Baby on board

The arrival of a newborn is one of the most awaited moments of your life. Before the baby arrives home, you would want to make the nursery special and unique. Don’t decorate the rooms in gender specific colours; the best rooms are authentic. Remember babies need a child friendly environment to grow and develop mentally and physically. Here are some tips:

Simplicity: While decorating your baby’s nursery, keep in mind that less is more —it is only a short while and the child will be all grown up; and will make their own decisions on how they want their room to look. One or two outstanding pieces are all you need. Plan a room that works for a one-week-old, a six-month-old, a one-year-old and maybe beyond to avoid constant redecoration.

Theme: Make a collage of pictures of your baby, or have the baby’s name written artistically on the wall. Common theme ideas for nurseries are princesses, mermaids, or other cartoon characters for baby girls, and space, sports, and safari themes for boys. Mix and match colours and accessories to create a unique theme. You could, for example, create a sea or the sky using light blue and white colours, or nature and forest by using green and yellow.

Wall colour: Forget about the pink for girls and blue for boys — give your baby a unique colour. Classic nurseries use pastels and white colours. For baby girls pastel shades of pink or orange are common while boys’ rooms are commonly powder blue. The latest trends are brighter and unusual shades including bright green, yellow, turquoise or orange — these are some of the soothing colours that can help you create a fun atmosphere, which your child needs at this age. The colour does not always have to be on the wall; you can have an all white wall with a coloured floor rug. 

Accessories: Knickknacks for your baby’s room must not always come from a baby shop. The treasures could be somewhere in your house or in your mother’s house. Add colourful pictures and family photos to the walls; these offer something to stimulate the baby as they lie in their cots.

Furniture: Once you have settled on a theme, look for the furniture accordingly. You could go for custom-made furniture related to the theme. You can then arrange the furniture ensuring the cot, chest of drawers, and the chair are placed in comfortable positions. The room should have maximum traffic flow. Get a comfortable rocking chair, to make your long nights in the nursery bearable. Ensure there is enough space to store baby’s clothes, accessories and toys. Install open shelves to keep towels, diapers and toys, among others. The room should be simple and uncluttered.

Lighting: The nursery should have as much natural light as possible. Get curtains that allow natural light to flow through it. Ensure the lighting is flexible so that you can have it bright or dim as you so wish; a dimmer switch is perfect for baby’s room.

Floor: Let the floor have bright colours and bold stripes to create visually stimulating play areas for your baby.

Extras: Buy some toys, and easy educational games. The toys can act as decorations as you wait for baby to be old enough to play with them. Decorative curtains, pillows, and bedspreads will give the nursery a unique look.

Decorating the nursery is not the end of the task; ensure you maintain the cleanliness and hygiene in the room.