Seven important things to consider when decorating your baby's room April 02 2017

If you are at the stage where you are thinking of preparing a room for your little one here are some simple tips that may help.

1. Give them room to grow.

Depending on their age, children have a variety of different needs when it comes to their personal space. For infants, creating a safe and soothing space will be your primary concern. Toddlers are far more active, require open space to play and explore. As they grow into their adolescence, children require their space to be more functional – a place to do homework, a place to display their artwork, etc. It is important as you are designing your child’s space that you take into account these transitions and create a room that can seamlessly grow along with your little one.

2. Choose a colour... and a theme.

Although this is optional, it's better to use clear and calming colours to make the nursery more welcoming. Also, you can decide on a theme for the room to make it even more inviting but do it in a way that can be changed easily in future as your little one grows up. Opt for a theme that you can make minor changes to as they grow up vs. having to redo the entire room down the road. Applying fun vinyl decals to the wall is an inexpensive and commitment-free way to add some visual interest to the room and can be easily removed later.

3. Plan the layout.

Estimate how much storage you'll need, and create twice as much. The baby will accumulate more items than you may think. Do not place any shelving above the crib, where either the shelving or the things on the shelves might jostle and fall onto the baby.

• Consider putting the crib close to the entrance so that you don't have to walk around things or risk tripping over something when you come for the baby in the middle of the night. Avoid putting the crib right next to the window, where there might be drafts. Never place a crib near anything that dangles, like curtain or blind trimmings, as the baby can get caught up in these and choke.
• Consider childproofing needs throughout the design and assembling process. This is the primary concern and the one thing on which you cannot compromise. Make all electrical sockets baby proof. To achieve this, you needn't move the electrical sockets upwards, you just need to get baby proof protectors.
• Place a rocking chair: you'll spend a lot of time in the nursery, so you might as well do it comfortably! Having a rocking chair in it can make late night time with your baby easier to deal with. Not all the nursery ideas need to be for the baby!

4. Don't forget about the ceiling.

Your little one will spend a lot of time staring at the ceiling while lying in the cot, so one of the best nursery ideas is to incorporate elements that add some dynamism to it. For example, if you pick a solar system-theme, put stars all over it! Using vinyl decals on your ceiling is a cost effective way to bring through your theme and create some interest. If you don't want to work on the ceiling, you can just get a colourful and soothing mobile that attaches to the cot. Babies find them very stimulating.

5. Consider the light.

Invest in good curtains. Your baby will be doing plenty of sleeping over the first stage of his life so it makes sense to invest in curtains that have a "black out" fabric layer and a lighter layer. These are known as "double curtains" and are fitted in a double rail which provide the flexibility of giving your baby plenty of darkness shall they need it, whilst also allowing light to come through when they are awake. You may also want to invest in a new set of curtains for your own bedroom because you may want to relax during the day with your wee one in the comfort of your own bed. Make sure the curtain cords are not too long as they may end up in the baby's mouth once it starts crawling, which can be dangerous.

6. Durability is key.

When you are investing in furniture and other items for the nursery, it is important to keep in mind that despite your best efforts, everything in the room will eventually get dirty. You need to make sure that your gear can not only withstand the force of nature that is your child, but can also be easily cleaned.

7. Choose nursery accessories carefully.

Having just made the point of keeping it simple, accessories is an easy way to create interest and to bring through your theme in an inexpensive way. There are certain infant motifs that can cheer up a room and create a welcoming and cozy environment. A good choice is fabric adorned with animals or playful motifs, which can be used for your curtains or to upholster a key piece of furniture. The left over fabric can be used to either make some matching cushions or even better, your matching nursing pillow!

To bring in a personal touch focus on hand-made, made-with-love accessories for the nursery. Some of our favourites include crochet toys, ceramic ornaments and carved wooden objects. If you have pieces that have been handed down from your grandparents, what better place to share them with your child than in their nursery? Crochet or knitted items from mom or gran add touches of love and warmth to the space in the form of blankets, decorated lamp shades and toys.

You can pull through your theme onto the walls using vinyl wall decals that are easy to apply and remove and looks like it was painted onto the wall.

And finally, our advice is to keep it simple and practical. You and your baby will likely spend A LOT of time in their nursery in the first few months. As it will be the very first things they’ll see, the colours and elements may have a profound impact on your little one’s first impressions of life! Make sure they start off well, but most important will be to add loads of LOVE.