One of the most enjoyable tasks undertaken by a new mother or mother-to-be is decorating the nursery. It’s important to provide the baby with a room that provides a peaceful, safe haven; a place for the baby to grow, to learn, to enjoy new experiences, and to dream. Some suggestions for selecting a nursery theme are given below.
Where to Locate the Nursery
Babies are easily disturbed by loud, strange noises. When possible, locate the nursery in a room that is away from the noise of the street. For the baby’s safety and your peace of mind, the nursery should be located on the same floor as the master bedroom. If that is not possible, buy and install a good quality baby monitor to ensure that you will hear any cries during the night.
Consider Cost and Complexity
One important consideration when selecting a theme is the cost, which is affected by the size of the room, the complexity of the chosen theme, and the sex of the baby. If you’re not sure about the baby’s gender, it would be wise to select a neutral color palette for your theme.
Selecting the Theme
This is the fun part of creating a nursery; entertaining ideas for a theme. Your imagination may not be quite up to the task. Give imagination a boost by visiting baby specialty stores. They often display their furniture with several different nursery themes for background settings. Peruse baby magazines for other great ideas. Once you decide upon a theme, think carefully about your needs and how you can best achieve the look you want while staying within your budget.
1. An Exciting Jungle Theme
The Jungle theme combines greens, browns and yellows which can be exciting and cheerful and at the same time soothing; it is a gender neutral design. Baby bedding, quilts and nursery rugs as well as cut-outs of jungle animals, wall paper and borders are easy to find. Lions, giraffes, monkeys and elephants bring the exotic colors and sounds of the jungle to your little adventurer.
2. Fun with Cartoons and TV Characters.
A cartoon themed nursery mural is a great choice for either a boy or girl. If you are planning to use the nursery for more than one baby, or if you don’t know for sure what you are having, then it might be a good idea not to have a gender specific nursery mural theme and cartoon themes are perfect for that as well. There are so many different cartoons and characters to choose from, like Winnie the Pooh, Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse and etc. Cartoons are often in bright primary colors that babies love with lots of fun elements that make us smile.
- Hello Kitty and Puppy 4-Piece Baby Crib Set
- Lambs&Ivy Snoopy Crib Bedding
- Vintage Mickey Mouse Crib Set
3. Ideas from the Sea
The oceans of the world have often inspired home nursery designers. Perhaps it is stimulated by places like Sea World and the many regional aquariums. For whatever reason, a room decorated with exotic creatures from the sea and tropical fish (usually cartooned and humanized to look more friendly) provides a happy natural ambience for both baby and parents. This theme is generally one of the most colorful and is suitable for either gender.
- Nautica Kids William Baby Bedding
- Boutique Beautiful Sea World Animal 13Pcs
- Lambs&Ivy Under the Sea 6Pcs
4. Colorful Crayons
What child hasn’t exhibited his first expression of creativity with crayons? This is a great and colorful theme that might encourage artistic interests. Crayola, which has long been synonymous with crayons, manufactures a line of paints matching their crayon colors that are made for decorating nurseries and children’s rooms.
5. Sports Action
Sports themes have been popular for ages. Traditionally, sports images have been directed exclusively at boys’ rooms, but no longer. Tennis, soccer, basketball, volley ball, and many other sports are enjoyed and played by both boys and girls. Pillow cases, sheets, wallpaper, stencils, and many other decorative items are available depicting all major sports images. All sports graphics are colorful and action packed, which will attract the child’s attention.
6. A Letter Perfect Nursery
Nursery designs that feature the use of letters and numbers lend themselves to the use of bright colors and interesting shapes. Using decals, stencils, and molded wall hangings of letters, a nursery can be decorated to provide both excitement and education. With the constant presence of alphabet characters, a young child can quickly learn to memorize them and recognize them in simple words, giving him a head start when entering school.
The themes discussed above are simply suggestions. Your selection is limited only by your imagination. It’s actually fun to experiment as you develop your decorative skills. With a prudent selection of accessories, such as rugs, curtains, and wall hangings, you can create a theme that is interesting and safe, and can be modified to grow with the child.