An important yet overlooked aspect of raising a child is creating a suitable bedroom through interior decoration, starting with a baby’s nursery. Not to put on the pressure, but a baby’s room is the first thing he sees when waking up in the morning. It’s the space that shapes his mind and creative development. The good news is that designing a stellar place is much easier than you think.
First, think about whether you want more than one child. This influences the amount of money you should invest in furniture. There are tons of great options that allow you to transform the bed, from crib to twin size, to help you save money. I always suggest sticking to classic designs when it comes to the furniture. Staple pieces, like a dresser, stay with you through the years. Plus, children are always changing their minds on what styles their rooms should be. A classic theme is timeless.
When it comes to the decor and colors of the room, go with what feels right. Also try to make the room feel creative and cozy. Since this is an individual choice, sit in the room for a moment and think about how you would like your baby to feel. Then, choose items that can bring this chosen emotion or mood to life. It sounds simple. However, it’s easy to get carried away with perfection, which sometimes makes the bedroom seem stiff or cold. I find it best to choose the carpeting, curtains and bedding before the wall color. Unless you want to spend tons of money on custom fabrics, you will be limited by what you find in the stores and on websites. Why limit yourself by choosing a wall color first? You’ll then have to try to find bedding and so on to match it.
Carpeting is a design option that you should think about in a few different ways. The texture has to be soft enough for baby to crawl on and the colors saturated enough for disguising possible stains and accidents. One of my favorite choices is the carpet tile from FLOR. The tiles come in an array of patterns and hues. This is helpful in case your child has an accident. You can easily clean or replace dirty tiles. I also suggest a rug made of natural fibers since it’s close to the baby’s face.
If you’re going the trendy route, do so with accessories and bedding. This serves as a buffer if your little one grows out of the style. Decor items, such as lighting or wall art, can be changed inexpensively, while furniture items are pricey to replace when kids tire of them. This rings especially true if you’re decorating for baby number one and plan on increasing your family. You want to make sure that the furniture and carpeting are gender neutral. Then, add pops of color and pizzazz in the lighting, window treatments and bedding.
Another vital element in room design is storage— something that you can never have enough. Just when you think you have the right amount, you wind up needing more. Always reorganize the closet because baby clothes are small, they outgrow clothing quickly and you’ll be getting gifts and new gear for baby regularly. Go to The Container Store or Home Depot for an inexpensive closet solution. I also like to use an inexpensive dresser from IKEA and add shelving above it for an instant wardrobe. You are going in the right direction by keeping as much clutter and storage off of the floors as possible. A great and cheap way to do this is to mount wall bins. Conceal them with a curtain hung in front by a rod on the ceiling. You’ll create an instant closet without the look of extra clutter. Just remember to have fun with the decor and your love will come through in the design.
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