Waiting for a baby to appear in the family is the most exciting and happiest time. But along with happy moments, future parents are faced with a wave of responsibility and worries about preparing a space for their baby. Whether it is a separate room for a baby or an area in the parent’s bedroom, it is necessary to arrange a place for a small family member with convenience, practicality, safety and pleasing aesthetics. Of course, every parent wants his child to be surrounded by a safe, environmentally friendly, beautiful and functional environment. But in order to achieve the maximum reflection of your desires and criteria for the best room for the baby, it is better to start preparing it long before the baby arrives. The more time you have, the greater the number of nuances that are important both at first and in the future, you will be able to provide for at the stage of repair, arrangement and decoration.
At first, the child will not have his own color preferences or favorite options for decorating the space, so it is important to focus on an environment in which parents will be comfortable and comfortable. If mom and dad are happy and calm, peaceful and satisfied with life, then this attitude will definitely be passed on to the baby. For a baby, it is important that the furniture and decoration that surrounds it are environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic and safe, so that the room does not have sharp corners, retractable or hinged mechanisms that pose a threat.
Recommendations for arranging a room for a baby:
- the space for the baby should be bright and well ventilated;
- in addition to natural lighting, it is important to consider options for artificial light sources of various modifications;
- It would be a good idea to organize at least partial soundproofing of the room (this is done at the stage of preparing surfaces for finishing work);
- the room should be warm, but not hot (organization of a heating system with the ability to regulate temperature);
- the space should be functional, but not cluttered, it is important to use only the necessary furniture and decor, leaving as much space as possible for the growing baby to play;
- finishing and furniture materials must be environmentally friendly, not cause allergic reactions and create a warm and cozy interior atmosphere;
- textile window decoration should be minimal and easy to clean;
- Similar criteria apply to carpeting, which should be easy to care for and occupy no more than a third of the room’s area.
What should the room be like?
A baby's room is significantly different from other rooms in a house or apartment. Not only the design, the style direction of the interior and decorative elements matter. It is important to create ideal and comfortable conditions for mother and child. The baby's room should be safe, comfortable and best adapted to the child's needs.
If the area of the apartment allows you to arrange a separate place for the baby, it is recommended to start resolving the issue long before the birth of the child. Naturally, future parents strive to ensure that their baby is surrounded by a safe, environmentally friendly, multifunctional and attractive environment. To meet all the requirements for a room for a child, you should not delay the renovation.
The infant is unable to express his preferences. Therefore, the theme can be universal (images of the sky, clouds, flowers, plants, animals) or gender specific (for example, cars for boys, beautiful princesses for girls). Most often, the interior of a children's room for a newborn is the embodiment of parents' ideas about an ideal, cozy nursery.
About bed linen
It is necessary to prepare a significant number of sheets and diapers. Buy soft bedding only from 100% cotton to keep your baby's sensitive skin healthy. If your budget allows, buy more replaceable cotton pillowcases for your pillow, as they need to be changed several times a day.
Stock up on at least five, six or more sheets so you don’t waste time doing laundry every day. You will be shocked by how much time and effort it takes to cater to your baby's needs on a daily basis, in addition to doing laundry.
Design Features
During the first years of life, the baby does not yet have his own color preferences and priority features for decorating the room space. Therefore, when choosing the design of a children's room for a newborn, it is necessary to pay special attention to the equipment of the environment in which the baby and mother will be comfortable.
If parents feel satisfied with life and happy, then a positive mood will be passed on to their baby. For a newborn, it is important that the decoration, furniture, and all decorative elements do not cause allergies, are environmentally friendly, and safe.
Important! Parents should make sure that the nursery does not have swinging or retractable structures or sharp corners that could pose a threat.
Manufacturing materials
Natural materials, combinations of wood with MDF or chipboard, and high-quality plastic are traditionally used to make furniture for babies. Various tree species – deciduous and coniferous – are widely in demand:
- Alder;
- Oak;
- Ash;
- Cherry;
- Aspen.
For the sake of practicality and aesthetics, some experts recommend choosing furniture for a newborn’s room made from hardwood (birch, beech, walnut). This is not associated with any harmful properties of products made from coniferous trees. When the first teeth appear, children begin to taste everything. Products made from pine or spruce are quite soft, so they leave noticeable dents and scratches. When choosing furniture, it is important to pay attention to the finish. Ideally, it should be uncoated. If varnishes and paints were used during its manufacture, they must be water-based.
Children's tables and chairs are often made of high-quality plastic. Many furniture manufacturers claim that they are no more harmful than baby bottles, and they do not contain any substances hazardous to the health of babies.
Aspen Alder
Oak
Ash
Cherry
Zoning Features
A well-executed design of a room for a baby should take into account the development and growth of the child. Therefore, the layout of this room provides for the equipment of separate functional areas intended for:
- active games;
- child's rest;
- educational board games, studies.
When arranging a nursery, it is recommended to zone the room in ways that are optimal for a particular case:
- special arrangement of furniture;
- wall or floor covering;
- with the help of sports equipment, screens;
- complex design of the ceiling structure.
Important! Regardless of the chosen zoning method, the main rule must be observed - the central part of the children's room must remain free and not interfere with the free movement of the child.
Arrangement of the play area
The optimal location for the area for active play of the baby is in the central part of the room. In a small apartment, the play area can be located near the window, where in the future there will be a table for studying and creative activities. Near the place where the baby will play, it is necessary to place racks, containers or baskets for toys.
If the nursery has a floor without electrical heating, then additional coverage is required in the play area. For this, it is better to use hypoallergenic polyethylene foam. This coating does not absorb odors, is moisture-resistant, wear-resistant, and easy to maintain. It is convenient to install a playpen or special plastic grilles for fencing on it.
Wall finishing options
When finishing the surfaces of children’s walls, specialists use the following solutions:
- pasting with eco-friendly wallpaper;
- painting with safe materials;
- painting with stencils;
- artistic painting.
Vinyl wallpaper will create an attractive interior room. When the baby learns to walk, he will be able to draw on the smooth paper surface of the wallpaper. If you do not plan to redo the renovation every year, the finishing of the walls of the room should be done taking into account the functionality and practicality of the material. It must meet the growing needs of the child.
The development of tactile reflexes in a child contributes to his development and improvement of motor skills. It would be interesting for the baby to touch the relief surface. Textured paints, light-textured wallpaper, and decorative plaster are suitable for children's rooms. It is better to choose plain wallpaper, on which the wall decor will look great. Prints on the wall may irritate your little one.
To decorate walls, surfaces are sometimes painted using stencils, which will add originality to the interior. They can be purchased in specialized hypermarkets of finishing and building materials. Some parents may allow aesthetically pleasing artistic painting. This is a unique but expensive method of decorating the walls of a room.
Choosing a floor covering
To furnish the floor in a children's room, designers recommend using cork material. It has many advantages: it is pleasant to the touch, hypoallergenic, safe, and easy to care for. It should be taken into account that the original appearance of cork flooring is suitable for certain interior styles.
You can also install high-quality laminate flooring. Due to the peculiarities of the production of this material, it cannot be considered environmentally friendly. Every year, laminate manufacturers improve and improve the technology for manufacturing the material. In this regard, allergic reactions to this type of flooring are observed quite rarely.
The most optimal option for arranging floors in a nursery is a floor board made of natural wood with an aesthetic varnish coating. This option is quite expensive, but manufacturers guarantee the environmental friendliness of the natural material. Wooden floorboards look attractive and harmonize perfectly with any style.
Room color palette
A child’s visual perception is directly related to his development. The baby spends a lot of time in his room, so it is important to properly arrange the room. Psychologists recommend using pastel colors in a newborn's room. It is advisable to choose colors in light shades, for example, beige, white, blue or pink. This palette is the ideal backdrop for furnishing and decorating a room.
It is better to avoid dark monochromatic tones that do not evoke positive emotions in the child. To prevent your baby from getting bored in his own room, it is recommended to add bright interior elements to the room’s design that will attract the baby’s eye. This promotes concentration and proper development of the baby.
Rules of care
The best way to care for children's furniture is to wipe it with soft, damp flannel cloths. If there are stains that cannot be removed so easily, you can use regular laundry soap, an aqueous solution of soda, or special gels for caring for baby products. They are hypoallergenic and completely safe. Products such as “Our Mom”, “BabyLine”, Sanosan “AQA baby” are popular.
Caring for transformable furniture should be especially careful. Most manufacturers of such products recommend lubricating hinges in a timely manner and monitoring the reliability of drawers and cabinets. This is due to the fact that active mechanisms wear out quickly during long-term use.
It is recommended to clean your baby's room every 2-3 days. To avoid the accumulation of dust on children's furniture, you should remove “extra” items from the room. These will include carpets, large soft toys, and decorative pillows.
Decoration for a boy
There are standard stereotypes about the color preferences of children of different sexes. Psychologists say that the baby is indifferent to shades. Therefore, wall decoration, selection and installation of furniture are done in colors preferred by adult family members. Typically, parents opt for high-quality materials for finishing the room and practical interior elements. A boy's room is often decorated in blue or in restrained, more masculine colors:
- brown;
- blue;
- grey.
The design is usually dominated not only by masculine colors, but also by various attributes. According to psychologists, this allows you to properly raise a future man, developing a strong character, assertiveness and determination. Dark colors must be combined with bright accent elements or inserts of light colors.
Cot
The crib should be your main concern when arranging and decorating your baby's room. When choosing a crib, first of all, make sure that it has sanitary and environmental safety certificates.
Many children sleep in their cribs for three or more years. If you plan to have more children, a quality crib can serve several more babies.
Some models can easily be converted into cribs for older children and even full-size beds for teenagers.
If there are still children in the family, then from a gender point of view it is advisable to opt for a neutral crib design. The crib model and the color scheme of your baby's bedding should match your personal taste.
The crib can be decorated with fabric frills if you like the traditional look. But this is not necessary if the crib is made in a modernist style.
Decoration for a girl
When creating a room design for a baby, parents often choose different shades of pink, sometimes peach. A great option is a combination of soft pink and beige. Against its background, pink looks richer and brighter. If you want to emphasize the delicacy of pink, use textiles or furniture in chocolate colors. Turquoise and gray colors go perfectly with hot pink.
Various shades of purple are in great demand, so it can often be found as the main color in the interior design of a girl’s nursery. The decor, decorated in beige and light green or lilac colors, looks original. The main task of parents is not to overdo it when decorating the newborn’s room with pink details.
Interior styles
You can choose the design of the room to suit your taste, since there are many options. The most popular and beautiful styles for renovation:
- Modern. The main difference is functionality and comfort. The colors are delicate and interesting. When designing, the emphasis is on simplicity and comfort.
- Classical. Unique features - sophistication, elegance. The interior looks luxurious and at the same time calm and balanced.
- English. The details show softness and roundness. Parents who choose this style will have to look for specific accessories to complete the picture.
- Loft. It is distinguished by correct, clear lines, a minimum of shades, and conceptual details.
- Scandinavian. Interiors decorated in this style are bright and stylish, they surprisingly combine seriousness and tenderness.
- Minimalism. Emphasis on functionality, compactness, absence of unnecessary parts. At the same time, there is a place for gentle and unobtrusive details.
- Country. The peculiarity of the style is natural materials, pastel colors, natural textures. You can decorate with drawings of cute animals or plants.
You don't have to choose a specific style. This is only your business, because the main thing is that you and the baby feel comfortable. Sometimes it is better to focus on the benefits for your son or daughter.
Ceiling design options
There are many ways to decorate the ceiling in a newborn’s room. The ceiling can be covered with wallpaper, painted with safe paint, decorated with original stucco, or installed with a multi-level or tension structure. Materials for ceiling decoration must meet the following requirements:
- high quality;
- reliability;
- safety;
- aesthetics.
The ceiling with photo printing, which is often used in children's rooms, is popular among consumers. Depending on the characteristics of the fabric, it comes in different types - matte, glossy with a mirror effect, and a rarer specific fabric similar to the texture of satin.
It is possible to install spotlights in suspended ceilings. They are superior to other ceiling systems due to their practicality, environmental friendliness, and attractiveness. Stretch ceilings do not crack, retain their original color and have a long service life. They allow you to realize any fantasies and ideas.
Before the painting procedure, the surface of the ceiling must be perfectly leveled. This can be achieved by plastering it or using reliable suspended structures. When decorating a room for a newborn, you need to choose safe materials.
Types of humidifiers
Gold Armour's state-of-the-art Night Light humidifier and its Night Light Urpower counterpart feature large red LEDs and essential oil diffusers for aromatherapy, and feature 530ml and 300ml water tanks, respectively. Essential oil filtration is not required.
A couple of drops of non-GMO chamomile or lavender essential oils are added to the humidifier's container to provide a calming effect and promote healthy sleep. Only red LEDs are used because other colors have wavelengths that suppress melatonin and disrupt sleep.
These humidifiers provide adjustment of light brightness and the formation of cold mist by increasing/decreasing the opening of the diffuser. There is also a function to automatically turn off the humidifier when the water has completely evaporated.
Humidifiers from the Crane line. Amazing humidifiers that create a dense cool mist. They provide a simplified procedure for filling the container with water.
Correct lighting
When decorating windows, you should pay attention to original textile solutions. To make the room for the newborn cozy and light, you can use light tulle as curtains. Some parents decide not to curtain the windows. Window decor should be simple and easy to maintain. It is worth abandoning complex curtains with ruffles, lambrequins, and folds.
To create sufficient artificial lighting for the baby, there must be several lighting fixtures in the room. You can place a pendant chandelier or wall sconces in the place where the children's bed is installed. In the corner for parents, it is better to place a floor lamp that emits subdued light. Its design must be stable and absolutely safe.
In nursery interiors for babies, special attention should be paid to the pressing issue of night feedings. This plays an important role in the life of mother and baby, so the nursery needs soft light that will not irritate the baby’s eyes and can be used as a night light. Decorations can be used for central lighting to distract the baby.
Storing things
You may have noticed that the littlest people need a lot more different things and objects than older moms and dads. And all this: toys, rompers, diapers, books, clothes, underwear, etc. need to be stored somewhere.
Note!
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Plastic boxes with lids or wicker baskets are great for blankets, pillows and toys. Low profile cleaning containers and vacuum cleaner can be easily hidden under the crib.
Near the diaper table you need a wall shelf for lotions, ointments, a thermometer, nail scissors, and so on. Hanging cabinets are ideal for children's bedding, but hangers for tiny clothes are not justified.
Baby room furniture
When arranging a nursery, safety, environmental friendliness, and practicality come first. Mandatory pieces of furniture are a bed, a changing table, a feeding chair, and a small chest of drawers for storing diapers. The baby and mother, who spends a lot of time with the child, should feel comfortable and comfortable here.
A rocking chair with comfortable and practical armrests will allow you to simultaneously feed and rock your baby. It is advisable to install a soft ottoman for the feet near the rocking chair. If the future children's room does not have a spacious area, then the best option is to purchase a universal changing table with a chest of drawers.
Furniture made from natural wood is the leading material used to furnish a nursery. Natural material has an aesthetic appearance, is considered environmentally friendly and does not cause allergies. Furniture made from unpainted wood will bring the warmth of natural material and make the atmosphere more comfortable and cozy.
At first, a baby needs a minimum of furniture, however, in the future there will be a need to purchase various elements. It is recommended to develop a furniture design that will last for 4-5 years. First you will need to purchase:
- A bed for a baby, preferably with a removable or folding guard. After a few years it can be successfully used as a regular bed;
- Changing table (can be with a chest of drawers);
- Chest of drawers or small wardrobe for storing clothes;
- Rocking chair with footrest (for feeding);
- Walkers, shelves, toy boxes.
Your child will soon need a table and chair for studying, playing and creative activities. Today, the market offers a variety of furniture made from foam materials. They are safe; even if a child falls, they will not experience much discomfort. You also need to set up a place where toys and books will be stored. It is better to choose open racks or shelves.
Baby bed
A child's comfortable sleep depends on the correct choice of sleeping place. A comfortable bed is a guarantee of the correct formation of the posture of your beloved child. Properly selected furniture will allow your newborn to gain strength during the day and sleep soundly at night. Adequate sleep for the child will keep the parents calm and allow them to get a good night's sleep.
The modern market offers a huge variety of types of beds for newborns of different designs, sizes, shapes. They are divided into main types:
- cradles;
- standard cribs with sides;
- pendulums;
- transformers;
- beds on runners;
- playpens.
It is better for a newborn to purchase a compact cradle. For the first 6 months of life, the baby does not need a wide sleeping place. In the cradle he will not feel any sudden changes and will be comfortably enveloped from different sides. Psychologists say that in a small cradle the baby will sleep much more peacefully. Manufacturers have developed models with musical accompaniment, soft lighting, and a swinging mechanism. When the child grows up, you can buy a children's bed with sides in which he will sleep until he is 2-3 years old.
The best option for a crib for babies is an ecological wooden one. It is equipped with removable sides and the bottom height can be adjusted. Pendulum beds will cost more than a regular model due to the presence of a special mechanism. From a light touch to the bed, it begins to sway on its own. Manufacturers offer models with a transverse or longitudinal swing mechanism. A mattress for a crib must be selected with natural fillings that do not cause allergies in children.
Transformers, in which a child can sleep up to 4 years old, are in high demand. Some models have 3 zones: a sleeping area, a changing table, and a diaper chest. The bottom of the transforming crib can be set at the required height. The main advantage of transformers is that when the child grows up, the walls are removed and the changing table turns into a comfortable desk. An adult child (up to about 9-10 years old) can sleep in this bed.
The principle of furniture placement
The children's room should not be cluttered with numerous pieces of furniture. It must be installed in such a way that it does not interfere with the parents of the newborn to move freely around the room. If this condition is met, the furniture will not interfere with the growing child’s crawling or walking. A small amount of furniture in the nursery allows you to create a spacious room and reduce the amount of dust in the room.
The changing table should be located as close to the baby's bed as possible. This is an irreplaceable pair of furniture, which is a mandatory element in the design of a nursery. Next to the changing table it is necessary to place the optimal storage system for a particular case. It is important to always have shelves, drawers or cells on hand to store various baby care products.
When creating an individual nursery interior for a baby, you need to show parental care and love for your child. Consider the fact that the child is growing rapidly and be prepared to make changes to the interior design in the near future. When the baby grows up, he will definitely express personal preferences and wishes that you can bring to life.
