As your baby’s due date gets closer and you start getting the nursery ready, you may be tempted to buy every item that catches your eye. That’s totally understandable-it’s hard not to want to get your new baby everything they could possibly need.
You could spend a fortune on buying all the “essentials”- personalised wall decals, blankets, mobiles, night lights, a cute little nightstand with a drawer full of extra nappies, and so much more; but the reality is: they won’t care about any of it.
Here are some practical tips I wish I’d known before decorating my nursery
Make sure everything you need is within easy reach of the changing table
Diapers, wipes, more wipes, burp cloths, a pacifier… You get the picture. Make sure that there’s a laundry hamper and/or diaper disposal system nearby for when things are particularly messy. The last thing you want to do is step away from your newborn at an inopportune moment and risk him rolling off the changing table!
Babies don’t need much room
Babies take up very little space, yet the pressure can be on to give your kid’s nursery a complete overhaul. After your nosy relatives ask you if you’re finding out the gender or if you’ve picked out names, chances are, they’ll say, “And, how are you decorating the nursery?” But here’s the truth: Babies don’t need much room.
Here’s what they need: A place to sleep and a place to be changed. That’s it! They don’t care about their surroundings. They just want to sleep and not lie in pee. So when it comes to decorating your nursery, go ahead and skip the wall decals and murals of bears fishing for salmon if you want. Just set up a crib and dresser for baby clothes and diapers, and rest assured that your baby will be perfectly happy in this minimalist setup.
Avoid clutter
With a baby on the way, you’re going to have a lot of stuff coming into your home. You’ll be bringing home a tiny person, all sorts of gear and gear-to-be, and possibly even gifts from friends and family. You don’t want to add a bunch of design elements that will just make your house feel even more cluttered.
You’ll be carrying a baby back and forth in the middle of the night and a misplaced chair (or playmat, toy, book, etc.) can be brutal to trip over when you’re not expecting it. On this note, make sure you have lots of functional storage space such as bookcases and oak floating shelves, so you have easy places to tuck things when you’re done using them, instead of leaving them scattered on the floor.
Wipeable wallpaper is a thing
It’s easy to install, and even easier to clean up. Just grab your favourite cleaning spray, a soft rag, or towel, and you’re all set! Just think of how much time you’ll save when the inevitable diaper blowout or spit-up incident happens. You won’t have to worry about scrubbing away!
Blackout curtains are a must
Make sure your nursery has dark enough curtains so you can fake nighttime anytime.
You don’t have to go full dungeon—just make sure you can darken the room when it’s time for naps and at bedtime. That way everyone will sleep better.
Turn on a nightlight
One way to add more calmness to your little one’s room is with a nightlight. You can make any lamp into a nightlight by using an energy-efficient bulb. These are also called “nightlight” bulbs, and they can help you turn any lamp into the perfect light for a room full of sweet dreams.
And since you’ll need light for those middle-of-the-night nappy changes, it’s always a good idea to have some sort of illumination at hand that won’t blind you or startle your baby.
Make sure you like it
If someone told you that your baby would sleep better if you painted the nursery a certain colour, they lied.
You can decorate the nursery however you’d like—even if it’s screaming hot pink—and your baby will still sleep when they’re ready to. And they’ll only be ready to sleep when they’re good and ready, so you might as well paint those walls with whatever colors make you happy.
White is not your friend!
That chair that looks so sweet right now? In a few years, it’ll be stained a nasty grey-beige, and you’ll be cursing your choice to buy white upholstered furniture in the first place.
What you want is something with a removable cover or something that hides stains easily. Stains are inevitable!
Skip the crib sets
Just because a product looks cute, doesn’t mean it’s safe! It might be tempting to snuggle your baby in adorable bedding, but crib bumpers and blankets put your child at risk for suffocation and strangulation. No matter how cute they look, don’t add these items to your crib.
Instead, use a fitted sheet on the mattress, and a wearable blanket when you bring the baby home from the hospital. Your baby will look super cute, and you’ll have peace of mind that they’re safe!
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