A new baby is on the way! Congratulations! A well-designed nursery or a baby room is one of the most important things you need to get ready. And this needs to be done before the later stages of pregnancy - because you are going to have restricted movement in those later stages.
Think of the baby room as the space where the baby will spend the first few years of her / his life. And if you design it cleverly, you can refurbish it later as per the needs and requirements of your growing child. But naturally, you need to plan well in advance for it. Here are 11 things that you must consider when designing a nursery or buying kids' furniture and other kids' items…
- Research
When designing a nursery, the web space is a good place to start creating mood boards that appeal to you. In addition to the internet, see what other parents around you are doing. You might have some ideas for your nursery, but when you ask around and look for inspiration you may learn about many other factors that you may want to consider.
- Functionality
Babies do not yet understand aesthetics, so while visually, matching decor and furniture might be your top priority, it really doesn’t matter to your baby. Instead, focus on picking kids furniture and baby accessories that are safe, practical, and comfortable. Some really useful products could be a rocking chair you can sit in for hours, or a juniors baby cot that can be adjusted in size with your growing baby. Pick a diaper changing table that has adjustable height. The Elli Junior Nakheel Mall store has many varieties of baby furniture for all your needs.
When you buy baby accessories online, keep in mind the whole look of the nursery or baby room. Also, keep the baby pram, baby baths, etc close to one another for easy access. Ensure that only YOU can access these things, not the baby.
- Safety
This is perhaps the most important criteria to bear in mind while designing a nursery or a bay room. Stay clear of anything that may be a potential hazard or pose a risk of injury to your baby. Don't hang giant things over the baby and don't have too much furniture crowding the floor or else your baby or toddler might bump into it. Keep electrical gadgets beyond reach. Look, safety is a bigger priority over aesthetics – so wall hangings, toys that can fall or plug points within easy reach of a crawling baby are never a good idea.
Small soft toys are okay - but should not have parts that can be a choking hazard, ideally, organic sustainable toys of materials like wood, etc are always a safer bet.
- Floor plan
A good baby room or nursery design must have designated zones for sleeping, diaper changing, nursing, and playing. Measure your space, and make practical decisions about the best and safest areas to place all your baby furniture: the crib, baby bed, baby pram and a comfortable rocking chair for nursing. Spend on the bigger items first so you don't overshoot your budget and allow enough lead time for assembly, especially if you order baby products online.
- Product Longevity
The clever thing to do would be to not buy new or baby-specific furniture only to replace it in a few years. Buy baby furniture and other baby products that can grow with your baby. Sometimes you can also adapt products that you may already have to adapt into furniture for your baby's room. A vintage dresser, for example, can become a changing table, and your favourite rocking chair can be moved into the nursery. You can also consider multipurpose baby furniture with added storage, such as a baby bed with a built-in drawer, chests with built-in changing toppers, or a baby pram with an attached changing table and storage.
- Know Your Budget
While financial considerations are important, don’t let the topic of money keep you from creating a special space for bonding and caring for your baby. Whether you buy baby products online, or visit a baby shop in Dubai, there will be several options at every price point. Make a list of baby accessories and baby products so you can decide which items to splurge on and which to keep for later.
- Don’t rush into buying everything at once
The arrival of a baby is such an exciting time in the family. and often, this excitement makes people overspend. But don’t buy things in haste. In fact, spend on quality - not quantity. You would rather spend on non-toxic paint, than on a life-size teddy bear. Splurge on the essentials, and save on what you can.
Be careful and think forward when buying baby products online or from a shop. Don't be under pressure to buy everything at once. Also, sometimes baby shower gifts can add to the collection of things that may come in handy with your baby. Wait till that happens too.
- Light, Air, and Noise Control
The baby room or nursery should be your child's safe area - a comfortable space where your child gets sound sleep that helps create a proper sleep schedule. It is but obvious that this zone is peaceful and should allow her/him to rest undisturbed. So it is very important to block out light, ensure no noise comes from other rooms, and is also airy and has a suitable temperature. Buy thick pile rugs and drapes to help absorb noise. Choose from black-out shades, shutters, and/or appropriate curtains to control all these aspects.
- Open Spaces
As your baby grows, she / he will want to crawl or walk and explore their surroundings. This is why a play area on the ground is very important in a baby room. This is where your baby will probably play most, once they starts sitting upright. Ensure that it is clean and empty so that the baby is safe from injuries. One way to do this is to place baby furniture closest to the walls to allow for empty open space.
- Choose a Neutral Colour
Gendered baby rooms are such an old concept! Gone are the days when a baby girl could only like pink and a boy only blue. Give your child the chance to grow up without the limitations and preconceived notions about gender. Instead of following stereotypes, incorporate colour therapy. Paint a bright purple for royalty and wisdom, pale green for calm and youthfulness, even a light orange to bring joy and serenity.
A tertiary colour will also allow more freedom when picking out baby accessories or baby furniture.
Neutral colours also make great bases for wall art or other painting projects that you may want to enhance the look and feel of the nursery with. Natural shades like wood, beige, brown and green are good options too. Those will give you a lot of space for working with accessories of different colours.
- Keep storage In Mind
Very young babies probably need more storage space than any other age. There's diapers, bottles, clothes, toys and a whole lot of baby accessories and baby products. This is why it’s always a good idea to have plenty of storage options in the baby room. Drawers and chests are obvious choices, you can also explore other options. Buy multi-functional furniture or buy multitasking baby furniture. Baby beds or baby cots and ottomans that have storage space, can be great for small spaces. Consider building shelves right into the wall to avoid taking up more room than necessary.
All in all, focus on comfort - yours as well as the baby's when designing a baby room. Aesthetics and budget can be adapted around this. The Elli Junior community is always here to support you in designing the best baby nursery.