Even before I got pregnant, I had the room picked out. On the same floor as our bedroom, with adjoining doors, it would make a perfect nursery for our newborn.
That was the easy part. Can I just say thank the heavens I had nine whole months to actually turn the place into a nursery? Looking back, I knew nothing about how to make a baby's room. Lean in closer, because you're about to benefit from nine months of trial and error! Here are five (can't fail, if I do say so myself) tips to create the perfect nursery:
1. Choose a paint scheme that will grow with your child. If possible, stick to neutral colors (no one needs to fight with the surly teenage girl who suddenly hates pink!). You can always dress it up easily with removable vinyl wall clings that match your theme and won't destroy the paint job.
2. Opt for rugs over carpeting. If this is the room baby will stay in through the teen years, remember kids are messy, and no one wants to be digging crayons out of carpet fibers. Plenty of soft rugs will be perfect for baby's tummy time, and easy to pop in the laundry if they burp a little "too much."
3. Storage, storage, storage! In the early days there are diapers and wipes and teeny weeny toe clippers (trust me, they look crueler than they really are). As they grow, they start collecting more stuffed animals than the law allows, and all those gifts from Granny. You can never have enough storage (really, I swear). And while we're on the subject: bookshelves are a must to nurture your little reader.
4. Pictures of friends and family. There's nothing like sitting in the nursery with Grandma on speaker phone while you point to the picture on the wall of just WHO they're gurgling at. It's the most meaningful piece of art you'll find in any room, but it's extra special in the nursery.
5. Don't stress yourself out. Your health is paramount at this point, and that means your stress level too. The fact is, it doesn't have to be done RIGHT AWAY. Especially if you plan to co-sleep with baby or even keep them in a bassinet in your room when you come home. So give yourself time -- and take your friends up on offers to help (there's nothing wrong with throwing a painting party while you put your feet up in the living room and take a nap).
Is your nursery ready? What are your favorite touches?
Image via valentinapowers/Flickr
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Comments 228
Any tips on how to maximize space in a tiny, and I mean TINY nursery room? We are downsizing to save money so we don't have to go on PA and the second bedroom is maybe a 10x12. Then it's even smaller because the closet juts into the room. Help?!
Great tips!
I love that we don't have to stress too much about our baby's room. We'll only be here for two more years (military), so it doesn't matter that he won't necessarily want a green room with an animal wallpaper border when he's a few years older. His room is ALMOST done, only need to get the border up and hang stuff on the walls. I love the bedding set we got him. = )
If you are an adult, actually caring for the baby and its needs is far more important than worrying about the look of a nursery. When I see parents-to-be worrying about such silly, superficial things, I worry about the child's future. Seriously, do you think your child is a toy to decorate and play with?
Baby needs to eat, sleep, poop, pee and bond with its parents. The rest is meaningless fluff. I'd be more interested in learning to be a parent than worrying about rugs vs. carpet.
@ Mary, I think everyone knows that the decoration of a nursery is for the parents...it's part of the fun of planning and making stuff ready for the baby! I think making a fun and functional nursery is going to be so fun when I get pregnant!
thanks for the tips. Our nursery is 1/2 ready. I haven't decorated it at all yet.
I loved planning the nursery and once we got it done I would go up there and just sit in the rocking chair or lay on the floor and dream of what it would be like once our daughter would get here.
Great tips!
I have been working on my nursery we are still in the painting stage. We've gone with a neutral tan but with red trim for some fun. It's a VERY tiny nursery , but we're using it as a nursery because it's actually built directly off of our master so it'll be easy access once we transition from cosleeping at about 6months. Later on baby will be moved to another room or we may even move to another house so the little one will be able to pick what they want.
We planned on co-sleeping, so we never bothered with a nursery.