Choosing nursery furniture can be a challenge because you want a perfect balance of safety and comfort to ensure your baby (and therefore you) get a good night’s sleep without giving up on style. Our handy guide on design ideas for your baby’s room should make creating your perfect nursery that little bit easier.
Decide your style or theme but keep it adaptable. Choosing on-trend cartoon characters for your walls might be a great idea now, but what happens when they grow out of that? You might want to go for more neutral themes – say green with plant, animal, and tree motifs, or even a blue with sea, sky, and birds wouldn’t be strictly for boys. Alternatively, you could even try a rainbow theme! Interior paints and spray paints are perfect for this kind of thing! Looking for something to cover your walls completely? Why not check out our extensive selection of wall murals and wall stickers.
The next step is to choose your nursery furniture. Do you want natural or painted wood for your cot or dresser? Will you get a combined dresser and changing station? Once you’ve made furniture choices, deciding on fabrics and wall paints will be much easier. Having a feature wall is a good idea, but many parents advise against anything too distracting because sleep is the most important aspect of a baby’s bedroom, after all.
You only need a cot, dresser, nursing station and changing area at first, but canny parents think to the future even now. A dedicated changing station is only crucial for a couple of years, but a dresser will last a lifetime, so maybe you’ll decide to change baby on the floor, especially if space is a factor. Similarly, will you buy a purpose-built nursing chair or use a comfy armchair, which will be helpful for years to come? Once baby graduates from the cot, you need to decide if you’re going to buy a novelty bed (that they will soon grow out of), a bunk bed for actual long term use or a classic junior bed that they will eventually outgrow.
Choose environmentally and child friendly, non-toxic, VOC-free paint. (VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, these are slowly released years after painting.) While wall to wall carpeting is lovely and cosy, carpet fibres can hold allergens, but then again, if you use a rug on a hardwood floor, this can be a trip hazard. A warm but well-ventilated room is perfect for a baby, although you may need to plan for hot summers and cold winters with a fan and oil-filled radiator anyway.
If you’re low on space in the nursery, get a roller drawer that fits under the cot for extra storage, or another good idea is to have a box stool for a desk as under-seat storage. Buying a desk early is a good idea even if they don’t use it for a while, so they get used to it and don’t associate sitting at a desk with work. Another space-saving idea is to have colourful storage accessories that are sure to help encourage growing children to learn that clearing up is part of playtime. Cabin beds are an excellent idea for growing kids in a small room as they can have a desk, dresser and shelves all built-in.
Blackout blinds are crucial for long summer nights. And creating a photo wall of important people in a baby’s life is a beautiful way to say good night to Grandma or an Uncle even when they aren’t there. Bean bags are a fun way to encourage reading and are an excellent place for fun and games too.
What's more: Don’t forget a baby monitor with temperature reading and video if possible.
