Having your first child is exciting, and many parents find joy in creating a nursery that fits a perfect theme for your perfect little one. However, while creating a nursery is fun and gets you excited for the future, most first-time parents make plenty of nursery decorating mistakes. No matter if you’re just planning for the future or are knee-deep in nursery decorating right now, you need to ensure you know what you’re getting into. Here are the six things to know before decorating your nursery.
1. Choose multipurpose furniture.
Many parents want the cute nursery set for their new baby, and while these sets are adorable, they’re not always practical for a child. You will be overwhelmed with the amount of stuff your baby comes with, from onesies to bibs to diapers. And all of this stuff will need to live somewhere. When you opt for cute instead of practical, you will find that you may not have enough space for everything, which is why multipurpose furniture is a good idea. “Multipurpose furniture allows you to have more space in your room while still ensuring you have all the practicality you need,” says Peter Goldberg, CEO of Bouclair. When you’re shopping, be sure to find the pieces with plenty of storage.
2. Be mindful of location.
While the style and layout of your home often dictates where your nursery will be, it’s still important for you to be mindful of this. For instance, you will likely be up with your child throughout the night, so you may not want the rooms too far away from each other if you can help it. Also, if the room where the nursery is going is drafty, you’ll want to have this fixed before your child starts to sleep in there. The more you can do to ensure you’re choosing a good and safe location for your baby, the better.
3. Be realistic.
Most parents choose a fancy theme for the baby’s room and spend all this time and money making it perfect, and while that’s all fine and well, you need to be realistic about this space. After all, your child likely will not be spending too much time in it. Instead, he or she will probably spend the first few months in your bedroom. Then, all they will really do in that room is sleep. And by the time your child is old enough to start playing in his or her room, you’ll likely want to re-do the space because they’ve outgrown the theme. Instead of spending a small fortune on décor and furniture for your baby’s room, understand instead what they actually need and be realistic.
4. White isn’t smart.
Yes, white baby furniture just screams innocent and adorable, but after a few months or years, you’ll find that white furniture is stained and grimy, and you’ll be putting it out with the trash. If you need a light color because you have a small room, then consider gray instead of white, as it hides a lot more wear and tear. And if you have the ability to choose darker colors, then dark woods or dark browns are perfect for a child’s room. Find the items you love and see what colors they come in, and choose the one that will best match your style while still being practical.
5. Choose gloss paint.
Gloss paint has a shine to it, but it will be a godsend in a child’s room. That’s because gloss paint is easier to clean and can usually be wiped down with a rag. As your child gets older, the walls will collect anything from crayon drawings to spilled milk, and you’ll want something that’s easy and cheap to clean up. So, before you have that room painted with a nice matte finish, consider doing yourself a favor and switch to a gloss paint instead.
6. It’s mostly for you.
While you will think the decorating you’re doing is for your baby, it’s really not. Instead, the decorating is for you. After all, your baby will not care what theme his or her nursery is. Plus, you’ll be the one doing most of the moving around in the room for the first year, so make sure everything you need in the nursery is within reach.
Having a baby is exciting, and planning the nursery can be too. But before you jump in head first, be mindful of these tips.