Decorating and Accessorising Your Nursery

Nursery

Accessorising your nursery can be a fun project that is part of planning for a new life to enter your home. You will be making decisions to suit the needs and comfort of your new baby as well as your own. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Patterns and Colour

You have already chosen the perfect crib and matching furniture but don’t forget the floor. A rug can act as either a focal point for the room, or a complement to bedding, furniture and other décor.

Keep in mind function, style and material when considering a rug. Bright colours and patterns will lend themselves to a focal role, while neutrals and subdued patterns can enhance overall décor.

To get an idea of how a given rug will fit your space, mark its dimensions on the floor with removable tape – this will provide a visual perspective on the rug’s size in relation to the room.

Perfect Lighting

Pay special attention to size, wattage and colour. Choose lighting that fits the scale of the room and will complement other pieces.

Wattage varies greatly from light to light and among manufacturers, with the general range being 15 to 40 watts per bulb. The watts you choose should depend on the amount and style of lighting – a 15-watt; single bulb chandelier might not be adequate if it’s going to be the primary, or only, source of light in the room.

Brighten up the Walls

A great way of brightening up your nursery walls and giving your child a stimulating vista is to paint a mural. Your imagination is your only limit. Create a cheerful and colourful scene such as a jungle safari or a seascape.

Magnetized paints will turn any wall into a giant magnet board. Chalk board paint can create a large scale drawing area; combine the two to give your growing child creative space.

Window Treatments

There is no limit to the style of treatments you can put on your windows, but bear in mind a very important factor; while you may want to have plenty of natural light in the room during our baby’s waking hours you will also want to be able to completely block out the light at other times.

Shades or blinds which completely block out the light will help your baby sleep better, longer and more easily.

Crib Bedding

There are essentially four items that make up crib bedding: sheet, bumper, blankets and quilt. You will want to combine their materials to fit in with the colour scheme or them of the rest of the nursery.

You will need several crib sheets so you always have a clean one at hand. These can be various colours, so that you can change the look occasionally. Make sure your fitted sheets are pre shrunk and 100 percent cotton, so that they still fit after you have washed them.

Crib bumpers are an ideal way of preventing your child from sticking arms and legs through the crib slats. If you are concerned that a bumper may affect your child’s safety, there are new mesh crib bumpers on the market today that allow more air to flow through the crib.

Quilts are only suitable for babies over one and must be no more than a 4 tog. Up until that age you should use appropriate blankets.

See Also
Child's nursery
Convert a Nursery to a Child’s Bedroom
Nursery
How to Design a Nursery