Designing the Nursery
Create a Space to Support Your Infant’s Development
The nursery is place to dream and to play. It should contain items that create a sense of wonder and sense of peace. Besides having all the basic pieces; crib, changing table, dresser and comfortable glider, consider creating a unique and purposeful space that positively affects your child’s development.
Find a Starting Point
For inspiration, find an item you love. It could be a piece of artwork, a favorite children’s book, or a beautiful fabric. For one couple, it was a lamp they found while on their honeymoon in Italy. It had sentimental value and they loved its colors and form. If the item has an aesthetic that appeals to you as well as a personal connection, putting the room together will be a labor of love. If you are stuck, start looking at fabrics and wallpaper by specialty artisans such as Osborne & Little or Designers Guild. They offer a wide variety of choices for nurseries and children’s rooms that are charming and unique, adding to the individuality of your space.
Color Theory
Consider going with a soothing or calming color rather than a highly saturated primary. While bold colors can be fun in play rooms or in small doses, a more muted color can have a tranquil effect. Cool colors such as blue and green can help you, as well as baby, stay calm during stressful moments. Before making major design decisions such as the paint color or wall covering, gather all your items including fabric swatches, bedding, artwork and pictures of your furniture to make sure that it coordinates and you’re happy with the overall look of the room.
Use Natural Materials
When possible, opt for natural fibers such as wool or cotton. They have fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than synthetic material and contribute to a healthier environment. Hard wood floors with area rugs are a great choice for nurseries. If you are installing new wood floors, do it several months in advance and use a water-based, low toxic finish. For rugs and carpet, choose one that is not chemically treated with stain protectors and has a natural fiber backing. Stark Concepts is now offering a limited selection of their gorgeous wool rugs through Pottery Barn Kids. To keep rugs in place use all-natural rubber grip pads.
Create Visual Interest
Infants explore through all their senses. Get down on the floor to experience the room from your infant’s viewpoint. Throughout the first year of life, an infant’s vision will continue to develop so pick items that will facilitate this process. Infants love to look at contrast, thus the plethora of black and white toys available on the market today. However, there are numerous ways to create contrast in the room including mobiles, lighting techniques and wall art. With new products like removable wall art decals, you can change things up to keep them fresh.
Sensory and Science
Infants learn through all their senses; sight, sound, touch and smell. They have a natural curiosity of physical properties and how they change. Therefore have different textures and fabrics to explore as well as lamps that project lightscapes on the ceilings and walls. Have some soothing music available that your baby can learn to associate with going to sleep. For toddlers you may want to have a little sensory table or bin and rotate items.
Encourage Development of Motor Skills
Be sure to include items that allow your infant to develop strength and coordination such as push and pull toys. Intentionally create spaces of interest to crawl and explore. Buy low shelving with rounded edges to minimize bumps and bruises while allowing a baby to reach and use furniture to pull himself or herself up. Long stufffed pillows with washable covers on the floor can provide a challenge for a crawling infant. For toddlers, lightweight cardboard blocks, which they can use to build a small house, is a fun choice.
Mathematics
Encourage your baby to construct and problem solve. Have toys that can be classified by color, size, shape and weight. Cause and effect toys are great and provide hours of fun. Don’t forget to have some interesting blocks. There are so many unique choices these days and beautifully constructed wooden blocks can add to the aesthetic of your nursery.
Flexible Arrangements
Rotate toys based on your infant’s stage of development and his or her interest. Having too much out at one time can create clutter and be overwhelming. As your infant grows to be a toddler, he or she will immediately notice a new or different toy in the room and want to explore. The room should be designed to change in relationship to your child. Have flexibility in terms of your decor as well. Consider investing in pieces that can grow with your child. Many cribs can be transformed into toddler beds so you can get more use from them.
Cost Control
You may inherit a beautiful crib from a friend or family member that will help in the cost of the nursery. Just be sure it meets the current crib safety standards as listed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Set a budget in advance and decide which pieces you want to splurge on and where you will cut back. If you are industrious and enjoy implementing projects yourself, know that some Interior Decorators offer an eDesign package where they will help you choose and locate all the major furniture items and decor for your nursery then send you the information so you can pull everything together yourself.
Safety
Don’t forget to focus on safety. Follow SIDS prevention guidelines carefully including no pillows, stuffed animals or blankets in the cribs. Crib bumpers are currently not recommended by many health organizations. For warmth, use sleep sacks rather than blankets. You might want to consider bolting some furniture pieces to the wall if they are at risk of tipping over. Remember to baby proof the other rooms in your home as well as the nursery.
In the past 10 years we have seen so many new choices for nursery furniture and decor that this room can now be as sophisticated and elegant as the rest of your home without sacrificing on the developmental needs for your baby!