Designing the Perfect Nursery Space
Do you have a little bundle of joy on the way this year, or are you planning a family in a couple of years? Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in your life! Although it takes nine long months for bubs to arrive, the lead up is often full of organising, reorganising, figuring out the logistics of how the baby will fit in to your lifestyle and your home, and of course, setting up a nursery. There are so many things to figure out, and if you’re first time parents, a lot of it is unknown, especially how best to set up the nursery. If you’re building a new home and plan to create a nursery out of one of the bedrooms, there are a few things to consider as you begin designing your home.
Nursery room size
Babies are tiny, but once they arrive, your house will suddenly be inundated with gifts, accessories, and new furniture to accommodate everything that comes along with bubs. When you’re designing your new home, ensuring the room will be big enough not just for baby, but for a toddler and then a child will be beneficial in the long run. A room that will be large enough to accommodate a cot, dresser, and rocker chair in the corner now is great, but ensuring it will also fit a single bed, some book shelves and a small desk later on will be invaluable. You won’t need to rearrange all the bedrooms as the baby grows if you plan the design well now!
Natural light vs. a darkened room
It’s lovely to have rooms full of natural light, but when it comes to a nursery, including curtains, block out blinds or plantation shutters to keep the room on the darker side during day time naps is invaluable. It can take babies a little while to figure out the whole day time/night time thing, and being able to make the room dark in the middle of the day is a huge benefit for your little one’s new sleep schedule without compromising on design style.
Nursery storage
Babies have a lot of stuff, so you need to make sure you’re allowing ample storage space in the nursery. Including generous built-in wardrobes in your baby’s room will help you store the numerous gifts, hand-me-downs, and various other paraphernalia that comes with having a baby. Things like boxes of nappies, wipes, blankets, wraps, and of course, clothing all need to have their own place to be neatly stored until they’re needed. Think about investing in a set of drawers to store smaller items as well. Bibs, tiny baby hats and socks, singlets, and other smaller items can be tucked away in drawers, leaving the wardrobe for larger bulky items. Having everything organised and stored out of sight goes a long way to helping the room feel clutter-free!
Soft lighting
A blazing overhead light might be suitable for an older child, but midnight feeds and soothing babies off to sleep calls for a more gentle, subdued lighting set up in a nursery. Make sure you install dimmer switches on the overhead lights and try to include smaller downlights in the ceiling rather than one big overhead light. Having a small lamp that sits on the dresser, or a floor lamp in the corner of the room will create a soft, ambient light that gives you enough light to see what you’re doing without disturbing the baby.
Nursery décor
Having bright colours and busy patterns in the baby’s room is always a fun idea, but it can also be wise to consider a more neutral, subdued colour scheme. Neutral colour palettes don’t have to be boring though! Using warm, soft tones on the walls and floors creates a calm environment for your baby, and you can add soft furnishings like floor rugs and cushions in soft colours. Wall decals are also a nice option to add a little splash of colour, and they can be removed and updated as the baby grows up. Consider placing a few patterned canvas storage baskets in the corner of the room to add a little bit of colour and keep toys tucked away at the end of each day.
For more design ideas, visit the Hotondo Homes website for a wealth of ideas and inspiration.
