Top tips for preparing a baby’s nursery by @mummy_and_mason
Planning your Baby’s nursery is one of the most exciting things to do when you’re expecting a little one, but there’s so much choice out there it can seem a little daunting. So I’ve put together my top tips which should hopefully help. We’re currently designing our 3rd baby’s nursery, who is due in March next year, with 17 weeks left to go. So, it’s got me thinking a lot about how to create the perfect space.
You want the nursery to be beautiful, but it also needs to be practical as you’ll be spending countless hours feeding and changing your baby in there.
First tip
- consider your lighting. You’ll be up a lot in the night for the first year or so with your little one and you won’t want to be switching on the bright ceiling light for night feeds and over stimulating baby.
A dim-able light or nightlights are perfect.
Tip two
- you’ll want to create a relaxing, tranquil space so you’ll need to think about colour - I personally find calming pastels work great in nurseries.
I always prefer to keep the furniture neutral, using whites and natural wood finishes. Then follow that through to your accessories, for example if your cot has a beautiful wooden edge, pick that up also with things like photo frames and shelves to give it a coordinated look.
Tip three
- think about the natural light in your room, babies love to day nap so if your room is flooded with sunlight chances are your little one isn’t going to drift off to sleep easily.
I love to use Roman black out blinds in our nurseries on the outside of the window recess to dress the window but also to block the light. Then white wooden Venetian blinds inside of the recess for privacy during the day
I’m loving Neutral taupe linen style blinds for baby no3’s nursery to compliment the natural tones we’ve used. (Always remember to install the cord safely fixing it to the side of your window recess and secure any loose blind cords for safety)
Tip four
- Practical furniture
There is so much choice when it comes to furnishing your baby’s nursery, you need to think about what and how you’ll use the space
- A feeding chair is a brilliant idea, as let’s face it you’ll be sat feeding every 2/3 hours for a while
- A changing area: when we were designing Mason’s, our firstborn’s, nursery we were really restricted by space, so we opted for a cot top changer which was perfect for the tiny room we had, but this time round our little one’s room is big enough for its own changing area which I’m really excited about. We’ve opted for a changing basket with a wipeable non-toxic PVC mattress. I also think having everything to hand is so important in your changing area, you don’t want to be leaving your baby while you dash off to find wipes, I personally love a storage basket or nappy caddy full of baby wipes, nappies, nappy bags, nappy cream, cotton wool and anything else you might need
- A safe sleeping area - whether you choose a crib, cot or mosses basket, safety of your baby is the most important. So, you’ll want to avoid things which could cause harm. The Lullaby trust advises against anything in a baby’s sleeping space so no cot bumpers, baby nests, toys, extra cushions etc. Always use a firm flat mattress, there are some beautiful fitted cot sheets for sale now if you want to make your baby’s cot extra pretty.
- Storage, storage, storage - babies come with a lot of stuff and having a well organised storage is going to save you a lot of time and energy. Think about using drawer organisers for dividing up large drawers as teeny tiny mittens, socks, and clothes soon become a mess if left in piles. Put things like nappies and wipes in easy to reach baskets and roll baby clothes instead of folding them, it makes it so much easier to find things.
Tip five
- Accessorise! My favourite part!!
There are so many gorgeous shops that sell decor for Babies nurseries from prints to wooden decor have fun with your accessories, picture ledges work so well in nurseries for displaying all those pretty things
Tip six - A Play space, having an area with a play mat, baby gym, baby bouncer or swing and toy storage is such a good idea and a nice space for you both to enjoy your baby’s tummy and play time.
I hope this has given you some useful ideas for creating the perfect space for your little one.
Thanks Jess
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Jessica Wetherall-Buckle, is a mum of two living in the UK, currently expecting her third little one. She is the author of the @mummy_and_mason profile, which is brimming with wonderful tips on DIY with your children and other smart-play ideas as well as gorgeous baby room decorating inspirations. So to get even more inspired head to her profile!
