How to Decorate Baby Rooms Guide

Instructions


1


Add whimsy with color and unexpected accessories instead of shopping at Babies R'Us. One example would be to get a mobile that is more art than it is toy. Check out the Resources section for links to beautifully styled nurseries for inspiration.


2


Paint the room in more than one color. Multi color schemes are hot for baby rooms. Try to incorporate at least two tones on the wall, three if you can make it work. You'll want to spend some time looking at how others have designed their nurseries in order to do this right, see the Resources section for links.
3


Avoid being matchy-matchy with all the nursery décor. Colors, accessories, and furniture should all compliment each other, but do not have to be exactly the same. Use different textures and shapes in the nursery.
4


Tie in the decorative theme of your home into the baby's room. For instance, if your house is shabby chic, then think about making the nursery décor the same.
5


Use distinctive lighting elements. Chandeliers are hot for baby rooms as are custom lamps with funky lampshades. If you are handy, you can repurpose an existing lamp or garage sale chandelier using some paint and a glue gun to attach accessories. One of the great things about a chandelier is it is something you can pass on to your child to take with them to their adult home. Prices range from $50 to $1000, cheaper if you get lucky at a garage sale.
6


Decorate the ceiling. Babies spend a lot of time looking up so make the ceiling interesting. The aforementioned chandelier is one way, but also consider a wall mural or decorative crown molding.
7


Use wall decals to add a customized design touch. Not only are ready made murals available just for kids rooms, but they also have various cutouts that can be applied anywhere. For example, you can buy lady bugs or butterflies and put them on the walls wherever you like. There are also inspirational phrases available and monogrammed initials that can be applied to the wall. Decorative wall decals are easy to apply and, in some cases, can be rearranged and reused repeatedly. The price range is broad, from $20 to $200, making wall decals affordable on almost any budget. See the Resources section for links.
8


Skip the coordinated bedding set. First, experts discourage parents from using blankets and crib bumpers during the first year as they are a suffocation hazard. Second, the coordinated-mass-produced- bedding-in-a-bag look is OUT. Spend the money instead on a beautiful fabric skirt for the crib which can also hide storage bins. There are pictures of this linked in the Resources Section
9


Consider function when designing the nursery. Be sure you have a place to change diapers, store clothes, and rock the baby. When arranging the room, the crib should be placed away from drafts and the walls around it should be bare to avoid art work falling into the crib (another reason why wall decals are a great option for decorating nurseries). Establish where the crib, changing table, and rocker will go in order to see what kind of space there is in which to design.