How to decorate a nursery

Designing your baby’s nursery is one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy. The funny thing is you won’t actually use the place for much more than a diaper change the first few months of baby’s life, but it’s so fun  to nest and dream about your new family member. Here are our 5 steps to designing the nursery of your dreams:

Step 1: The Room

Decide which room it’s going in and get some dimensions. Not only of the footprint of the room but also the ceiling height and any window or door openings. 

3D tip: I recently used Modsy for my studio design plans- they create a 3D mockup for you, allowing you to change around articles of furniture from popular brands. It’s a pretty incredible way to see your room before you ever buy anything. 5 stars on the presentation, though 2 stars on the website tech. It’s pretty glitchy and frustrating at times. At the end of the day though you can be sure of your choices and that they will fit within the space. (Want to see the new studio and hear about our plans? Be sure to check out this post!)

Step 2: The Look

Decide on a general color scheme or theme. Is the daddy to be a big time fisherman and you’re expecting a little boy? Maybe greens, blues and rivers are the way to go. Are you classic through and through and want to keep everything neutral? Warm neutrals like Taupes and ivories are all the rage right now. And bonus, it’s gender neutral for that surprise baby. Maybe you want to go full on over the top for your little girl- one of my clients told me they did a pink glitter wall in the nursery! Check out Pinterest for some ideas on unique themes and color schemes.

Step 3: The Big Stuff

Time to pick out the crib, the changing table, the nursing chair. Decide where it’s going to go within the room and the flow of the room. I love all things restoration hardware for baby and kids!

Step 4: The Amenities

Don’t forget the small amenities- Like a garbage can and a hamper. (All the stuff that can quickly take your Target cart from that quick one thing you need to $100+ in the blink of an eye.)

Pro tip: walk through the room and pretend you have your baby in your arms. You sit down at the nursing chair and need… a place to set your water cup, probably a small basket of burp rags and potentially a small board book or two and let’s be honest a charger for your phone and an extra set of AirPods so you can keep binge watching Netflix while you night nurse.

Step 5: The Walls

Now that you know where the furniture is going and how big it all is, you can see what blank wall spaces are left. Moms-to-be often fill these spaces with canvases or framed pictures of woodland animals. (I personally went with safari 9 years ago, so right there with you) 

Here’s where I’ll suggest something different: Wait. Save your money and go hire a full service photographer to capture your baby within the first few weeks of their life.

(If you really need something on the wall go buy some frames you love and then put them up empty, or better yet, put up your maternity photos) Remember that color scheme or theme you fell in love with in step 2? Ask your photographer to help incorporate it into your photoshoot. Not only will your images have special meaning, they will seamlessly blend into the decor of your nursery.

And since you saved that wall space just for them, you can confidently order wall art with your baby’s face as the star. A full service photographer can help you decide on the perfect sizes and products for your baby’s new space and deliver finished artwork within weeks of baby’s birth.