How To Design The Perfect Nursery
Expecting a baby?
Whether it’s your first or your fifth, if you’re anything like me, you started dreaming up what their nursery would look like pretty soon after you first saw those two pink lines. My husband and I decided to not find out the gender of our baby until they were born, so the nursery design had to stay pretty gender neutral, but whether you’re having a boy, a girl, or keeping it a surprise, there are so many adorable ways to design your nursery! I love seeing what my friends and clients come up with for their little one’s room.
If you’re a first time parent, designing the nursery might feel overwhelming, but do not fret! I’m here with some helpful hints on what to remember to include and think about, sleep related of course, while designing the nursery. When it comes to the actual designs and color schemes, my best suggestions are Pinterest and Etsy (P.S. Did you know that The Mindful Nursery has a Pinterest Page? Follow along here!), those were my best friends when designing our nursery. Have fun, get creative, and make it whatever reflects your family and what brings you joy!
So what are a sleep consultant’s top nursery design tips?
Obviously, the first thing I’m going to recommend is a safe sleep surface. This means a crib with a firm mattress designed for infants. Pick out the cutest fitted sheet you can find that fits quite snugly to the mattress, and remember to make sure the mattress is the right size for the crib. You do not want any gaps between the crib rails and the mattress. Leave everything else out of the crib! No pillows, blankets, toys or stuffed animals, or bumpers are needed. Safe sleep is on a firm, protected surface with no other objects in the crib.
Next, some sort of glider or rocking chair is super helpful! We want to teach our little one to fall asleep independently eventually, but that does not mean we cannot still get in some good rocking and cuddling sessions before they fall asleep, and when they’re having a tough time. It’s also a perfect place to do bedtime stories, which I highly recommend as part of your bedtime routine! (Spoiler alert! Blog post on bedtime routines is coming soon! Be on the lookout). When picking out the perfect chair for your nursery, I highly recommend buying one that you can test out before you purchase. Whether that means they have floor models you can sit in, buying a used one from a consignment shop, or buying the same one your friend has in their nursery. Knowing you like the nursery chair that you pick is so important! You will be spending a lot of time sitting there! Just make sure it’s not **too** comfy, as it is not a safe sleep practice to fall asleep in a chair with your baby, and it will be quite tempting.
Next up - blackout curtains! And shades! I’m a blackout fanatic, so I always recommend doubling up. Hang a blackout shade on your nursery windows, and then cover those with some cute blackout curtains to match your theme or design that you are going for in the room. This assures that any pesky light trying to sneak around the edge of the shades is blocked out and will not disrupt your baby’s sleep.
The last couple of things to think about from a sleep perspective are to make sure you have a sound machine handy. I personally love one that also doubles as a nightlight for those middle of the night feeds and checks. Of course with sound machines, comes cords, and with cords comes safety. Take a look around the room and check what cords and outlets might be within baby’s reach. They can reach further than you might think! So cover those cords and outlets, and make sure whatever furniture you pickout is properly anchored to the wall.
Beyond these steps, have fun and be creative! Before you know it, your little one will have all the opinions on how they want their room decorated, so take advantage while you can of making it just the way you’ve always dreamed. Can’t wait to see what you come up with! Happy decorating!
~Becca