Becoming a parent is an overwhelming experience in itself, but couple that with designing a nursery and it can create additional anxiety. Fortunately, help is at hand.
Kristy Withers is the creative founder of designer baby and children's company Incy Interiors, and shares these simple nursery styling tips that will have you and your baby sleeping soundly.
"First things first, you need to have a look at how much room you have to work with. Stand in the room and take it all in. Where are the windows and doors positioned, do you have any full walls, what are the dimensions of the room?
If you are anything like me, you may also struggle with the concept of scale. To fix this, get out two pieces of A4 paper, a set of scissors, a ruler and a pen. I know it sounds crazy, but this will save you so much time and energy not having to move furniture around.
On one sheet of paper, draw the room to scale noting doors and windows. With the other sheet of paper cut out little rectangles/squares that are roughly the same size (to scale) as all of the major pieces of furniture.
Once the practicalities are out of the way, it is time to get creative. I always start a new room design by logging onto Pinterest and just going 'pin crazy'.
- Kristy Withers, Incy Interiors
Start with a cot and change table and if space/budget permits start adding in a feeding chair, bassinet and any other key items. Feel free to move your shapes around to get the best flow and layout.
Once the practicalities are out of the way, it is time to get creative. I always start a new room design by logging onto Pinterest and just going 'pin crazy'.
Start a new board and pin anything at all that you like. After a while you will start to see trends in the pins, this will be the basis of your design.
The lengths that you can go to all depend on whether you own or rent and of course budget. There are however key design elements to consider. These are wall decoration - paint, wallpaper, wall art or removable decals; window coverings - curtains, blinds or louvers and linen - a beautiful cot sheet is all that is needed.
Once you have determined these elements, it's time to personalise the room through decorative accessories and maybe a beautiful rug."
Choosing the right colour
Many expecting couples will be starting with a white blank canvas in their nursery, and just as many will resist the urge to go down the traditional route of blue or pink when it comes to selecting a colour theme.
Fortunately there are plenty of other hues to choose from, some of which can actually have a positive effect on your mood - just what you need when you're trying to soothe your baby to sleep.
Muted shades of green and purples have a calming and serene vibe about them, while earthy neutrals are a smart idea if you want to add colour to the walls but recognise the room might have a different use in years to come. Wallpaper is another way of adding colour, together with pattern and texture.