Preparing a nursery or bedroom for a new baby doesn't have to cost a fortune; with a little interior design know-how you can save a bundle.
Even though your baby may not be spending nights in her own bedroom straight away, (the Department of Health advises that your baby should sleep in the same room as you for the first six months), it's common for expectant mums and dads to want to have the nursery sorted before welcoming their baby to their new home - and with good reason.
"Designing the nursery is an important part of the natural nesting instinct," says midwifeMargarita Atieh. "It helps prepare you for the impending arrival, which can reduce stress in pregnancy."
It's easy to get carried away and be tempted to splash out on expensive furniture and accessories - à la Mariah Carey who reportedly spent £800,000 decking out her twins' nursery, or Victoria Beckham who spent £10,000 on Harrods nursery gear in just one shopping spree.
But there really is no need to break the bank, with a little forward planning you can create a beautiful baby's bedroom on a budget.
While shopping keep in mind...
The floor plan
You're going to be spending a lot of time in this room over the coming months, so it's important to get the design right. Before you even think about spending money, work out where you want everything to go.
"Once the baby arrives, you want to be able to move from cot to feeding chair to changing station without having to run around a maze of furniture," says interior designer Pia Munden.
Draw a floor plan and cut out paper shapes to symbolise the furniture you plan to buy. Play around with the shapes until you find a layout that works for you.
If possible avoid having the cot directly next to a radiator (to avoid the baby overheating) or underneath a window (to avoid draughts). Be aware that blind cords can be dangerous for young children. See The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for more information.
Measure up
Take careful measurements of your nursery. There's no point buying a cot only to find it won't fit where you want it to.
Plan ahead
Babies grow quickly, so think about how many months use you'll get from a product before splashing out.
Baby-sized wardrobes and chest of drawers that match your cot may look sweet, but they will be quickly outgrown.
A cot that's small enough for your baby to go straight into, but can be turned into a cot bed as they grow, is a real money saver. Try the Stokke Sleepi Bed (£399, from Mothercare).
Decor
"Keep the colour scheme neutral," advises Pia. "Children collect so much clutter that you're going to have every colour under the sun popping out of toy baskets."
If you want to add a splash of colour to the walls, temporary nursery wall art stickers are a wise investment. Parkins Interiors do a great range that includes everything from confetti dots to jungle animals.
If you do decide to paint, there is no need to opt for expensive eco 'baby safe' paints that are completely free of VOCs, as according to the British Coating Fedaration all paint manufacturers have reduced levels of VOCs in paints considerably in recent years, and most paints and varnishes available from DIY shops are suitable for use in children's bedrooms.
Just ensure newly painted rooms have proper ventilation - by opening windows and doors until the fumes disperse - before leaving your baby to sleep in there.
"We advise mums-to-be to paint their baby's nursery three to five months before they're ready to start sleeping in that room so that there's no trace of paint fumes left," says Jules Robertson, Tommy's midwife.
"All babies should be in their parents' room in a Moses basket or cot for the first six months of their lives so that parents can become familiar with their patterns and cues – leaving you plenty of time to decide on a colour!"
If you decorate while pregnant it is highly unlikely that paint fumes will harm your unborn baby, as according to the NHS the risk from modern household paints is very low.
However, any risk there is to your baby is greatest during the first trimester (0-13 weeks), so it is best to avoid painting until at least the 14th week of your pregnancy. You should also avoid solvent- or oil-based paint and stripping old paintwork while pregnant, as older paints may contain traces of lead. So these tasks are best left for your partner, a friend or a professional.
Shopping list
The essentials...
"All you need is somewhere for the baby to sleep, somewhere to feed them and somewhere to change them," says Pia. "You don't want too much clutter - as you're likely to get so many presents that you'll have baby accessories coming out of your ears."
Cot - Read more about what to look for when buying a bed for your baby in our guide to cots, cotbeads and moses baskets. Also, check out our guide to buying second hand.
Mattress - The mattress should be new, firm, flat and waterproof, and it should fit snuggly into your cot without leaving any gaps.
Sheets - You'll need at least four cotton sheets as they'll need to be changed often. Fitted sheets make life easier but they are more expensive than flat ones.
Blankets - At least four cellular (holey) cotton jersey or fleece blankets to cover your baby.
Or a baby sleeping bag - Ensure the sleeping bag is the right size for your baby's weight so her head cannot slip down through the neck-hole.
That's really all you need for nursery bedding. Don't waste your money on pillows, duvets and cot bumpers. Not only are they unnecessary, but they are also potentially dangerous as cots should be kept as uncluttered as possible.
Baby monitor - Many now come with built in room thermometers and night lights - so that's two more things you won't need to buy.
Comfy chair - This one's for you, not the baby, - but it's still an essential. You're going to need somewhere comfortable to sit as you wait for your baby to settle down to sleep and while feeding her. However, there's no need to hunt for a special breastfeeding chair, just acquisition your favourite comfy seat from elsewhere in the house - so long as it's easy to get in and out of while holding a sleeping baby.
Changing mat - This is really all that is necessary for changing your baby and you can use it on the floor. But if space and funds allow, a changing station can be useful as they have space to store all your supplies. Just be careful never to leave your baby unattended.
Handy extras
Storage - As the gifts and toys start flooding in you will need somewhere to put them, along with all the quickly-grown-out-of clothes. Homebase and B&Q have a good selection of affordable boxes and tubs.
Black out blinds - Babies aren't scared of the dark - in fact they sleep better in dark rooms, so black out blinds can be a life changer on long summer evenings. John Lewis do a range of pretty patterned ones - just make sure the cord is safely secured.
Even though your baby may not be spending nights in her own bedroom straight away, (the Department of Health advises that your baby should sleep in the same room as you for the first six months), it's common for expectant mums and dads to want to have the nursery sorted before welcoming their baby to their new home - and with good reason.
"Designing the nursery is an important part of the natural nesting instinct," says midwifeMargarita Atieh. "It helps prepare you for the impending arrival, which can reduce stress in pregnancy."
It's easy to get carried away and be tempted to splash out on expensive furniture and accessories - à la Mariah Carey who reportedly spent £800,000 decking out her twins' nursery, or Victoria Beckham who spent £10,000 on Harrods nursery gear in just one shopping spree.
But there really is no need to break the bank, with a little forward planning you can create a beautiful baby's bedroom on a budget.
While shopping keep in mind...
The floor plan
You're going to be spending a lot of time in this room over the coming months, so it's important to get the design right. Before you even think about spending money, work out where you want everything to go.
"Once the baby arrives, you want to be able to move from cot to feeding chair to changing station without having to run around a maze of furniture," says interior designer Pia Munden.
Draw a floor plan and cut out paper shapes to symbolise the furniture you plan to buy. Play around with the shapes until you find a layout that works for you.
If possible avoid having the cot directly next to a radiator (to avoid the baby overheating) or underneath a window (to avoid draughts). Be aware that blind cords can be dangerous for young children. See The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for more information.
Measure up
Take careful measurements of your nursery. There's no point buying a cot only to find it won't fit where you want it to.
Plan ahead
Babies grow quickly, so think about how many months use you'll get from a product before splashing out.
Baby-sized wardrobes and chest of drawers that match your cot may look sweet, but they will be quickly outgrown.
A cot that's small enough for your baby to go straight into, but can be turned into a cot bed as they grow, is a real money saver. Try the Stokke Sleepi Bed (£399, from Mothercare).
Decor
"Keep the colour scheme neutral," advises Pia. "Children collect so much clutter that you're going to have every colour under the sun popping out of toy baskets."
If you want to add a splash of colour to the walls, temporary nursery wall art stickers are a wise investment. Parkins Interiors do a great range that includes everything from confetti dots to jungle animals.
If you do decide to paint, there is no need to opt for expensive eco 'baby safe' paints that are completely free of VOCs, as according to the British Coating Fedaration all paint manufacturers have reduced levels of VOCs in paints considerably in recent years, and most paints and varnishes available from DIY shops are suitable for use in children's bedrooms.
Just ensure newly painted rooms have proper ventilation - by opening windows and doors until the fumes disperse - before leaving your baby to sleep in there.
"We advise mums-to-be to paint their baby's nursery three to five months before they're ready to start sleeping in that room so that there's no trace of paint fumes left," says Jules Robertson, Tommy's midwife.
"All babies should be in their parents' room in a Moses basket or cot for the first six months of their lives so that parents can become familiar with their patterns and cues – leaving you plenty of time to decide on a colour!"
If you decorate while pregnant it is highly unlikely that paint fumes will harm your unborn baby, as according to the NHS the risk from modern household paints is very low.
However, any risk there is to your baby is greatest during the first trimester (0-13 weeks), so it is best to avoid painting until at least the 14th week of your pregnancy. You should also avoid solvent- or oil-based paint and stripping old paintwork while pregnant, as older paints may contain traces of lead. So these tasks are best left for your partner, a friend or a professional.
Shopping list
The essentials...
"All you need is somewhere for the baby to sleep, somewhere to feed them and somewhere to change them," says Pia. "You don't want too much clutter - as you're likely to get so many presents that you'll have baby accessories coming out of your ears."
Cot - Read more about what to look for when buying a bed for your baby in our guide to cots, cotbeads and moses baskets. Also, check out our guide to buying second hand.
Mattress - The mattress should be new, firm, flat and waterproof, and it should fit snuggly into your cot without leaving any gaps.
Sheets - You'll need at least four cotton sheets as they'll need to be changed often. Fitted sheets make life easier but they are more expensive than flat ones.
Blankets - At least four cellular (holey) cotton jersey or fleece blankets to cover your baby.
Or a baby sleeping bag - Ensure the sleeping bag is the right size for your baby's weight so her head cannot slip down through the neck-hole.
That's really all you need for nursery bedding. Don't waste your money on pillows, duvets and cot bumpers. Not only are they unnecessary, but they are also potentially dangerous as cots should be kept as uncluttered as possible.
Baby monitor - Many now come with built in room thermometers and night lights - so that's two more things you won't need to buy.
Comfy chair - This one's for you, not the baby, - but it's still an essential. You're going to need somewhere comfortable to sit as you wait for your baby to settle down to sleep and while feeding her. However, there's no need to hunt for a special breastfeeding chair, just acquisition your favourite comfy seat from elsewhere in the house - so long as it's easy to get in and out of while holding a sleeping baby.
Changing mat - This is really all that is necessary for changing your baby and you can use it on the floor. But if space and funds allow, a changing station can be useful as they have space to store all your supplies. Just be careful never to leave your baby unattended.
Handy extras
Storage - As the gifts and toys start flooding in you will need somewhere to put them, along with all the quickly-grown-out-of clothes. Homebase and B&Q have a good selection of affordable boxes and tubs.
Black out blinds - Babies aren't scared of the dark - in fact they sleep better in dark rooms, so black out blinds can be a life changer on long summer evenings. John Lewis do a range of pretty patterned ones - just make sure the cord is safely secured.
Article taken from Parentdish.co.uk
We think this news story will be of interest to our visitors. However, please note it is from another source and does not necessarily represent the views of Oxondads. If you would like to comment on this article please click on the "No Comments" below or alternatively E-Mail info@oxondads.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment