Decorating your baby’s nursery is an exciting time for any couple. But before you head to the shops, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. These four design tips will help you create a space that is not only practical, but also timeless, personal, and easy to adapt as your baby gets older.

Tip 1: Invest in timeless furniture pieces

Don’t hold back when it comes to choosing a nursing chair for your nursery. The hours (and hours) you will spend sitting down during the first year of your baby’s life calls for a comfortable and beautiful piece. If you keep the style and fabric timeless, this chair can ‘grow’ with your child and still be relevant in his or her teenage bedroom.

Similarly, when considering storage space for your baby, resist the urge to only look at baby compactums. Why not opt for a stylish chest of drawers or mobile storage unit that can be used as a changing table and dresser for baby, but also be suitable for more generic storage in your home at a later stage?

Tip 2: Natural is the new pastel

Traditionally people have turned to pastel shades of green and yellow as their go-to colours for gender neutral nurseries. However, if you’re going for a serious look, opt for some really natural neutrals such as pale beiges, white, cream and natural timber finishes.

These lighter tones can be contrasted with various shades of grey to create a timeless look. Whether it’s for a girl or boy’s room, this works well as a base scheme to build upon with touches of pinks, purples and blues in accessories, that are easy to change as your baby grows into the toddler phase.

TIP 3: Choose handcrafted nursery accessories

For that personal touch, focus on hand-made, made-with-love accessories for the nursery. Some of our favourites include hand-woven knits, ceramic ornaments and carved wooden objects. White ceramic ornaments add an elegant and nostalgic touch to a room. If you have pieces that have been handed down from your grandparents, what better place to share them with your child than in their nursery?
Crochet or knitted items from mom or gran will add touches of love and warmth to the space. These can range from blankets and decorated lamp shades to mobiles and toys.

TIP 4: Make your nursery easy to update

As your child grows out of the baby phase and into the new toddler phase, you need to think of ways in which the room can evolve and adapt to suit their personality. Once again, it is best to stick to a neutral base on walls and larger furniture items, and then focus on decor items that can easily be tailored to update the look of the room.
Choosing a wallpaper to feature on one wall of the room is a creative and fun way to add character. It is also easier to replace compared to repainting the entire room. Scenes from nature are very versatile and may not need to be updated as regularly. If you don’t want to commit to a full wall graphic, why not experiment with vinyl wall stickers? They are easy to use and replace, and widely available through various online retailers.

Accessories such as word or letter art and picture frames are very handy as well. The artwork in the picture frames can quickly be updated from nursery rhyme scenes to images of animals or family photos. 3D letters are loads of fun to play with and can be used to make up a variety of different age appropriate words and phrases – from their first word to their favourite food or toy.

At the end of the day, your nursery should be both practical and pretty. Both personal and timeless. A peaceful place for your little one to rest and be nurtured, and a happy place where many memories will be made. Enjoy this time of preparation, and don’t forget to include personal elements that are significant to you and your family.