Designing a home can be an arduous task for many all in itself. But trying to style a baby nursery within your beautiful home without sacrificing sophistication is often downright daunting. We want the nursery to be warm and baby-friendly, of course, but what happens when animated characters and primary colors clash with the overall feel of your home? I have some helpful tips on creating a baby nursery with innovative style and design.
Matchy-matchy?
You may be wondering if a nursery absolutely has to match the colors of the rest of your home. The answer for me is no. Each room in your home can be its own statement piece. The focus here shouldn’t be on color as much as it should be style. People often forget that nurseries can still be elegant.
Your baby nursery should match the vibe of the home. If your preferred decor is casual and rustic, opt to do something similar for the nursery. Is your home quite lavish and fancy? The nursery should be, also. It should carry over the feeling of the rest of the house continuously.
To Color or Not to Color
So… does color not matter at all? It does, but maybe not in the way you think. Nurseries deemed “Pinterest worthy” by the masses seem to almost always feature various shades of, well, eggshell. Sure, an ivory-hued room can be beautiful and calming. However, there are some moms who dream of a baby nursery with vivid color. Neutral ones in shades like oatmeal and barley can leave much to be desired. If you crave color, mama, do it! Contrary to popular belief you can incorporate color in a sophisticated way if you’re willing to think outside the box.
Babies’ rooms used to be blue, pink or yellow, but there are so many other colors that are gender neutral (or even maybe not so much) and equally as lovely. Instead of going with a pink, consider shades of lavender. It will read just as feminine, but a muted lavender palette can come across as more elevated and less expected than your typical pink. Boys’ rooms have many options as well. Think of doing a stark black and white and pulling in pops of red. Blue is the traditional pick, but teals and greens can feel elegant and much more visually interesting.
Selecting a Baby Nursery Theme
It can be difficult not to surround yourself with all things cutesy when you’re designing a baby nursery, but those cartoon characters won’t do your stylish home any favors. When choosing a theme, try to veer away from animated characters and anything stereotypically “baby.” I know that seems odd seeing as how you are decorating a room for a child, but if you ask any mom she’ll tell you that those kids grow up fast!
Planning a room full of infantile decor may mean having to change it much sooner than you think. Rather than plastering a ton of cartoon elephants and lions on the walls, find beautiful realistic prints of animals you love, and have them framed nicely. The photos add a fun safari and childlike touch without being chintzy. Travel themes can also be gorgeous, as you can add lots of cultural elements to walls and bookshelves.
Furniture, Lighting, Rugs, Oh My!
Designing a charming baby nursery doesn’t stop with the decorative decor. It also means thinking of functional pieces and how they work with the space, both inside the room and in the house overall. Parents spend a lot of time being bombarded with a vast selection of changing tables, bookshelves, cribs and the like. While the color will be up to you, I’d recommend going with natural materials. There’s something about bringing a little bit of the earthy element in such a tranquil (fingers crossed!) space that will ground the other beautiful pieces in the room. Think about gorgeous woods and stones with soft tufting and you won’t go wrong. Go for lamps in place of (or in addition to) overhead lighting so that you can turn them on and off as baby is sleeping. Lamps with dimmers also allow you to focus light in a concentrated area, which can be helpful while navigating around the room half asleep in those early months!
Floors are an element that many parents forget to consider in the baby’s room. My first pick has to be wood flooring with cozy rugs atop. Carpeting initially sounds lush for little hands and feet and soft skin, but dealing with babies typically mean cleaning up stains and spills. You’re going to want to be able to easily clean anything your little one comes into contact with. White rugs are easily cleaned without ruining the aesthetic or integrity. They’re also not as hard to part with after having them for awhile if they begin to show their wear and tear.
Planning for a baby or designing the room for a younger child can be so much fun, but it can have its challenges, as well. You don’t have to give up the elegant styling of your home in order to include your little bundle of joy; you simply need to be clever in the design details. Try these to maintain an air of splendor in your home while simultaneously celebrating the arrival of your new addition!
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