Designing a room for your new baby is fun and exciting, but it can also be pretty overwhelming. These seven steps are my go-to when I am designing a nursery. Hopefully they can help you stay stress-free during this process!
Here is an easy and organized approach to creating the nursery of your dreams:
1. Get Inspired
Looking at other nursery images can be helpful in determining what you want for your nursery. Before getting started with the design of the room, browse Pinterest and other nursery design blogs to get ideas and inspiration.
- Pinterest: Pinterest is an amazing source for inspiration, but can also be quite mind-boggling! I suggest that you first create a Pinterest board, such as “Nursery Ideas,” where you can save all of your favorite nursery pins. Search Pinterest with keywords that describe the look you want for the nursery. For instance, search for “tribal baby nursery,” “gray baby nursery,” “neutral nursery” and “floral nursery,” instead of just “nursery.” The more specific you are in your searches, the more you’ll narrow your feed down to see only those pins pertinent to you. Also, look for furniture, baby bedding, lighting, rugs and room décor ideas to pin to your board.
- Blogs: Some of the prettiest nurseries can be found on top nursery blogs. Some of my favorites include: Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cakelet, Lay Baby Lay, and Inspired By This. New Arrival’s blog also focuses on nursery design, tips and ideas. Use the blog’s search bar to search for “nursery,” and browse the different nursery posts to find images you like and can pin to your new nursery Pinterest board.
- Once you’ve pinned most of your ideas to your board, take a few minutes to clean it up. Delete any duplicates and any pins that might be just cluttering your board. (It’s easy to get carried away!)
2. Nursery Color Palette & Style
What is the style of your home? Do you want the nursery to blend in with the rest of the house, or be different? Do you want a warm and calm, a bright and colorful, a trendy and fun, or a neutral and natural look for the room? White, gray, mint, coral, pink, peach and navy are all popular nursery color palettes for 2016. Look back through what you have pinned on your Pinterest board to help you with your color palette selection.
3. Baby Bedding
After deciding on a color scheme, I recommend getting an idea of what color and style bedding you want for the crib. Many of the popular bedding fabrics today include tribal patterns, rose floral, colorful paisley, rustic woodland and arrows. Also, decide which bedding pieces you want to include: crib sheet, bumper, crib rail cover or skirt. Many of New Arrival’s bedding selections are sold as separates so you can create your own custom look by mixing and matching pieces that coordinate together. Or you can pick a baby bedding collection that includes all of the main bedding pieces you will need. They also offers custom designed baby bedding with over 200 different fabrics so you can design exactly what you want!
4. Furniture
Choosing your furniture early is important, as some furniture pieces may take longer for delivery. Order your furniture first, so that it arrives in plenty of time. If you have a baby store nearby, it is always good idea to see the furniture in person. Test driving a glider/rocker before purchasing it is very important; you want to make sure the chair will be comfortable and a perfect fit for you. After all, you will be spending a lot of time in it! Most cribs come with a toddler conversion kit, so you can keep your crib way beyond the baby stage. Changing tables are available for purchase, but most dressers have the option to add a changing tray that you can put on top of your dresser. This option saves you from spending extra money on the changing table, and will also save space in the nursery.
5. Walls
Do you want to wallpaper or paint the walls? There are so many options! Wallpaper all or just one wall, paint all walls the same color, or maybe one of the walls in a different color. I have seen adorable nurseries with painted ceilings and floors too! Palette walls are popular for a woodland or tribal nursery. You can find many do-it-yourself tutorials online for your walls if you are up for it!
6. Room Décor & Accessories
Now to the fun part! Accessories are an easy way to make your nursery unique and personal. Nursery accessories include lighting, rugs, shelves, letters, memorabilia, wall décor, crib mobiles and more. Incorporating wooden accents and greenery is popular for creating an earthy feel in 2016. Rugs are a simple way to bring the nursery together and should complement the other patterns and colors found in the nursery. Room decor can truly pull the room together.
7. Organization & Storage
Make it easy in the nursery to stay organized. Baskets and bins are not only great for storage of nursery items, but can also add personality to the room. Storage near your changing area is important, as well as spots to store toys and books. Closet and drawer organizers can help you keep clothes, socks and shoes in place.
No matter what your style, the most important thing is to make sure you create a nursery space that you love, enjoy, and also feel comfortable in. Your new baby won’t have an opinion yet on what you choose, so take advantage of this small luxury!
Images via Anna Howard
