How to design the perfect nursery, according to Instagram.

Designing a nursery for your baby is an exciting time. But it can also be really daunting.

Here are some tips to get you started

Location

If you’re lucky enough to have a choice when it comes to where you put your nursery, try and choose a room that offers some natural light, good air flow and peace and quiet.

There is nothing worse than finally getting your baby to sleep only to have them wake the second the T.V. goes on for some time out.

Colour

While it’s true that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to colour choice, you may rethink the bright red when you’ve got an overstimulated baby on your hands. There’s a reason people tend to choose pastels for nurseries; it’s because they are calming.

How stunning does this nursery look! Perfect for a boy or girl @becdouros has styled this room so beautifully with some gorgeous Adairs Kids and Adairs Baby products #nursery #nurseryideas #nurseryinspo #cotbedding #babydouros #adairskids #adairsbaby

A photo posted by Adairs (@adairs) on Oct 20, 2015 at 6:03pm PDT

If pink and blue are not your thing, you can always go for a neutral tone like white, bone or grey. Head to your local Bunnings store and pick up some sample pots. Remember that you can always ask for the paint to be half strength or even quarter strength so if there’s a tone that you love, don’t rule it out just because it might be a bit bright. Adding small touches of colour or metallics will also make the room pop while still keeping the overall tone peaceful. 

Choose a neutral canvas.

Babies grow quickly and so too do their tastes. My son went from bunnies and bears to Thomas and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, the room that I painstakingly put together for him was a bit ‘babyish’. 

How dreamy is this nursery space with a chunky knit throw, ash-pink duvet and elephant print? I’ll take one of everything please! This luscious decor is stocked by @scandikid go check em out! ???? Pic by @oh.eight.oh.nine A photo posted by Rocky Mountain Decals (@rockymountaindecals) on Dec 4, 2015 at 6:09am PST

To save you having to redecorate the entire room, choose a blank canvas on the walls and add features like decals, prints and paintings depending on their current favourites.

Decal are fairly cheap to purchase and easy to apply. Best of all, if you buy a good quality decal they are easy to remove and change when you feel your little one has outgrown their first room. 

Start with the big things

With so many cute Instagram accounts show casing gorgeous kids decor it can be easy to get caught up with a heap of ‘stuff’ that looks gorgeous when you click ‘add to cart’ but just doesn’t work together once it gets to your place.

 

????{ ANOTHER SNEAK PEEK- TWIN NURSERY REVEAL } ???? Want to see the other side of our room? ????ROOM TOUR NOW LIVE ???? I am SO excited to be able to showcase our incredible twin nursery of @evie_and_aria ???? ???? Designed by @petitevintageinteriors ➡️What’s better than one rose gold incy cot? TWO!!! ????????????????⬅️ ????Head to my bio and click the link to see the full room and reveal, complete with direct links to ALL of the amazing brands featured, where you can buy them and their incredible collections! Majority of the pieces are by hard working mamas- please support their brands ???????????? ???? by @vellumstudios_steve ???????????? #twinpregnancy #sophieguidolin #twinnursery #nursery #babygirls #rosegoldcots

 

A photo posted by SOPHIE GUIDOLIN (@sophie_guidolin) on Aug 22, 2015 at 1:32am PDT

Start with the big items first like cots, change tables, dresser drawers and chairs and work your way out. Decide what colour furniture you prefer and then focus on the smaller things like linen.

If you choose a feature item, like Sophie Guidolin’s rose gold cot (drool), keep the rest of your decor understated and let it speak for itself.

Detail

Once you’ve got the big items in the room, consider what kind of theme you want for your nursery. Monochrome is great if you’re not really into a ‘baby’ baby room or for gender neutral rooms, search Scandinavian themed nurseries for inspo.

 

Pastel perfection! We spot #kardashiankids @lifewithwinter

 

A photo posted by Kardashian Kids (@kardashiankids) on Feb 4, 2016 at 10:16am PST

  I’m currently undertaking the task of turning what was a nursery for both my sons into a nursery for my baby girl. Any chance I get I’m searching for cute accents to transform the room. If you’re after some gorgeous handmade trinkets, a few of my favourite stalks at the moment include Mitahli Designs, Behind the Trees, Name it Custom Decor and Love Letters By Tillie. 

Safety

  Sorry to be the nagging Nancy in all this but please, make sure everything that you put in your nursery meets the Australian safety standards.   Also take a look at the placement of your furniture. Make sure that baby is well out of reach of power points, blind cords, lamps and heaters.   Cot bumpers and blankets might look gorgeous but check that they meet SIDS guidelines before using them with baby.  

Usability

Once that little bundle is in your arms you’ll quickly find that making things as easy as possible is key. There is no point having your spare nappies and wipes on the opposite side of the room to your change table. Same goes with spare clothes (they will grub those things up faster than you can say ‘poonami’.)  

Large Baskets #largebaskets #basket #diaperstorage #nurserydecor #nurseryroom #hipbabyboutique #etsyshop Shop: hipbabyboutique.etsy.com A photo posted by Katie (@hipbabyboutique) on Jan 26, 2016 at 12:26pm PST

To keep everything organised and looking nice, use small baskets and boxes to hold items like wipes, nappy cream. You can also get cute storage bags like these which can double as mobile change stations to carry around the house or pop in the car. 

Washing

This is simple. Make sure everything in that nursery is washable. Kids are sticky. They are messy. And it doesn’t matter how far out of reach you think you’ve put something, they will get to it.

Lighting

Natural light is wonderful during the day but consider adding a dimmer switch to your lighting for calming baby down at night, (hopefully) ready for a full nights sleep. It’s also really handy to have dimmable lights for night time feeding so you can see what you’re doing without having to wake baby completely.

If you don’t have the option for dimmer switches, a low voltage lamp can do the same.

Consider your own art

Finding suitable art for the nursery walls can be a challenge, and it can also be very expensive.

So many Insta pretties in this pic! We think our ‘Swan Princess’ print in mint, goes perfectly with that divine name banner by @daydreamsanddandelions ???? Tap for deets.

A photo posted by Ginger Monkey (@gingermonkey_) on Jan 21, 2016 at 12:51am PST

If you’ve got a bit of time up your sleeve, consider making some of your own art for the walls. Alternatively look for cute prints and frame them yourselves.