One of the greatest challenges when you’re planning for your new arrival is to design a nursery that will be fresh and appealing and — unless you opt not to be surprised — gender neutral. Chances are, though, even if you do know in advance if you’re going to welcome a baby girl or a bouncing boy, you will not want to revert to pink or blue for your nursery decor. Whether you live in a new house or an older home, getting the nursery ready in plenty of time should be a priority. But it shouldn’t send you into panic mode.
Take Your Budget into Account
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of planning for baby’s arrival. It’s also easy to overspend. But, even if your budget is tight, there are creative ways to have a dreamy nursery that will delight you and adapt to your child’s growing needs. Begin with the basics, and don’t try to create a fantasy world.
Save the super heroes, the pirates and princesses, the dinosaurs and dolphins and the galaxy far far away for later on. Chances are your toddler or first-grader will be more than willing to tell you his or her “demands.”
Our list of 6 perfect gender neutral nursery design ideas will help keep you on a path that will not only save you money now but will also allow you to accommodate your growing child’s preferences later on.
Keep It Simple:
Keep the nursery simple, and let your child’s personality shape the way the room develops over time. Infants need quiet, safety and warmth, and not much more. Provide focal points, soothing sounds and color splashes with a crib mobile, wall hangings, a music box or hanging wind chimes. Add comfort with soft throws, pillows and stuffed animals. Much more than that, and you’ll be indulging your own whims rather than creating a haven for your child. Simple forms, easy care materials and basic colors work together like peanut butter and jelly on white bread, and can be just as appealing.
Color It Carefully:Â
Rather than doing a rainbow of color, why not keep it calm and soothing with a monochromatic scheme? Paint walls and ceiling the same hue, but in varying intensity. Or paint the walls with matte finish and put a slightly reflective semi-gloss on the ceiling to add a bit of sheen and sparkle. The most popular hues for 2016 are paled down tones of sun, sky and sea, including the grayed colors of driftwood and the different shades of sand. You can easily create a nursery that’s in step with the rest of your home. Let the toys, books and stuffed animals that are part of your child’s life set the mood and provide the bright colors and the shapes in the room.
Go Natural:
Shift furniture pieces from other rooms with no apologies, and don’t give a second thought to using second-hand furnishings. It’s not only a practical way to save money; it can be beautiful as well as interesting, and you won’t feel the pain if your exuberant toddler puts a ding in the wood. Cover the floor with a seagrass mat, use baskets to store everything from diapers and lotions to onesies and socks. Hang a pot of pothos near a sunny window: Not only will it purify the air, but it will give your infant something to look at. Just make sure it’s out of reach.
Be Gentle with Pattern:
Classic patterns are timeless. Stripes, plaid, herringbone, checks and geometric forms can be sedate or zany, depending on the color combinations and the interpretation. Use solids as a background, and be judicious in your choice of pattern. The result will be a room that takes on as many different personalities as your child. That’s a budget booster. A room that began as a perfect nursery can become a trendy cave for a little explorer, a sophisticated salon for a budding artist, or a scientific lab for your young scientist. Regimental stripes might be nautical, sporting or collegiate, while polka dots can be zany or chic. It’s all possible.
Be Artful:
Use the classic design formula of “a little black, a little white, and a little animal” to spice up the scheme. Forego “nursery themes” and babyish designs. Choose dark wood, ebony-tone or white furniture. It doesn’t all have to match, but if you buy second-hand or use hand-me-downs, just be certain that crib specifications meet modern standards. Slipcover an older chair with painter’s drop cloth canvas; hang natural muslin curtains at the windows over room-darkening shades, and throw a fluffy, fake fur rug on the floor, maybe even a zebra pattern.
Grow Up:
You don’t need a whole room full of baby furniture. Use your ingenuity to create a changing table on top of a dresser, or create toy and book storage with baskets and open shelves. As your child grows, provide surface area for projects and puzzles; even a wall hung shelf with a stool can work in limited space, and might be expandable for homework and a computer later on. Your child will grow — much too quickly — so be prepared for changing needs. If your budget is tight now, either buy with an eye to the future, or “make do” for the time being as you save up for those growing needs.
2 Point Highlight
Use the classic design formula of “a little black, a little white, and a little animal” to spice up the scheme. Forego “nursery themes” and babyish designs.
Keep the nursery simple, and let your child’s personality shape the way the room develops over time.
