Hey guys! I’m excited to be sharing with you another sneak peek of our renovation, this time a styled nursery!
There’s definitely something chemical that happens when you’re pregnant, that makes you obsessed with the room your bub will sleep in… Even if they’ll most probably be in with you for a while to begin with! As part of the renovation, I wanted to style a few rooms straight away, and the nursery was at the top of that list.
A few months ago (when I was pregnant) my friend Kylie from Koko Collective suggested we get together and create a pretty space with some of her amazing rattan furniture, and I was so in! I mean hellooo, how cute (and me) is that bassinet? And because safety is a consideration when you’re designing a nursery, we also got together with Sunway (the makers of child safe blinds) to share some tips and tricks for designing a chic (and safe) space. Read on for more!
Styling A Cute (And Practical) Nursery
1. Choose A Theme
To theme or not to theme… It’s totally up to you! However I am totally all for a (relaxed) theme, I mean where else in your house can you be a little bit playful? That said, it doesn’t need to be pink and frilly or blue and gingham – your theme can reflect your personal style and tastes whilst also being fun. For the theme in this room we decided to go fairly relaxed, tapping into my favourite colours palettes and a love of travel. And obviously we picked a palette of dusty pink and mustard – so many of you suggested in our paint post that I should integrate mustard as textiles and decor instead of as paint, so we did it in this room! Naturally the rattan and vintage dresser were picked to compliment this relaxed/boho vibe.
2. Gather The Essentials
The biggest question that I wondered when we decorated this space was, what does a mother NEED? I mean, it’s possible to get every bell and whistle, but you risk really going over the top and not having any room or space to breath. Now that Frankie is 7 weeks old, I can confirm the big things you need, or at least what I think you need.
Crib or bassinet: I fell head over heels for Koko Collective’s rattan bassinet, so pretty! The best thing is that it’s light so you can have tit in your bedroom for the first few months if you want, and move it back later on. You obviously have to graduate to a bigger crib once she grows out of this.
Change table: A change table is essential, with a changing mat which reduces the chances of the bub rolling off. You’ll also want a diaper bin which locks in smells and shelves on which to store all your changing supplies. And make sure that everything you need remains within arm’s reach, so you are never tempted to take a hand off the bub!
Nightlight: With 2 or 3 feeds happening each night, and the same number of nappy changes to start with you’ll want to dim the lights so bub doesn’t wake up too much. A light with a dimmer is perfect – Ikea have amazing dimmable lightbulbs which we put into this macramé lampshade.
Feeding Chair: Full disclosure, I don’t use a feeding chair much of the time, opting instead to feed in bed lying down at night and on the sofa while watching Netflix during the day. But having a comfy chair in your nursery is a great idea whether you plan to feed there all the time or not, we use ours for reading Frankie books! If you do opt for a specific feeding chair, you’ll want it to be super comfy and perhaps with a footstool too.
Storage: Man you can accumulate some stuff when you have a baby! Babies come with a lot of stuff! Just ask all those Amazon boxes I had delivered in the last few months of pregnancy (I’ll be sharing my list of forth trimester items soon). So consider adding more storage to the baby’s room including a chest of drawers, shelves and hanging rails. One thing that I have found sooo useful is lots of baskets – to both put on shelves and store clothes, washing and other things in.
3. Consider The Windows
Properly dressing your windows is not just about design, it’s important for safety too. Make sure to install blackout curtains or heavy blinds, which will help bub sleep longer and more comfortably. We chose to install these blinds from Sunway, roller blinds with translucent and blackout layers so you have a choice for how much light you let in. They are also great because of their cordless light lift operating system cords used to open and close blinds can be a hazard to young children and need to be secured at all times and out of reach from little hands, so we decided to go with the light lift instead.
4. Get DIY Happy
In the lead up to the birth, there’s nothing better than taking your mind off things by getting crafty. In fact, Ina May Gaskin always recommended doing some baking or making when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the impending birth, so this is a great opportunity to get crafty in bubs room. Shelving, canopies, little baby dresses, all of these things are great DIYs that not are not only sweet but also help to pass the wait.
5. Deck it out with Decor
Finally, once you have all the essentials you need, it’s time to get stuck into the decor. One thing we didn’t put in this room (but I love) is a beautiful mobile, and there are so many other ways you can add gorgeous touches to the space including textiles, layered rugs, wall hangings, macramé, framed prints and so much more!
I’m wearing a Spell Byron Bay dress, H&M earrings and Hunter x Hunter necklace. In this pic there’s a Rattan Bassinet from Koko Collective, Sunway Blinds, Vintage Dresser hand painted in Haymes Paint ‘Humas’, World Map from Gathre, Glass Lantern from West Elm, Linen Blanket from H&M Home, Cacti Silk Cushion form Marr-Kett, seashell from my mum’s collection, vintage children’s books from my personal collection.
Knitted Blanket from West Elm, DIY Mud Cloth Cushion, Darling You’re Different Print by Jasmine Dowling, Cacti Silk cushion from Marr-Kett, Frame from Country Road, Knitted Blanket from West Elm.
I’m soooo in love with this rattan rocking horse!
A few of my favourite vintage books… That copy of The Old Man and The Sea is the same one my mum read to us when we were little!
Rattan Bassinet from Koko Collective, Rug from Etsy, Vintage Dresser hand painted in Haymes Paint ‘Humas’, World Map from Gathre, , Glass Lantern from West Elm Vintage Rug via Etsy, Linen Blanket from H&M Home, Cacti Silk Cushion form Marr-Kett.
And for those of you who have a small space, stayed tuned for tips and tricks for a small nursery – I’ll be sharing our very tiny space in our Hong Kong apartment soon!
Nursery Faves:
- Sunway Roller Blinds in Bellamy Chalk on Dual Rollers (with Light Lift operating system).
- Rattan Bassinet and Rattan Rocking Horse from Koko Collective
- Vintage Dresser hand painted in Haymes Paint ‘Humas’
- Rattan Chair from The Bach Living
- World Map from Gathre
- Glass Lantern from West Elm Vintage Rug via Etsy
- Linen Blanket from H&M Home
- Knitted Blanket from West Elm
- DIY Mud Cloth Cushion
- Darling You’re Different Print by Jasmine Dowling
- Frame from Country Road
This post is in collaboration with Sunway.
