Neera Gulati offers tips on how to design a safe nursery for your children, apart from suggestions on the colours to choose and the kind of lighting to use.
How about having a single nursery for your children, especially if they are still toddlers or twins? You will save money; you only have one nursery decorating project to contend with. You will only need one of each furniture item instead of two. For instance, a baby monitor, diaper pad and a changing table. You need to make sure that you choose a big room, if you decide on one nursery room.
Common nursery furniture for the room is a crib, diaper changing table or station, storage furniture and a rocker. Also bear in mind that it is never too soon to start baby-proofing the space.
At every stage of setting up a nursery, consider the safety and welfare of your toddlers. Keep the space empty as much as possible. Don’t have any storage or furniture which is within the reach of your children. There should not be any switch plates below three feet on the walls.
Safety matters
All toxic chemicals should be out of reach. Get a child’s view of your house. Check the view from the floor where your toddlers play and try to anticipate every hazard. There should not be any part of the furniture that could come loose. Cover all outlets and secure cords. Watch for sharp edges. The furniture in this room should either have rounded edges or use bumpers or foamed fabric to soften the corners. Don’t place furniture near windows. Anticipate and eliminate any apparatus that can create stair steps for toddlers. Secure dresser drawers, book cases and shelves. Use gates to keep your children from falling down the stairs. Cords or window blinds present a strangulation hazard.
Keep cords short and inaccessible or contain cords with cord stops. Avoid rugs. They can be dangerous for toddlers as they can trip on them. Don’t use any lead-based paint in their room. Pay attention to the storage. You will have a lot of extra stuff to squeeze into your nursery design because storage space will be at a premium.
Remember to think vertically to make the best use of space. Opt for armoires rather than dressers, floor-to-ceiling shelving and hanging baskets. Maximise your closet space by using a closet organiser. Tuck baskets under the cribs and in any other unused corners. Use a laundry bag hung on the back of the door rather than a hamper. Diapers should be placed in a diaper stacker on the wall rather than in a drawer. If you have space, it is a good idea to put a day bed or sofa bed in the nursery.
If you are going to use one dresser, allocate each of your children their own drawers. Likewise divide your closet space neatly so that each child has a dedicated space. It will make it easier to find what you need during changings. You can also label a basket for each child and colour code their goodies.
Lighting
Nursery lights need to be practical as well as decorative. Getting the lighting in your nursery room just right is an important step towards helping the baby establish a good sleeping pattern. Different lighting levels are one of the things that your baby will use to distinguish between day and night. You will need a combination of ambient lighting, area lighting, subdued nursery lighting and en route lighting.
For ambient lighting, you can choose from mini chandeliers, hanging nursery lamps, wall baby lamps, kids ceiling fans, etc. Options for area lighting are wall scones, table nursery lamps, baby floor lamps, etc. Subdued lighting ideas are dinner switches, plug-in night lights, night light lamps, teddy night lights, fairy lights, paper lanterns, etc.. Don’t underestimate the value of a dim glow to light the path between your bedroom and baby’s nursery- thus en route lighting too. After you are done with the basic designing and placement of furniture and lighting, you can start thinking in terms of decorating your baby’s room.
Decorating styles
Contemporary nursery decorating style is simple, comfortable and inviting. To achieve a successful contemporary look, it is essential to understand that less is more. No room for clutter here; you can use bright, highly contrasting colours, strong geometric shapes and design: beige, black or white furniture sometimes with a splash of colour, bright orange for example.
Remember that each nursery decorating style is characterised by different colour schemes. Make sure that the nursery colours you choose work within the overall decor style.
For instance, black, white or bright, bold colours work well in a modern nursery style. White would also work well in a traditional or vintage nursery room. An eco-friendly room will work well when earthy shades are used.
Contemporary nursery furniture emphasises smooth geometric lines and shapes. Opt for bare, smooth floors in hard wood or laminate. Walls can be understated in neutral tones. Nursery rooms with stripes or checks are popular, as are nursery design ideas with circles. Depending on the amount of detail in the rest of the room, fabrics can be used.
Boldly coloured geometric shapes can be used to enhance contemporary nursery design.
Baby room wall decor comes in many shapes and sizes, and because the walls are one of the biggest areas in your baby’s room, whatever nursery wall decor you choose will have a huge impact on your finished design, so it is important to choose something interesting.
Themes
You can choose a particular theme for the perfect nursery wall art to match. Fairy nursery decor, jungle nursery, cartoon and sports themes are among the few options. You can also opt for nursery wall paper available in the market today. Different colours affect the baby’s moods and emotions in different ways. Some are calming while others are stimulating. For example, warm colours like red, orange and yellow make a large room appear smaller and cosy and they create feelings of happiness, comfort and relaxation.
Blue is a wonderful colour for the time the baby is resting. Green is a calm, tranquil nursery colour promoting feelings of peace and well-being. Neutral shades like beige, white and ivory lend a warm, relaxing effect.
Neutral shades are an excellent choice for your baby’s room providing a wonderful anchor for splashes of other bright colours. Decorating a nursery that accommodates both a boy and girl child requires a bit more creativity than usual to ensure you end up with a functional and beautiful space.
(The writer is an interior designer.)