Welcoming a newborn baby into the family home is a special time that you’ll want to treasure. Preparing your home for the little bundle of joy is an exciting way to mentally prep yourself for this enormous life change. Of course, one of the most important things you need to do is start decorating the nursery ahead of time.

The sooner you begin looking at nursery colour ideas and some intriguing baby nursery decor ideas, the sooner you will want to get started! While many expectant parents put off this chore, you should not make that mistake. Having a space dedicated entirely to your little one will make all the difference once you bring them home. Here to help you along the way is just a little inspiration.

 

Take inspiration from the skies

In times gone by, most people would go about decorating the nursery in a fairly straightforward manner. They’d choose a block colour, usually pink or blue, and paint the entire room in it. Those days are well and truly over. Now, parents are becoming more and more creative with the style of nursery that they choose.

Take this whimsical starry affair, for example. The core theme here is that of a spectacular star-filled night sky. The two low-hanging shades aptly complement the look since they look like two giant moons. They key to pulling this design off is selecting a theme before you begin and really running with it.

 

Colour coordinate your interiors

The moment you become a parent, there’s just one thing that you will realise; children have a whole load of stuff. From clothes and bedding to toys and games, you’ll find that there is no end to the array of things you suddenly amass in your abode. If you wish to make things look just a little less chaotic, this idea is certain to be of help.

Choose just one tone or colour palette for your items. When buying clothing, toys and the like, you can choose things within this range. That way, everything will look as though it matches.

 

Plan your colour palette

Since we’re on the subject of nursery colour ideas, there’s just one thing that you need to keep in mind. Before getting started, you should have a clear idea of what colours you hope to use.

As you can see here, the decorator has used just three muted tones throughout the room. In truth, you can choose as many colours or tones as you’d like, but you need to ensure that it works for you and your idea of how the room ought to look.

Recently, there has been much emphasis on more neutral tones, which work well. These offer a stark contrast to traditionally bright and colourful baby nursery decor.

 

Add little touches of fun for your child

The nursery is the room in which your baby sleeps each night, but why can’t it be a little more than merely that? Once you start decorating the nursery, it’s crucial that you add a few fun and quirky elements to the design.

You may want to include some DIY nursery ideas, such as this intriguing little teepee. Remember, as your child grows, they will spend a great deal of time playing in this room of the house, and so it’s always nice to make it as interactive as possible.

 

Double up on functionality

As we’ve already mentioned, you need a whole load of new things when you first have a child. When it comes to choosing the furnishings in your baby’s nursery, there’s one essential thing you should consider: Pick furniture pieces that offer you a dual-functionality – they will be absolute lifesavers.

This wall cupboard, for example, doubles as a changing table for your child. That means that you can keep all the essentials inside it while using it when necessary. Designing the room is as much for your comfort and ease as it is for your child’s.

 

Invest in washable wallpaper

This is one of the most helpful tips you will ever come across when you’re decorating the nursery. Here’s a secret that no one wants to admit: children are ridiculously messy. Your first few years of parenthood will be spent almost entirely by cleaning up after your little one.

Still, there are a few things you can do that will make your life oh-so-much easier and getting washable wallpaper is one of them. When choosing the paper for a particular room, look for brands that offer a ‘wipe clean’ option. You will not regret it.

 

Decorate with little knick-knacks

Baby nursery decor can occasionally be a little predictable. After all, many people will just pop a few stuffed animals on the bed and call it a day. Why not take things just one step further?

Whether you have antique knick-knacks from your own childhood or go out and buy new ones, this can be an interesting way of injecting a little character into the space. From kitsch ornaments to cutesy toys, there are many ways you can make the room look individual and special for your child.

 

Create space wherever possible

If you don’t have the luxury of having a spare room in which to create your nursery, there are many things you can do instead. Making a distinction between your space and that of your baby should be your main aim.

You could choose a corner of your room or an alcove like this one to design using baby nursery decor. In doing so, you create the illusion of space in your room.

 

Don’t be afraid to be modern

Whether you’re choosing your nursery colour ideas or looking at some baby nursery decor pieces, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind. You need not fear being modern in your choices. Often, people believe that they have to choose classic designs for their baby’s room, but why should you?

Instead, you can experiment a little with the style. This angular design works extremely well, and yet many would shy away from it. Spend a little time browsing the options and be a little daring!

 

Check out blackboard paint

No matter what nursery colour ideas you choose, there’s one thing that you can know for sure. At some point, your child will go ahead and draw all over their bedroom walls. Kids have no concept of right and wrong when they are young and many will give this a try. So, why not beat them to the punchline and invest in some unique paint?

You can get chalkboard paint from most DIY retailers and it really does work wonders. Choose an area for your blackboard and paint it up. When your child is a toddler, you can give them some chalk and let them go wild on the walls!

 

Be a little outlandish

Throughout the rest of your abode, you may opt for a chic style of decor, but in your baby’s nursery, you have a chance to think outside the box. There are many DIY nursery ideas which allow you to tap into your creative side.

For example, you could make your own toy basket for your child or experiment with a bold design on the wall. These decor moves may seem a little outlandish but they can look stunning when done right.

 

Make the room unique to your family

The truth of the matter is that you really don’t want a nursery that looks as though it’s jumped off the pages of a home decor magazine. Your baby’s first room should be as unique as your child is. That means adding little touches that are special to you and your family. As far as DIY nursery ideas go, this is one of our absolute favourites.

Why not include a portrait of you and your partner in the room? Doing so will not only give the space character, but the piece will also be a keepsafe over the years as your child grows.

 

Never underestimate the power of stencils

One of the major constraints that many new parents have is money. Bring a child into this world comes with a price tag of epic proportions, and so you’re going to want to save the odd penny wherever you can.

So, if you don’t want to splash out for premium wallpaper, there’s one easy DIY nursery idea you can try. Stencils are cheap and easy to pick up almost anywhere. In just a few hours, you can use these little beauties to create almost any design in your baby’s nursery.

 

Don’t just decorate… educate!

Learning doesn’t just happen at school; it starts at home. As new parents, you have a duty to aid your children’s education in every way possible. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t incorporate this idea when decorating the nursery space.

Baby nursery decor can include things such as the solar system, a map of the world, or any other educational thing you can imagine. It’s these little touches that will honestly set your nursery design aside from the pack.

 

Majestic murals

Of course, if you’re lucky enough to have a large budget, there’s a whole world of opportunities out there for you. Nursery ideas for boys can often be rather dull; they may feature blocks of blue and the odd picture.

Well, here’s an example of what you can really do should you set your mind to it. This adventurous mural is a piece of art in itself, which means that you may never wish to redecorate the room. If you’re a creative soul, you can attempt something like this yourself. Failing that, you may want to lay your hands on some mural style wallpaper.

 

Try a gender neutral design

In the past, expectant parents would go ahead and paint girl’s rooms in plush pink and boy’s rooms in bold blue. In the modern world, though, there’s no need to stick to those rules.

Rather than focussing on nursery ideas for boys or, indeed, ideas for girls, you can simply look for a clean-cut design that suits you. Gender neutral designs have never been more popular. Rather than positioning your decor around the gender of your baby, you can opt for a creative and less restrictive style like this one.

 

Shed some light on the nursery

Of course, in any nursery space the night light is essential. Small children often struggle to sleep at night without at least an ambient glow in the room.

Rather than simply choosing a plug-in lamp, you may want to choose something a little different. You could invest in some suave hanging lanterns or perhaps even make your own lamp. You can find DIY nursery ideas online that will help you along the way with a step-by-step guide – nothing could be easier than that.

 

Select a feature colour

If you do opt for a colourful nursery, there’s one surefire way to ensure that it doesn’t appear too overbearing. Whilst browsing nursery colour ideas, you need to choose a feature colour for the room.

Take this nursery, for example. While it may appear somewhat chaotic, the designer has chosen to use blue as the feature tone. Throughout the room, you will notice that blue colours have strategically been picked out and highlighted. It really does make all the difference.

 

Bonus: Have a little fun with it!

If there’s one cardinal rule you must follow when it comes to decorating the nursery, it’s this: have a little fun with it all. Planning out your baby nursery decor should never be a chore. Instead, it should be an opportunity for you to express yourself and create something truly beautiful for your baby.

 

Hero image: Bloomingville, available at Nyde