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Room to Grow
When choosing nursery décor, keep in mind that your new baby will be a toddler before you know it. You don’t want to invest so much time into designing a nursery, only to do a complete makeover a few years later.
Thinking ahead can save you precious time and money in the future. Here are some tips for designing a room that will grow with your child:
Choose a neutral wall color that will fit a number of themes. It can be gender specific, but if you go with pink or blue, choose a more muted tone.
Stay away from permanent wall decorations, like wall paper and murals. Using removable wall hangings will be much easier to update later.
Select baby furniture that won’t need to be replaced after only a few years. For example, get a crib that converts to a toddler bed and a changing table that doubles as a dresser.
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Children's Wall Art for Young and Old
BlissLiving.com Tip: For art lovers and those that appreciate rousing decor, brands like Oopsy Daisy offer a line of fine art for kids designed to engage and inspire young and old alike.
This fine art collection adorns the walls of celebrity children and features whimsical art from a worldwide collection of artists, all featuring scenes so striking, they are hard to differentiate from real paintings on a traditional canvas. The intricate details and large variety of pictures on canvas wall art make this line perfect for both little boys and little girls, including nursery decor and playrooms for older children. For an added touch, pieces can be personalized with hand-painted names, turning your child’s moniker into a work of art.
Oopsy Daisy also offers a series of canvas growth charts designed to track your little one as they grow into a big boy and big girl, an artful spin on an old favorite.
This wall art is not only meant for children to enjoy. Adults often appreciate fine children’s wall art, as it provides a unique means to enjoy once again the wonder of excitement of childhood.
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Don’t Go Overboard
Picking out your nursery décor can be so much fun, but some moms can get out of control when it comes to the accessories. Sure, everything looks cute in the store, but you don’t want your nursery to end-up looking like a disaster because there is too much to look at. Keep the knickknacks to a minimum and focus on the main items that will really pull the room together.
The basics include the furniture, nursery bedding, wall hangings and window treatments. These items should be coordinated to define the space in the room. If you want to add a little flair, kids' rugs are a great addition to any nursery. Since it draws attention to the floor, it provides a grounded focal point that will not overpower the room. There are all sorts of shapes and sizes available, so you can definitely find one to fit your nursery theme.
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Update the Nursery with Kids Rugs
BlissLiving.com Tip: Looking for an easy way to update your nursery room decor without making drastic changes? A playful and colorful rug is just the trick. Kids rugs brighten a room. They can serve as the key style element that transitions the baby’s nursery to a kid's bedroom.
For many parents, it’s simply not feasible to make a total flooring change. Who has time to re-carpet an entire room? Other parents have tile and hardwood floors in their children’s rooms. Kids rugs are the perfect way to make the floor more inviting and soft.
Choose a rug that matches your existing nursery decorations or use a new rug as inspiration to redecorate. For kids and babies who spend a lot of time on the floor, consider a functional play rug like a soccer field or a small play town. Kids' motifs can be playful and bright or soft and pastel. Work with your child’s budding personality to find the perfect way to liven up the room.
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Go Green with Organic Cotton
Most often, nursery bedding is chosen based on color and theme, but there is more to consider than how it looks. Some materials and dyes contain chemicals that can irritate your baby’s skin. For a greener, healthier option, choose a crib set made from organic cotton.
A Baby’s skin is thinner and more porous than an adult’s, so they tend to absorb toxins more easily. Organic cotton is grown and processed without using harmful pesticides or chemicals, making it much safer for your baby’s delicate skin. Also, organic cotton absorbs moisture in a more efficient way than polyester, keeping baby drier and happier. In addition to the health benefits, many moms claim it is softer, more durable and last longer than bedding made from traditional cotton.
Organic cotton is not only better for baby, but it is better for the environment. Choosing organically grown materials encourages agricultural methods that do not harm the environment and reduces the amount of chemical emissions released into the air.
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It's Never too Early for Art
BlissLiving.com Tip: When planning and designing baby nursery decor, you have a lot on your mind. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when shopping for a crib, changing table, glider and all the other necessities you need to bring baby home. For an easy way to personalize your child’s room, try nursery wall decor.
Nursery decorations add a warm and inviting touch to baby’s room. You don’t have to be an interior designer to find great nursery wall decorations. Just start with your child’s name. Hanging letters are a traditional way to decorate the nursery. Choose initials or your child’s whole name and arrange the letters over the crib or changing table for a classic look.
It’s never too early to introduce your child to fine art. If you don’t have the artistic talent or time to paint a mural, try peel-and-place wall decals or kids' wall art. Stretched canvas wall art will give your child’s nursery a unique look. For functional art, hang a growth chart that matches your other nursery wall decorations.
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Safety First
When you are designing your baby nursery, make sure to consider safety when choosing your layout and decor. To avoid potential hazards, here are a few tips to help you make safer decisions:
To reduce sleeping hazards, choose a firm crib mattress and make sure it fits snuggly inside the crib. Also, keep loose bedding, like blankets and pillows, outside of the crib.
Avoid hanging any wall art directly over the baby’s crib. Not only could the item itself fall on the baby, but the nail or thumb tack used to hang it could end-up in the baby’s crib.
Do not place the crib or changing table near a window. This will reduce your baby’s exposure to the sun and prevent choking and hanging hazard by keeping drapery cords out of reach.
Make sure to cover all electrical outlets in the room and put window guards on all windows.
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Track Every Precious Inch With a Growth Chart
BlissLiving.com Tip: Do you remember standing up tall while your mother marked your height on the back of a door with a pencil? Chances are, those records of your growth as a child are long lost. Now that you’re a parent, measure your child’s growth and milestones with a growth chart to save those precious memories.
Kids growth charts are fun and functional. A growth chart serves as a decorative element in your child’s nursery, while giving you the chance to track every precious inch. High quality growth charts made of canvas are beautiful and durable. From the time that little hands paw and grab to the time when your little one has become a big kid, you can carefully mark her growth.
Many kids growth charts can be personalized and hand-inscribed with your child's name. Track each of your children separately by giving them an individual chart with their name on it. With dozens of prints and motifs to choose from, your children’s growth charts can truly be one of a kind. Once each child has outgrown her or her growth chart, pack it away as a treasured keepsake.
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Think Retro
If you are searching for a fun, non-traditional nursery theme, look to the past for inspiration. I’m not talking about buying all antique furniture or decorating with quilts from your great grandmother. There are a number of ways to create a hip, modern nursery using decor options that are influences by past times.
For example, if you are having a girl, look to the roaring 20’s for a flapper inspired theme. Choose red and black bedding and decorate using feathers and sequined art. For a more girly option, go back to the 80’s with a “material girl” theme. Create a super-girly environment with pink walls and decorate using oversized costume jewelry.
For a boy, go with a classic car theme. There are a variety of nursery products available, like lamps and wall hangings, which feature different car models. Mix and match colors and styles for an eclectic look. For a great room accessory that doubles as a toy, check out some of the options from American Retro Cars. They offer a selection of kids pedal cars that are inspired by the famous automobiles of the 1940's.
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Decorate the Nursery with Balance and Style
BlissLiving.com Tip: Just because you’re decorating a baby’s room doesn’t mean you have to settle for something ordinary. Whether you’re design-conscious, quirky, or living off the beaten path, you’ve got to find something that represents you. Luckily, unique nursery decor comes in a wide variety of options. All it takes is a little creativity and thoughtfulness to find the perfect fit for your nursery.
When shopping, keep your personality in mind. Chances are, the perfect nursery decorations are just waiting for you to discover them. A brightly-colored rug for the baby’s room will delight your child as he begins crawling and playing. Children’s motifs like dinosaurs and airplanes can add a touch of bold color to a carefully planned room.
The key to perfect baby nursery decorating is balancing childish elements with your own sense of style. Pay attention to what you like and the way you decorate the rest of your home. Then identify key nursery items that can add a playful flair to the baby’s room.
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Rock-A-Bye Baby
No nursery is complete without a rocker/glider with matching ottoman. In fact, it might be the most important piece of baby furniture you can buy. It will quickly become the most important seat in the house as you sit in it night after night feeding and soothing your new baby.
When selecting a rocker/glider for your nursery, make sure it is comfortable yet fashionable. You want to enjoy sitting it, but also enjoy how it looks as part of your overall room design. Angel Song offers some very elegant options that feature plush seating upholstered with top-of-the-line fabrics. Choose from classic or contemporary styles, depending on your nursery theme. No matter what style you choose, an Angel Song rocker/glider will be an elegant, sophisticated addition to your nursery.
For when your child is older, Angel Song offers kids chairs, loveseats and rocker/gliders with toy box ottomans. This combination provides seating and storage for a truly functional addition to your child’s room.
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Don’t Forget About Storage
When designing your nursery, make sure to incorporate lots or storage. Babies have a lot of stuff and they just accumulate more as they grow. There are many types of storage needs, so make sure to address each one with the right equipment.
A great solution for diaper storage is a combo changing table and dresser. Generally, it will have a drawer on one side for clothes and a pull-out section for diapers and wipes on the other. A bookshelf will double as a place to store books and to display pictures and knickknacks. Toy chests are especially handy since they can hold just about anything. They are a great solution for blankets and bedding for baby and, of course, toys when your child is older. Some toy chests are also equipped with cushions that provide additional bench-like seating. Nursery storage solutions come in many colors and styles. Some even feature whimsical murals to compliment your décor.
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Spell It Out
When decorating a nursery, wall letters that spell out your child’s name are a excellent way to add a personal touch. Historically you would have to go to a craft store to buy wooden letters and create your own design. Now, as wall letters are becoming more popular, there is a wide-variety of colors and styles to choose from.
When selecting wall letters, you first need to decide what you would like to spell out - your child’s entire name or just the initials. Next choose whether you want all upper or lower-case letters, or a combination of both. Also, determine if the letters will be used as a focal point or if you want them to blend with the wall color. Other things to consider include font, color combinations and additional accessories. To satisfy your overall nursery décor, your wall letters can be as simple or intricate as you want.
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