10 Decorating + Organizing Ideas for Nurseries
Designer Dan Vickery shares his top tips for designing the perfect nursery for your new little one.
Crib + Daybed
Add a daybed in the nursery to serve as an extra place to sleep. It'll come in handy during nursing or if your baby is ill. It can also be a great surface for folding clothes or where older children can sit and not feel excluded but still be out of the way.
Kid-Friendly Furnishings
In a nursery you never know what is going to get dirty. Try to make just about everything in the room washable and durable. Hardwood floors with rugs are great, but if you don't have the luxury of hardwood, rugs laid over carpet work, too.
Transitional Decor
Wallpaper or a large graphic is a great way to add a lot of style in a quick and durable way. By choosing a classic floral, damask or stripe pattern in modern youthful colors, you can achieve a look that won't have to change as your child gets older.
Soft, Pleasing Hues
Newborns can only see black, white and gray. As their sight develops, the first color they recognize is red; however, avoid red in a nursery because it can create confusion to a newborn when it's the only color they see. Softer tones, like blues, greens and pinks, begin to develop at the same rate so they're more pleasing to a newborn's eye.
Easy Storage
Easy Access
A changing table requires lots of accessible storage within arm's reach. Try keeping diapers opened and stacked in a basket or drawer. This makes it easy to grab just one.
Creative Artwork
For inexpensive and creative art, frame pictures from old children's books. A row of framed pages can be interactive for a child as he learns to read, as well as fill a large blank wall in a contemporary way. Bookshelves are great, too.
Ambient Lighting
Adding a dimmer switch is an inexpensive way to change the mood when reading a bedtime story and can also help save on the electric bill. Lamps are also great for bedtime lighting.
Stripes
Paint oversized stripes on the walls. The application is easy and easier to change if you pick one color of stripe to paint over in the future.
Sweet Monogram
For a timeless design in a nursery, don't be afraid to add sophistication. Enlarge a monogram of the infant's initials on the wall for a classic design element that still celebrates your newborn in a personal way.
