A little one is on the way, and you couldn’t be happier. It’s a time of joy, excitement, and wonder as the weeks pass by until delivery day. This time can bring along anxiety and worry, as well, as you think of the financial aspect of having a little person to care for, feed and house. You may be overwhelmed with the thought of remodeling your spare room and setting up a nursery for your soon-to-be arrival, wondering if you’re making the right decorating choices, setting up the furniture properly, choosing the proper nursery gear and gadgets. There’s no need to fear; with all the options in the way of nursery décor, furniture and decorating ideas, you’ll have your baby’s nursery set up and ready to welcome your little one home.
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Choosing the Right Paint and Paint Colors
Painting is undoubtedly one of the easiest and least expensive ways to transform a spare room into a baby’s nursery. Since the room will be meant for use by a child, it’s highly recommended to go with an eggshell paint. Eggshell paints are easily wiped down in the case of accidental dirt or grime on the walls and are one step down from glossy in terms of sheen. The glossier your paint choice, the darker it appears once painted on your wall since it reflects light. This means less fading over time, saving you money in repainting down the road.
If toxins are a huge concern, you may want to look into low or no volatile organic compound paints, also abbreviated to VOC. VOCs are the toxins that are emitted from the paint and can be harmful if you inhale them. The main issue is that no-VOC paints are relatively new on the market and companies are still working on bringing their quality up to speed with other paints. If you ventilate your room while painting and drying, you should not have a problem with toxins in your paint.
Keeping your nursery gender-neutral might be a good idea, even in cases where you have opted to find out your baby’s gender through an ultrasound. After all, color can have a bigger effect on your child than you think. Warm colors will create a feeling of happiness and comfort while making some smaller spaces seem more cozy and warm. Bold color choices in the warm family, like reds, oranges, and yellows, will create energy flow and promote development and growth. While both effects are desirable at certain times for babies, it’s not an all or nothing situation. You may want to consider using a bold color on an accent wall and using warm colors for the other walls.
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Furniture Placement Matters
When placing your nursery furniture in the room, you need to consider the purpose of each piece of furniture and how and when they will be used. This means that putting the changing table beside the crib and the dresser next to your rocking chair wouldn’t flow well. The crib and chair should be placed near each other for those middle of the night feedings and a quick back to sleep. Having the changing table next to the dresser means you can easily reach a new outfit without crossing the room with a naked baby. Along with these considerations, you should avoid having the crib near a window for safety reasons, as well as to prevent your baby from being exposed to a draft while sleeping.
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Complete the Look with Stimulating Decor
Babies can only see in black, white, and gray until they’re about 4 months old. This is why you’ll easily find so many black and white products on the market for babies. These include toys, crib bedding and blankets, wall hangings, and mobiles. When you’re shopping online, you’re sure to find many black and white options to choose from to complement whichever nursery paint color you have chosen. Using these contrasting colors in patterns or chunks or even stripes will stimulate your little one’s vision. This means more brain growth and development for your child just by adding a few simple décor items and toys. Hanging a black and white visually appealing picture about 12 inches above the changing table or crib will give baby something to focus on and enjoy at a perfect distance.
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Bringing home a new baby evokes so many emotions in new parents. You’ll go through periods of elation and pure happiness, and then, on the flip side, you’ll probably experience exhaustion and frustration as you try to make your way through the concept of parenting. Having a safe, secure, and stimulating nursery set up and ready will lessen at least some of your worries once you're home from the hospital. Your baby will have a room of their own and benefit from the colors, décor, and furniture you have chosen to use for the room.
