8 Tips For Designing The Perfect Modern Nursery

Once you’re pregnant, everyone will tell you that your life is about to change forever. And they’re right. Not only will you be growing a baby human inside you, but you’ll have to give them a whole damn room in your home (and they won’t even be chipping in for rent). Fortunately, a lot of women before you have gone through it, so when it comes to creating your very own baby room, there are a few tried and true tips for getting everything right.

Keep these 8 tips in mind when it comes to creating the perfect nursery.

1. Put everything in reach of the changing table.

Literally nothing else will matter in that baby’s room. This includes nappies, wipes, changing table covers, laundry basket, change of clothes etc. You’ve heard the nightmare tales of mums turning their backs on their bubs for a hot second only to find them on the floor when they turn back around. Don’t let that happen to you, keep everything you need easy in reach.

2. Keep it simple & avoid clutter.

You may not realise it now, but that little room is going to get a hell of a lot of foot traffic once its new tenant has moved in, and often it’ll be in pitch black darkness. Make sure you don’t have any stray chairs, tables or baskets in the middle of the room, or you could find yourself tripping over them, baby in hand, in the middle of the night.

3. Choose washable wallpaper.

This one probably speaks for itself. No one wants an excrement-themed wallpaper, so make sure it’s easy to wipe.

4. Ensure it’s lightproof.

You’re going to want your baby to be getting every wink of sleep possible, namely so you can get a couple yourself, which means having the ability to put that room into complete darkness even during the light of day is an asset. Make sure you invest in some thick curtains or blinds so it’s a lot easier to convince your newborn it’s not 2 in the afternoon.

5. Have your heart set on a theme.

It’s not necessary to have a theme, but it’ll make choosing all the elements in the room a whole lot easier. Plus, it’s heaps of fun. It’s even better if you can incorporate you, your partner and your family into the room. Whether it’s with a painting your mum made, some toys you had as a child or photos of your loved ones.

6. Deck the walls with frames of art.

While it’s fun to stick to your theme where you can, if you can pick versatile art pieces now, they’ll never have to leave the wall. Well-picked un-themed (and un-babyish) art pieces will be able to stand the test of time and stay relevant for years to come, no matter what age or gender the child in the room is. This little trick will not only save you money in the future, but it’ll also save you some sweet, sweet redecorating time.

7. Avoid white anything.

If you don’t like stained and faded furniture or upholstery, don’t pick white anything. Babies are dirty little creatures and they aren’t going to change for anyone, so steer clear of light colours that show stains.

8. Give gender stereotypes the flick.

As tempting as it may be to fill all four walls of your son’s pastel blue nursery with pictures of transport and camouflage wall hangings, 1) it’s a dated tradition, and 2) your baby doesn’t care. Pick a decor that you like and you think works well with your house, and by all means be cutesy, but don’t stress that your son will yell at you one day for painting his nursery walls lavender, because he won’t. All he wants to do is eat and poop and he’ll do it regardless of what colour the walls are.

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