How To Create A Nursey That Will Grow With Your Child
Children grow up so fast. One moment you have a tiny newborn, and next thing you know they’re off to big school! For busy parents in an ever-hectic household, redecorating your child’s bedroom every couple of years is hard work and can become very expensive, very quickly. By thoughtfully designing an adaptable, timeless nursery, you can create a space that can be easily refreshed to grow alongside your child.
Step 1. Start with a neutral base
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it a million times more: build on neutrals! As cute as the classic baby pink and baby blue bedrooms are, we’d suggest starting with neutral walls and floors. This way you can adapt the room scheme as your child gets older to be their favourite colours (which will probably change every other day – but we’ll get to how to deal with this later on).
Step 2. Invest in flexible furniture
When it comes to buying the furniture for your nursery, keep it simple, flexible and invest in good-quality, pieces that will stand the test of time. Instead of buying baby wardrobes and chests of drawers, if you have space, opt for standard size furniture – it’ll fill up as they get older. In the meantime, extra hanging rails and wardrobe dividers are the perfect way to maximize space. Swapping the standard handles for cute handles that fit your nursery theme is an easy way to give the pieces a bespoke feel. There’s also a huge range of flexible furniture out there, such as convertible cots, like this one from Mable & Fox that turns into a toddler bed.
Step 3. There’s no such thing as too much storage
From nappies and wipes to towels, toys and all those baby bits that don’t quite fit yet, babies always have a lot of stuff, and they only acquire more as they get older. So, plenty of storage stops ‘stuff’ turning into mess and leaves loads of space for playtime. Whether your nursery has built-in storage or free-standing furniture, keeping it organised will make busy mornings a little less stressful. Low level storage will mean things are much more accessible for toddlers and young children to play independently, it’ll also make it easier for them to help with tidy up time too!
Step 4. Picking patterns
When picking printed or patterned pieces for your child’s bedroom, if you’re looking to create timeless interiors consider florals, polka dots, chevrons and stripes. These patterns will look cute in a newborn’s nursery and will last your child into their early teens. Whilst fairy print curtains and race-car rugs can look sweet in younger children’s rooms, they may be outgrown more quickly.
Another option you can explore is removable wallpaper / wall decals. These are self adhesive and designed to be super simple to put up. When you tire of them, they can be easily peeled off, leaving the paint undamaged underneath.
Step 5. Accessorise!
Now, this is the fun part. Adding accessories is a great way to inject colour and personality into children’s bedrooms. Use smaller accessories such as cushion covers, bunting and framed wall art to add pops of colour and playful pattern into your child’s room. Have you seen our adorable pink ‘Princess’ cushions which are part of our new cushion range (and of course the even more adorable baby Isabella)?
Step 6. Add Personal Touches
Display shelves are one of our favourite places to store sentimental items such as special stuffed animals, piggy banks and family photos.
Remember, it’s not all about baby, it’s about you too!
Of course, the nursery is primarily for your little one, but Mum, Dad Grandma, Grandpa and whoever else will be looking after your baby will be spending a lot of time in there too, so make it comfortable for them. Strike a balance between stimulating and soothing when it comes to your colour palette and décor. Comfort is also key, try out various nursing chair options before you make a purchase and remember lots of rocking chairs can be adapted to become normal armchairs later down the line – a great choice for a transitional piece.