Once you have decided on furniture and the layout of your nursery (see our guide ‘How to design a Nursery’ here), now comes the fun part! It’s time to decorate the nursery! And decorating doesn’t necessarily mean re-painting or anything strenuous. At Blue Almonds we have loads of great ideas on how you can decorate your nursery with minimal effort and maximum effect.
1. Start by picking a nursery theme
A theme makes it easy for you to decide what to buy, and makes a beautiful cohesive, calming environment for both parent and baby. Here are some of our favourites:
- Transport - eg; Cars, planes, trains, hot air balloons
- Travel eg - maps, globes, forms of transport or specific places such as London.
- Safari Animals
- The Ocean
- Wildlife
- Flowers
- Fairy Tales
- Sports
- The Solar System - Sun, Moon, Planets, Stars
- Dinosaurs
2. Choose beautiful organisation/storage elements
Baskets, nappy stackers, laundry bins and other small storage items can make your life easier, while also keeping everything neat and tidy and looking fabulous! These multi-tasking mini-heroes of the nursery are must-have items in our opinion.
3. Add a bookcase or shelves
A bookcase or shelves is a great place to display cute books, baby scan pictures, picture albums and other precious memories from your pregnancy and as your baby grows up.
4. Design for baby AND Mum
As a parent you could spend a lot of time in the nursery. Make sure it is a comfortable and peaceful space for you, as your calmness will help calm your baby. Add a nursing chair, cushions, blankets, books and any other elements which keep you happy and positive.
5. Add soft lighting
If you can’t dim your main light, we highly recommend adding a lamp. The soft lighting will enable you to see what you are doing during night time feeding and changes, without making everyone wide awake! We recommend Little Lights as they come in great designs to suit most themes, and they double up as a lamp and night-light.
6. Create personalised wall art
What better way to welcome your little one than with a beautifully personalised piece of art. Choose a design that enhances your theme, and add a name or a special message to create a truly bespoke look for your nursery.
7. Add a rug
A rug can be the focal point of a room and pull the theme together, or create a ‘zone’ in a larger nursery. We recommend choosing a rug made from natural fibres such as cotton, and one that can be washed in the washing machine.
8. Add a cute mobile
Mobiles are a great distraction above the cot of changing table and help keep baby occupied during nappy changes or while falling asleep. We recommend one that play gentle music, while also fitting in with your chosen theme.
9. Have fun with stuffed toys
Soft toys provide comfort in a new, strange and overwhelming world. Babies love to hold something soft in their hand - especially if it smells like their parents! Placing stuffed toys around the nursery within easy reach can provide comfort and distraction should you need it. They can also really bring your theme to life!
10. Add cosy cushions
Cushions are a quick and easy way to elevate or update your nursery theme. Create an enchanting, soft and cosy environment perfect for reading and winding down.
11. Put up some wall stickers
Wall stickers are a brilliant way to get really creative with your chosen theme and are so easy to put on the wall or remove.
12. Create an accent wall with wallpaper
A really fun wallpaper can seriously elevate the look of your whole nursery. You can choose to do just one feature wall to make it the focal point of the room.
13. Add themed bedding
Don’t forget, even the bedlinen can be part of your beautiful theme! A matching set creates a harmonious environment and there are so many different designs to choose from.
14. Add an activity playmat
An activity playmat is a great place for your baby to start to explore their world, encouraging baby to discover new textures, sounds and also movement.
In conclusion
There are many ways to decorate your nursery quickly and easily. The beauty of these great tips is that you can easily update or change the theme as your child grows. The trick is to pick a theme and have fun finding decorative items that fit with it.
