Building the Perfect Nursery
Getting a nursery together for your baby is a more complex business than people think! Thankfully, many people before you have discovered the right ways and the wrong ways to go about it, so there’s an abundance of help out there if you get a little stuck. This guide will highlight the most important elements to consider when you’re building and designing a nursery for your incoming little one.
Considering costs
You want the best for your baby, but you need to be realistic about the budget. And these nurseries generally cost a lot more than you might think! Before you begin, you should set out a budget. You don’t want to cut corners by getting very cheap items that might not meet the quality levels you need, but you don’t want to get so caught up in the project that you end up with some convoluted, overly elegant room! Remember that your baby will stop being a baby before you know it, so be careful with those costs. You’re going to have to convert the room into an older child’s room sooner than you think, so don’t blow too much of your cash on this stage of the room. It’s going to evolve, so save up for that.
The right colour
Pick a colour scheme that you’ll like. Your baby isn’t going to be offended by the colours – they simply haven’t developed the aesthetic mind frame for that just yet! Don’t try to assign a favourite colour for your kid ahead of time. Hopefully, we don’t need to point out that “pink if it’s a girl and blue if it’s a boy” is arbitrary and pointless – though if one of those is your favourite colour anyway, go for it! Remember to get the painting done as soon as possible, so the fumes have time to dissipate before the room needs to be used.
Cleaning supplies
Speaking of fumes, you need to be very careful about the cleaning supplies you’re going to use in this room. As you can imagine, you’re going to need to use them quite a lot. You need to make sure you get safe and natural cleaners that don’t contain toxic elements such as harsh bleaches and synthetic fragrances. In fact, that’s probably something you should apply to all your cleaning needs in the house! Not only will this prevent toxic fumes from building up – you also have to remember that babies and young children are wont to put their mouth on just about anything. The cleaner you choose is very important.
Light levels
Throughout your life, the lighting you have in your bedroom will affect your sleep. A lot of people underestimate how much light levels have an effect on sleep! A standard bulb placed in the middle of the room isn’t always going to cut it. If possible, you should consider getting lights in the nursery that you can dim. By increasingly dimming the lights as it gets later, it makes it easier for the baby to sleep. This is true for adults, too, so perhaps you should consider the lighting in your own bedroom! This should also highlight how important the light coming in from the windows can be. Consider installing shutters to make it easier to control the levels of natural light you let in.
Furniture
You’re not going to have an abundance of furniture in the room, so picking out what you need should probably be relatively simply. For most people, a crib and a couple of chairs will do for a nursery. (Though you also need to consider storage, which we’ll look at in the next section.) But that doesn’t mean that actually choosing those items are always a simple matter. The chairs probably aren’t that high on the priority list, but picking the right crib is a more complicated matter than you might think! (Not only do you have to pick the right crib, but you also have to pick the right crib mattress!) There are cribs out there that are less safe than others, and there are additional items that you should avoid altogether. Crib bumpers, for example, pose several risks that far outweigh the apparent benefit of protecting them from bumps and drafts (for which there’s no evidence these are serious problems in the first place!).
Storage
You’d be surprised just how many things you end up having to keep in the nursery! You want storage solutions that help you keep the plethora of baby items you need organised and within easy reach. Of course, you also have to consider the proximity of large solutions to the crib. While you don’t want them too far away, you also don’t want them too close to the crib. While this may not seem like an easy test, you should try to imagine where any tall storage items would land in the unlikely event that they were to fall. The crib should be out of that “landing zone”! You could also consider having some storage solutions underneath the crib, or even getting a crib that comes with storage.
Childproofing
You may not think that a lot of childproofing elements are required while your kid is still a baby. But again, that baby is going to grow up very soon! With this in mind, it’s best that you consider all your childproofing needs during this stage. If you’re installing shutters, make sure they’re cordless. Power outlets should be covered – in fact, everything electrical in the room needs to be childproofed. All heavy furniture should be secured, and any edges that your child’s head could reach – window panes are a good example – should be covered with soft material.
Give yourself time
Nurseries tend to cost more than parents imagine them to. They also tend to take a lot more time to build! So you should consider the amount of time you’re going to leave yourself to complete the task. It’s best to get started early, as this will ease stress. Ultimately, just remember that, as long as it’s safe and suitable for sleeping, that there isn’t just one right way to design a nursery. When it comes to the decorative elements, try not to worry so much.
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