the bed may be a welcome addition for you as well.

Red is a very powerful color that can promote energy due to its brightness.  Since red has the ability to over stimulate the senses, if you must use it in your nursery - only use it on one wall as shown in this example.

As a brief side note, when it comes to color theory for baby nurseries:

• It is best to choose two main colors and no more than two accent colors - you can choose more, but be careful that you don't overstimulate baby with too many colors. 
• If you do choose two colors for the nursery - try and keep those colors within the same family.  For instance, keep bright colors with bright colors and pastels with pastels, don't intermix them. 
• Add interest by adding splashes of color to the nursery with the usage of accents such as cushions, bedding, or lamp shades.

Decorating baby's nursery can be just like decorating any other room in the home, but the most important consideration when designing a nursery is that you want to make sure that the nursery is functional for both you and baby.  The key word being functional.  In addition to the list above, just about all parents have items that they considered essential to them when they had nurseries - you will need to determine which of those items is most important to you and if they are - by all means add them!

La Toya Michelle

~You are only limited by your own imagination!~