Creating a cosy cocoon for your little one, decorating in a sweet and comforting style that promotes calm, finding a good bed and furniture that meet the necessary security standards…such are the many worries that parents-to-be may have. Here are our “decor and storage” tips to make the task ahead easier…
The bedroom walls
For walls, soft or pastel colours (such as beige, grey, off-white, powder pink, light blue…) should take priority, as these promote calm and aid sleep. Buy washable, water-based, non-toxic paint. This allows you to easily clean stains those that appear on the walls from the baby bottle, damp, etc.
Decor idea: if you want to personalise your baby’s room, why not cover an entire wall with an art mural? To do this, use stickers.
What flooring is best for baby?
Avoid carpets and tiles. The former will attract mites and can cause a whole host of allergies. As for tiles, while they’re easy to clean, they’re too cold for a child’s room. We recommend parquet or vinyl flooring as both are easy to maintain.
Tip: use a rug to add a touch of warmth to the room. Put it in a corner to define a play area.
The ideal furniture for a nursery
The ideal room is a clean room. It should be functional above all, so try to avoid clutter—although this can be difficult with all those toys and teddies!
First of all, consider the essentials: the cot, changing table, a well-sealed bin for dirty nappies… To free up storage space without overdoing it on the decor side, choose small pieces of furniture such as shelves, a small chest of drawers, and baskets. Ideally, get a versatile cot that changes as baby grows.
Storage tip: a tidy room is essential to keeping you and your baby calm. Use storage boxes in different colours to encourage baby to become more responsible over time—they can help with the tidying up from a young age. Take a look at the health impact of a tidy home…
To brighten up the nursery
Choosing the right lighting for your nursery is vital to create as soft a mood as possible. In this case, avoid LED lights (too dazzling) and halogen bulbs (too much glare) in a child’s room.
Do, however, try out several different light fixtures to vary the intensity of light according to the time of day. For small lamps, use a ‘warm’ yellow bulb, which better simulates natural light.
Decor tip: it’s also important to choose the most neutral lighting possible. Little ones get used to their environment and in particular to lighting; they become very attached to their rooms. It is therefore a good idea to use similar light fixtures throughout the rest of the house.
Some more tips…
Interior temperature: a constant temp. of between 18-21 degrees is ideal. To aid your baby’s breathing, consider installing a humidifier, especially if you have electric heaters.
As for safety, make sure everything complies with safety standards. Opt for furniture with rounded edges and don’t forget safety covers for power outlets. Finally, get yourself a reliable baby monitor if you want to check up on your child from afar.