Congratulations! You’re having a baby!
Although this is one of the most exciting times for growing families, there seems to be a common level of stress and dread of putting together the perfect nursery… but fear not! We’re here to help and guide you through the process.
Creating a nursery should be fun and joyful, no matter how challenging it may first appear, and by following this comprehensive guide on how to style a nursery you’ll be relaxing with your little bundle(s) of joy in no time!
In this guide, we’ll go over a few helpful steps for how to style a nursery including themes, colour schemes, baby furniture choices and decor, while also considering the longevity of the space and how it can easily transform as your baby grows!
Image source: B2C Furniture
Planning Your Nursery Style
When it comes to baby nursery ideas and styling, tip number one is to plan! We understand that not everyone has the time (or patience) to sit down and plan a nursery but trust us, it’s worth it! Get your Canva mood boards and Excel spreadsheets up and running!
Ideally you have 9 months (give or take) to plan your nursery which is plenty of time to get everything sorted so nothing is left to the last minute. Being as prepared as possible will cause much less excess stress before the baby arrives!
Planning every detail from themes, colour schemes, furniture and decor (and any time frames that comes with ordering furniture), as well as painting/construction & trades people (if necessary) is super important and will save you lots of hassle further down the line.
Choosing a Theme
When it comes to our nursery decorating tips, themes don’t have to be gospel when designing a room, however they are a great starting point and a great way to draw inspiration from the get-go, while also helpful to have as a point of reference throughout the entire planning and styling process when considering how to choose nursery decor.
There’s a myriad of themes for nurseries out there and we would suggest choosing something that isn’t too overwhelming or over stimulating (for yourself and for the baby). Something that has calming colours and creates a warm, relaxing mood. It’s also important to consider a theme which will grow with your child, as simple and neutral themes can be changed and expanded on over time.
Popular nursery style themes which are trending at the moment are ones surrounding nature/animals, and themes which are neutral and minimalistic. These types of themes are easy enough to work with, creating a beautiful space to bring your baby into, but also simple to update and expand upon as your baby grows into the different stages of their life.
Selecting a Colour Scheme
Just like with adults, colours affect the overall mood and tone of the room and although your favourite colour might be red, blue, green etc; for babies, you want a space to be as calming and nurturing as possible. Children respond well to bright colours because it reflects the liveliness of their nature, however softer or pastel colours are best when it comes to rooms where babies are going to be sleeping as they evoke a more calm and relaxing mood.
Different colours have different effects and this colour explanation from cherubbaby.com.au has some great tips when it comes to considering colours for babies nurseries:
RED
Always attracts attention. It has the ability to energise the body and excite the mind. It’s a hot colour that evokes powerful emotions of passion, strength and desire. Although it’s too active and overpowering for nursery walls, red can combat lethargy. Red is appropriate in small doses and will boost energy. Avoid using red in an environment when calming is needed.
BLUE
Is associated with the sky and water; things that are cool, calm, tranquil, peaceful, and clean. It is the colour of harmony, unity, and security.
YELLOW
Represents youth, fun, happiness, sunshine and other light playful feelings, which stimulates, activates and frees from fear, however avoid strong or large doses of bright yellow in the nursery room because it can cause anxiety and overstimulation among children.
ORANGE
Is a mixture of red and yellow and is the colour of joy and happiness. It’s a fun colour and works equally well for all genders. It encourages confidence, extroversion and independence. You can use a darker, burnt orange for a super-cosy atmosphere or bright orange for a punch of modern.
WHITE
Symbolises clarity, innocence and purity, as well as a new beginning, rebirth. This is the perfect shade to paint any room, especially a newborn’s. It is also associated with everything good. A bright white room accented with different colours can be great for kids if you do it correctly and don’t worry about the dirt.
GREEN
Symbolises nature and thus promotes a serene and calming environment. Green is a relaxing colour that is easy on the eye and has a healing power to it. If you live in an urban environment, adding green to your nursery can be an excellent way to connect with nature.
PINK
Has a calming feel that can translate to all genders. It is also the colour of love—both love of self and love for others. Pink colour affects babies by stimulating creativity and strength.
PURPLE
Has always been associated with spirituality and in accordance. It lends the individual spiritual strength and promotes awareness and consciousness. It is a very soothing colour that symbolises art and uniqueness. Purple is a great colour to paint a baby’s room, depending on the hue you go with.
Image source: Pinterest
Essential Nursery Furniture
When it comes to baby nursery ideas and how a nursery should be decorated, we need to consider the best nursery furniture and what is essential for the space! Nursery furniture essentials would include things like a crib/cot, a changing table, plenty of storage solutions, and a rocking/occasional chair to be used while bonding/breastfeeding. We’ve provided a few recommendations below!
Crib or Cot
There are SO many cots and cribs on the market these days, and it feels almost impossible to choose which is best for your baby and nursery. Our recommendation off the bat would be to consider both safety and versatility of your cots/cribs of choice.
Safety is the number one priority, so whichever cot you choose, please ensure it is adhering to all Australian standards and safety guidelines (set by the ACCC) and ensure it’s structurally sound. If companies don’t explicitly mention they are meeting AU and NZ safety standards, don’t risk it! Always check with the company before purchasing, and better yet try to head into a physical showroom to inspect the furniture in person (don’t just buy something online because it's pretty).
Conveniently, B2C Furniture has two physical stores which have all our baby furniture on display so please come by to check it out!
The next thing to consider when purchasing cots or cribs for your nursery would be the versatility of the piece! Does it have a drop side? Does it have adjustable heights for the mattress? Can it convert into a toddler bed (like our Aster and Rio cots) allowing you more longevity with the furniture? Does the cot have inbuilt storage drawers (like our Banksia cot)? These are all important things to consider!
Don’t forget your choice of cot mattress as well!
Changing Table
We understand that not everyone has the spacial or financial capabilities to have a dedicated changing table in their nursery, and there’s plenty of ways to make-do without, however there are many benefits of having a changing table.
Number one is convenience. It's always super helpful to have everything you need in one place and most changing tables come with shelves/storage underneath allowing you to store all your change-table necessities. They’re also slightly taller than most cots/cribs so you won’t be breaking your back while changing the baby!
Number two is the safety and hygiene benefits. Most changing tables allow for a standard “change table mattress” which is effectively a ‘u-shaped’ mattress with high walls to stop the baby from rolling/falling. These mattresses are also covered in natural (hypoallergenic) latex and organic cotton or bamboo covers which allow for easy clean ups in case there’s any mess! It’s also better to change your baby off the ground/outside of their crib/off a different surface being used for other purposes, for sanitary reasons.
B2C Furniture has a few beautiful baby changing table options which are suitable for most styles of interiors! Be sure to check them out!
Storage Solutions
When you’re considering how to choose nursery decor and how should a nursery be decorated, storage solutions need to be at the forefront! There’s nothing like keeping a space clean and organised, especially a nursery.
You can NEVER have enough storage space so think about solutions such as chests of drawers, wardrobes, shelves/bookshelves, baskets, toy boxes etc.
A few suggestions would be:
- Pick furniture that is multifunctional such as cots/cribs with inbuilt storage drawers, or changing tables with shelves to put storage baskets on. There’s also plush footstools/pouffes which can double as storage!
- Take advantage of walls and ‘vertical’ space by adding floating shelves where you can place toys and additional decor/artworks or adding coat hooks to hang things from.
- If you’re adding tall storage units such as bookshelves, chests of drawers or stand-alone wardrobes please ensure these are safely and properly secured to the wall to avoid any accidents!
Image source; B2C Furniture / @plantiful.life.of.erin
Decorating the Nursery
Okay, you’ve chosen your hero pieces like your cot/crib, changing table and storage solutions, great job! Now it's onto the REALLY fun part… the decor!
This is the time to start adding all of those personal touches and character back into the space. Just like with fashion, layering is very important and we now need to consider the different layers of decor we’re adding such as any wall art and/or decals, rugs, curtains and other soft furnishings, and the lighting!
Wall Art and Decals
Incorporating wall art and decals into the space is a great (and cost effective) way to add personality and character into the space. There’s a myriad of prints which can be purchased online and a simple IKEA frame can be used to elevate the print, or head to your local markets as this is a great opportunity to support some local artists and find those fun and unique wall hangings! Remember to stick to your theme and use this as inspiration when shopping for wall art!
Don’t forget you can also use fun and graphic wallpapers to add a bit of interest! Wallpaper is a two-in-one when it comes to art and you can go as crazy or as minimal as possible (in relation to your chosen theme)!
Rugs and Curtains
Rugs and curtains are fantastic to add warmth and texture back into the space, and these items are both necessary and practical for nurseries as the more soft textures the better! It also makes the space feel cosy and homely.
Soft sheer linen (or cotton) curtains are cost effective, usually easily washable, and add a beautiful addition to any nursery. Pick lighter shades of your colour pallet, and don’t pick anything too dark or heavy for the space.
For rugs, make sure whatever you pick can be easily cleaned/washed in case there’s any spills or accidents. Make sure you also consider the types of materials/fibres being used as it's usually good to go for something which is hypoallergenic - we have a great breakdown of rug materials and benefits on our website if you need some more in-depth info!
Lighting
Lighting is incredibly important for nurseries as this really helps to set the mood and create warmth, but you also want to make sure the lighting isn’t too bright. Too much exposure and brightness can be extremely damaging to a newborn's development.
Try using lamps and natural lighting where possible, and always choose ‘natural’ and ‘warm’ bulbs - never ‘cold/cool’ bulbs. If you have a dimmer switch on your light, this can also help as you can select the brightness level of the room!
If the room has lots of windows and natural lighting, make sure you add sheer curtains to diffuse the light and ensure the sunlight isn’t shining directly on a cot/crib as this may be too intense for a newborn.
Image source: Pinterest
Creating a Comfortable and Safe Environment
We’ve mentioned safety in a nursery setting a few times in this blog, but this is just a friendly reminder to keep safety at the forefront at all times of the design process.
Always check safety ratings and regulations on all the furniture you buy, ensure any materials/fibres you’re adding into the space (within soft furnishings) are easily cleanable and hypoallergenic. Ensure any paints/sealants within the space (whether that's on walls, furniture, toys) is non-toxic and low-VOC, and ensure that any large/heavy pieces of furniture are secured safely to the walls to ensure they don’t fall or tip when being used.
Baby-Proofing Tips
When it comes to baby proofing your nursery (and home) in general, the more safe the better! Don’t think about it as just baby proofing for the baby, but you’re baby proofing for yourself while holding, carrying or playing with the baby. There’s a great ‘Baby Proofing’ checklist on TheBump.com which we would recommend checking out, as they go into a lot of detail!
Comfortable Seating
Creating a comfortable environment for your baby is one thing, but also consider how you will be using the space and what comfort levels you can add for yourself! Thinking about how easily accessible cots and changing tables are (especially for those who are ‘vertically challenged’) and considering ways of making this more comfortable. Also consider occasional chairs/rocking chairs in the space and choosing something that is both plush and supportive to allow comfort while feeding and bonding with your baby. B2C Furniture has a great selection of modern rocking chairs which add a touch of comfort and practicality to your nursery!
Image source: Pinterest
Final Touches and Personalisation
Okay, we’re at the end, but we still need some final touches to make it feel less like a showhome and more like a liveable, usable space! This is the time too add those personal and unique touches back into the space, and create a special and loving environment for your baby.
Personal Keepsakes
Adding personal keepsakes and family heirlooms which have been passed down through the generations is always a beautiful way of incorporating your personal touch. Whether it’s little decorative pieces to add onto shelves, or photographs of family, or even hand knitted quilts and blankets. If you don’t own many pieces like this, you can add whatever you find beautiful, whatever sparks joy and adds personal value to the space.
Plants and Greenery
Regardless if you’re going for a nature/jungle theme or not, plants will always add a touch of earthiness, nature and warmth back into the space. Plants also come with their own beneficial energies, while also naturally purifying the air in the space creating a healthier living environment. There’s a myriad of plants on the market which you can include in your nursery, but always check plants are safe for children/babies and non-toxic and/or hypoallergenic.
Here’s a little example of a nursery we threw together using all of the tips and tricks at our disposal!
B2C Furniture: Your Nursery Needs Partner
Now that you have all of our tips and tricks on how to style the perfect nursery, go forth and have fun with it! Remember, planning is key, safety is key, but also just enjoy the time it takes to create this space for your new family member! It shouldn’t be a stressful experience!
We’re also here for you if you need us! B2C Furniture is here to help, we have a fantastic range of high quality baby furniture. Introducing a new baby is a wonderful and magical time. However it can also bring with it a lot of questions! We understand you want the best for your new little bundle of joy, so it makes sense to say the same for the furniture in their room. Those bigger ticket items can sometimes prove tricky when you are trying to make sure they’re functional, safe, and without the hefty price tag. But - relax whilst you can! Put your feet up and let B2C Furniture do all the leg work!
Image source: B2C Furniture / @costal_luxury
