One of the most exciting parts of my pregnancy was planning my son’s nursery. I could not wait for my 18 week ultrasound so I could find out the sex of our baby. Even before the ultrasound, I had begun planning color schemes and themes for both boys and girls. I found myself hoping for a girl simply because I preferred the brown and pink modern theme I had picked out. Once we got the news, I forgot all about my pink and brown nursery, and started pouring over ideas for a little boy’s room. It wasn’t long before I settled on a Sea Turtle theme that used a lot of bright greens and blues. Moving from an idea to a finished nursery was a long and tedious one. Here are some tips for designing your own special nursery.
1. Pick a Theme
There are so many places to search for inspiration. An excellent place to start is a Google image search for “Baby Nursery.” I found countless examples of gorgeous baby rooms. Many of the details in my son’s room come from pictures I found of other nurseries on Google. Once I had an idea of what kind of theme I liked, I started looking for baby bedding. Crib bedding sets make a perfect palette for designing your baby’s room. I chose my colors and motifs from the crib bedding and it really pulled the whole room together. I ordered the matching decorative pillows and used them to coordinate everything else, since they were small enough to take to the store.
2. Pick Paint Colors
With my decorative pillows in tow, I started perusing swatches in the paint aisle. Through a little preliminary research, I learned that your goal is not to find a color that matches perfectly, but one that is complimentary. If you try to match, chances are it won’t be perfect and you might end up clashing. You can’t go wrong with a complimentary color.
3. Pick out Furniture
Since we were on a tight budget, I opted to hand paint a bedroom set that was passed down to us. Once again, I turned to the crib bedding for inspiration. The result was a beautiful custom dresser that went perfectly with the room. Regardless of whether you borrow, refinish or buy new furniture, you want to pick something that matches your theme. Get it in the room and set up before you start buying accessories and fillers so you know how much space you have to work with.
4. Look for Accessories
Once you have your furniture and crib bedding, you’re ready to start decorating the walls and topping the dressers with adorable photos and knickknacks. If your theme involves animals, look for matching plush toys to adorn shelves and dresser tops. Sometimes crib bedding sets have coordinating night lights, curtains, and other accessories that can make great additions to your baby’s room. Think outside the box – that is – shop outside the baby aisle. Sometimes you will find the perfect accent where you least expect it. Bring along your inspiration, like my decorative pillows, to match colors and patterns.
5. Add Personalized Details
Finally, add the little details that separate your nursery from the rest. Decorate the wall with your baby’s name. Frame favorite scripture verses or quotes from your favorite children’s books. Add photos of your family or place family heirlooms on decorative shelves.
Aim to have your nursery done a few months before the baby arrives: that way you’ll have time to organize all those shower gifts and add those final touches while you still have the energy. You’ll find that once the paint is on the walls and the furniture is in place, the rest just seems to flow. Your baby will love the results!
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