Hey, Baby! 5 Nursery Décor Essentials
There's a newborn on the way, and you have a million and one things to do before the big day, but you keep coming back to outfitting the new nursery. It's perfectly natural, considering that’s where you'll bond with your baby. Of course, among the many other things you're worried about are expenses. Good news! We have five great tips to help you build the perfect nursery—and they’re even budget-friendly.
Make Paint A Priority
This one is too simple and inexpensive to pass up. Whether you're looking for the most soothing or stimulating color, remember that you'll be spending a lot of time in the room, too. Considering the energy level when you're there, you may want to lean toward a soothing shade of your favorite hue. A great way to incorporate both are big, bold stripes of contrasting but cool colors. Think soft and warm grays, greens, and yellows with a simple white stripe, or contrasting crown molding and baseboard for a gender-neutral approach.
Roll Out the Rugs
Area rugs are another great way to dramatically change the look of a room. A nursery is such a great space to design because you have so much flexibility in terms of color and texture, and those two elements meet in an area rug. Considering the fact that babies tend to make a mess, heavily patterned or indoor/outdoor rugs are both smart moves.
The Other Light of Your Life
As you've probably read in every single baby book, light—especially natural light—is a crucial part of development. In concert with your new paint job and that area rug, coordinating drapery is part of a perfect plan to modulate light and keep the color coming. Start with a black-out vinyl shade liner so you can achieve deep darkness even in the middle of the day; next, add a sheer panel for soft light and a coordinating drapery panel as your top layer. Even with all three layers, this is a budget-friendly makeover; plus, as baby grows, you can simply replace the top layer.
Save Your Sanity with Storage
As you're about to find out, the old adage "a place for everything and everything in its place" is the key to life with babies. You may not always get to putting it in its place, but if you've made sure there is one, you're more than halfway there. Go for a simple wall unit that covers one entire wall. Use baskets in the cubbies to keep clean up simple and to give the nursery a serene look when you do have a spare moment to grab one of those baskets and scoop up the day's leftovers. Try white or lighter wood finishes to help the storage fade to the background and keep some sanity in the room, too.
Rock That Rocker
A well-designed crib is a given, but another area for a little splurge is a rocker. Time and time again, clients report that they can’t believe what a difference a quality rocker makes. Remember: You're in for a lot of late night and early morning feeding and soothing sessions, so why not soothe yourself a little, too?
by Kerrie L. Kelly, FASID
Kerrie L. Kelly, FASID, is an award-winning interior designer, author, product developer, and multimedia consultant helping brands reach the interior design community. To contact her, visit kerriekelly.com or call 916-919-3023.