Ask a Designer: How Can I Create a Stylish Nursery For My Baby?
Pastels and frills not your style? No worries. It’s possible to give your baby a child-friendly and stylish room for smiles all round
When you start looking for ideas to kit out your nursery, you will most likely be faced with lots of fussy designs and cartoon features. But not everyone wants a nursery that screams ‘baby!’. If the rest of your house is sleek and contemporary, there’s no reason you can’t carry the look into your baby’s room.
With careful thought, the colours, decorations and lighting can please young eyes and grown-up tastes alike. Be inspired by these stylish designs and create a space both you and your little one can enjoy.
With careful thought, the colours, decorations and lighting can please young eyes and grown-up tastes alike. Be inspired by these stylish designs and create a space both you and your little one can enjoy.
Make use of an awkward space
Don’t ignore or try to hide an awkward area – make a feature of it. Paint it as a focal wall, or decorate it, as here, with a mural or wall stickers. Bespoke furniture can be made to fit the space so you don’t waste an inch, but, if that’s not an option, fun storage baskets will add to the functionality and the design.
Don’t ignore or try to hide an awkward area – make a feature of it. Paint it as a focal wall, or decorate it, as here, with a mural or wall stickers. Bespoke furniture can be made to fit the space so you don’t waste an inch, but, if that’s not an option, fun storage baskets will add to the functionality and the design.
Keep it simple
Babies need lots of stuff, but keeping surfaces free from clutter is key to a stylish nursery. Good storage makes sure essentials are tucked out of the way, while wooden flooring allows you to wipe up spills easily. To keep the simple mood, avoid lots of pictures and go for one striking, graphic decal to create an interesting focal point for your baby.
Babies need lots of stuff, but keeping surfaces free from clutter is key to a stylish nursery. Good storage makes sure essentials are tucked out of the way, while wooden flooring allows you to wipe up spills easily. To keep the simple mood, avoid lots of pictures and go for one striking, graphic decal to create an interesting focal point for your baby.
Tune in to monochrome
Using various tones of the same colour, such as the grey in this scheme, gives a layered, elegant look. If your ceiling is low, paint the top half of the wall in a lighter colour to help it recede. Add depth and interest by using various textures, from silk and cotton to wool and sheepskin.
Explore more monochrome schemes
Using various tones of the same colour, such as the grey in this scheme, gives a layered, elegant look. If your ceiling is low, paint the top half of the wall in a lighter colour to help it recede. Add depth and interest by using various textures, from silk and cotton to wool and sheepskin.
Explore more monochrome schemes
Introduce rich colour with accessories
Bring rich, deep tones into the nursery through fabrics and accessories. This white room looks clean and modern, yet full of colour. Keep deep shades to no more than three unless you are deliberately going for a multicoloured effect.
Bring rich, deep tones into the nursery through fabrics and accessories. This white room looks clean and modern, yet full of colour. Keep deep shades to no more than three unless you are deliberately going for a multicoloured effect.
Gen up on your geometry
Your choice of pattern has an effect on the mood and feel of the nursery. Geometric patterns are not only on trend, they’re fascinating to babies. If your walls are neutral, bold geometric accessories, such as this rug, can be a good way to introduce colour. Avoid overkill, though, by using no more than two different patterns in a small space.
Your choice of pattern has an effect on the mood and feel of the nursery. Geometric patterns are not only on trend, they’re fascinating to babies. If your walls are neutral, bold geometric accessories, such as this rug, can be a good way to introduce colour. Avoid overkill, though, by using no more than two different patterns in a small space.
Be bold with black
Who says you can’t have black in a nursery? It can look fabulous, especially mixed with white. Soften it by creating a focal wall using stickers, a paint effect or a mural. If pitch black feels too heavy, choose charcoal instead. Plenty of light is also essential, both natural and artificial, to prevent the room looking gloomy.
Discover brilliant ways to use black
Who says you can’t have black in a nursery? It can look fabulous, especially mixed with white. Soften it by creating a focal wall using stickers, a paint effect or a mural. If pitch black feels too heavy, choose charcoal instead. Plenty of light is also essential, both natural and artificial, to prevent the room looking gloomy.
Discover brilliant ways to use black
Let there be light
Babies are known to have scant regard for the fact that night-time is really for sleeping, but you can train your little one early on (to an extent…). So getting lighting right is essential – for both of you! You don’t want to blast your baby with 100w at 2am, so make sure you have soft lighting for night-time feeds. You will also need sufficient light by your feeding chair for reading. Don’t limit your choice to novelty designs: use the same type of floor and table lights you might choose for a living room or master bedroom, such as this stylish standard lamp.
Babies are known to have scant regard for the fact that night-time is really for sleeping, but you can train your little one early on (to an extent…). So getting lighting right is essential – for both of you! You don’t want to blast your baby with 100w at 2am, so make sure you have soft lighting for night-time feeds. You will also need sufficient light by your feeding chair for reading. Don’t limit your choice to novelty designs: use the same type of floor and table lights you might choose for a living room or master bedroom, such as this stylish standard lamp.
Brighten with stickers
If all white is your ideal palette, don’t change your look in the nursery. Simply use fun, colourful wall stickers on white-painted furniture. This room feels bright and modern, yet still fun. Stickers also help the room change with your child, as they can easily be removed or updated as your little one grows.
Do you have a nursery in your home? How do you keep it stylish? Share your tips with us in the Comments.
If all white is your ideal palette, don’t change your look in the nursery. Simply use fun, colourful wall stickers on white-painted furniture. This room feels bright and modern, yet still fun. Stickers also help the room change with your child, as they can easily be removed or updated as your little one grows.
Do you have a nursery in your home? How do you keep it stylish? Share your tips with us in the Comments.
If the cot were removed from your nursery, would it still look like a nursery? That’s the ultimate test of creating a stylish room that goes with your home and grows with your child. Painted furniture gives you the flexibility to create a space that really coordinates with the rest of your décor. This room has grown-up tones, but with plenty of shapes and textures to please a baby, too.