Designing Your Child’s Nursery on a Budget
A guest post courtesy of Harry Price:
For the first time parent, designing a nursery can be a challenge. It’s hard to know exactly where to start and how much to spend. Before you head out on a spending spree, check out these tips for decorating a nursery without breaking the bank:
Set a Strict Budget.
Just like adult furniture, it’s shockingly easy to blow any sized budget on nursery accessories if you’re armed with the latest boutique catalogue. With this in mind, you must set a strict budget and then plan your design around what you can actually afford.
Choose a Central Theme
If you are going to spend larger sums of money on furniture, make sure you’ve got a plan: Create a style or theme and purchase a couple of key pieces that will define it. Finally, make sure that the theme will still be relevant and on-trend once the child is a little older. Which brings us neatly to:
Pick From Timeless Designs
If you pick classic styles for the major theme of the room, you’ll have less trouble adapting as the child grows older. Things like wall colour, curtains, bed and wardrobes can last for years without the need for a redecoration. Just pick a classic style that won’t date easily. Cheap accessories such as lamps can be changed as your child’s tastes evolve.
Make It Fun
This isn’t the living room after all! There’s no need to stick to the mantra of pink for a girl, blue for a boy. The room can be sports themed, vintage inspired, or anything in between! The sky really is the limit when you think outside the box.
Safety Always Comes First
Think carefully about how the furniture will fit into the room and if the setup is safe. Avoid sharp edges or the positioning of chairs and cribs close to windows. Hanging mobiles and stuffed toys are great play items, but they can be a real health hazard once a baby becomes stronger and more inquisitive.
Likewise, you should always consider the more mundane items in a room and think of ways a child could be harmed by them: Child safety blinds are essential to avoid choking and tangling (check out www.regentsparkblinds.co.uk for some great options) and mattresses and paint should be researched carefully to avoid toxic materials.
Spruce up Unwanted Furniture
These days, it’s perfectly acceptable to use reclaimed furniture in the main rooms of the house, so why not extend this to the nursery? Secondhand shops are everywhere, and offer a really cheap way to find some very classy furniture and put your own stamp on it. You may even be able to find antique cribs and cots for a bargain price. Just make sure a professional has given the item a clean bill of health and watch out for any toxic paints that may have been applied.
Think Practical as well as Stylish
Finally, always think about the practical side of the design. The nursery needs to be easy to move around in, safe for the baby, and easy to keep clean. This will impact both your choice of colour, and style of furniture. Get the design right, and your child will enjoy their own little space for years to come!
About the Author:
Harry Price is a writer and personal trainer. He has had the priveledge of training many athletes but says his favourite clients are everyday people that simply need motivation.
Photo credit: GaborfromHungary from morguefile.com
