It’s no secret that there’s a lot to prepare before the arrival of a new baby. From selecting the perfect pram to pouring over name ideas, there are lots of things to discuss, purchase and prepare before you welcome a baby into the family.
Perhaps one of the largest tasks you’ll undertake before the birth of your baby is the preparation of his or her’s nursery. Although you may prefer to have them sleeping in a crib in your room for the first couple of months while you both adjust to a new routine, the time will surely come where they’ll need their own space.
Designing a nursery is a truly exciting time; as you pick out a colour scheme and beautiful pieces of furniture, you’ll envisage life as a new parent and picture all the precious memories that will soon blossom. A few twists and tricks can transform an unused room into the perfect nursery for your new baby girl or boy.
But, what are the essentials? To design a nursery that’s beautiful, functional and safe in equal measure, here are some of the furnishings you’ll need to consider:
A cot or crib
Of course, one of the most important parts of any bedroom is the bed – and it’s no different in a nursery. Good quality sleep is essential to the development of an infant, so making sure your little one has a comfortable cot bed to sleep on is important. This will be swapped with a children’s bed once they’ve outgrown their crib and have reached the appropriate age to sleep without barriers.
You may want to hang a pretty mobile above your baby’s crib to keep them occupied as they settle down to sleep. There are lots of options available depending on the theme of your nursery room.
Infant-friendly bedding
When purchasing your cot bed, you’ll also need to source infant-friendly bedding. The type of bedding recommended differs depending on the baby’s age and is often available in soft pastel colours to match all nursery themes. You may also want to purchase a waterproof cover for the crib’s mattress to make cleaning up any accidents much easier.
A changing table or mat
There’s more to parenting than enjoying baby cuddles and storytime! Unfortunately, nappy changing is something you’ll have to take in your stride. When it comes to nappy changing, some parents prefer to have an entire changing table. These extend to support the baby and often have storage for wipes, creams and fresh nappies.
However, a more budget-friendly option is to simply purchase a changing mat to lie on the floor or to lay across a flat surface, such as a chest of drawers. What you choose depends on your personal preferences, but either way, making sure you have some form of nappy changing apparatus is essential.
A comfortable chair
As your baby wakes up for their morning feed or settles down to sleep at the end of the day, you’ll be grateful for a comfortable, cushioned chair to support you as you spend time together. You’ll soon get tired of holding your little one and will appreciate being able to lean back into a soft chair, equipped with a feeding pillow to support your baby’s weight as you sit.
To really get comfortable, consider opting for a rocking chair. That way, you can rock your little one to sleep easily and peacefully.
Night lights
As your baby gets used to their new routine, it’s likely they’ll wake up frequently throughout the night. Turning the light on in the middle of the night can be harsh on your eyes, so consider placing a couple of soft night lights throughout the room. That way, the next time you’ve woken up for a midnight feed or an early morning cuddle, your eyesight will be able to adjust slowly as the lamp lights up.
A baby monitor
Trying to settle down to sleep when you know your baby is in another room can be difficult – especially for new parents. You want to make sure your baby is sleeping soundly at all times, and therefore many parents choose to invest in a baby monitor. You’ll be able to pop one next to your baby’s crib and keep one next to you, whether you’re watching some evening television or are settling down to sleep yourself, putting your mind at ease that your little bundle of joy is safe and sound.
Framed pictures
While there are plenty of nursery essentials you’ll need to stock up on, remember that your baby’s nursery should also have some personality and character. After all, this is your baby’s first bedroom, so you’ll want to make sure there’s more to it than just furniture and stockpiles of nappies. One way to add character to your nursery without causing it to look cluttered is to decorate the walls with framed pictures. You can either frame prints you like or hang up pictures of your family – the choice is yours!
Plenty of blankets
As we’ve mentioned previously, babies often have little accidents. To make sure they’re not settling down to sleep each night with dirty bedding, it’s a good idea to have a stockpile of soft, clean blankets. You can always keep these tucked away in your wardrobe or chest of drawers so they don’t take up too much space.
A laundry basket
From stained blankets to sticky babygrows, it’s no surprise that as a parent to a newborn, you’ll find yourself constantly washing and drying clothing and bedding. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop until your little one grows up and moves out! To make life easier for yourself, and to stop yourself from having to carry bundles of clothing up and down the stairs, pop a laundry basket in the corner of your room. That way, you can simply toss any dirty items into the basket and take them to the washing machine when you get a spare moment.
A chest of drawers
You’d be surprised at how much it takes to keep a tiny baby warm, clean and content. Babies are changed multiple times a day, and as a new parent, you’ll likely be rushed off your feet with piles of clothes washing to do. Additionally, people love to bring gifts to new babies, so there’s no doubt you’ll wind up with hundreds of babygrows, hats, mittens and soft toys. To keep your nursery neat and tidy, investing in a chest of drawers is a must. This will give you the space to store all of your little one’s clothes and accessories until you need to call upon a fresh set of clothes.
Built-in wardrobes
As we’ve just mentioned, making sure you have adequate storage space is essential to any bedroom, including your baby’s nursery. For this reason, you’ll also need plenty of wardrobe space in the nursery in order to store extra clothing, toys and equipment, such as baby carriers. However, as you collect more and more belongings, you’ll likely need much more space than one wardrobe will offer.
That’s why it’s recommended that you opt for fitted wardrobes to help you maximise all available space. A large fitted wardrobe will give you the flexibility to utilise lots of storage without making the room look cluttered or overcrowded, an ideal feature for your peaceful baby nursery.
Additionally, when your little one grows up, their nursery will become a regular bedroom and extra storage will be necessary. A small wardrobe that seems ideal for your baby’s tiny clothing will soon become much too small to store a child’s shoes, clothing and accessories.
To avoid having to update your furniture as your baby grows older, we recommend opting for built-in furniture that offers the flexibility you need. You’ll thank yourself in the future, even if the thought of your little bundle of joy growing into a grumpy teenager seems unbelievable right now!
Looking for fitted bedroom design ideas and installations? Woodhouse Kitchens & Bedrooms are here for you
Whether you’re excitedly designing your baby’s new nursery or you’re hoping to revamp your own bedroom, look no further than Woodhouse Kitchens & Bedrooms for a seamless design and installation service.
Based in Harrogate, we specialise in fitting stylish bedrooms and kitchens according to our customers’ preferred tastes and budgetary requirements and are proud to put customer satisfaction at the forefront of everything we do.
As experts in bespoke fitted rooms, we can take care of everything from start to finish. We’ll guide you through the consultation stage right through until installation to make sure you’re happy with the final look.
We also specialise in fitting kitchen appliances and replacement doors to keep your Harrogate home looking sleek and stylish at all times. Whatever your design dreams, look no further than Woodhouse Kitchens & Bedrooms to bring them to life.
For more information about our range of services or for bespoke bedroom design ideas you’re sure to love, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts today.
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