Nursery Nirvana: Design A Dream Space For Your Little One

Many parents love the idea of setting up a dream nursery for their little one but only a fraction of them have any idea how to go about doing it. It always seems so complicated. 

Fortunately, this post is here to help. We run through the tactics you can use to design a dream space for your child. We give you the ideas you need to craft a developmental experience they will remember for a lifetime. 

So, how do you design a dream space for your little one? Here’s what you need to know: 

Get Your Child To Help

If your child is old enough, you could get them to help. Consulting with them helps you tailor their nursery experience, giving them something closer to what they want. 

For example, you could ask them about their favour colors, patterns, and objects. You could also talk to them about the theme they want. Getting them involved in the design process gives them more control and helps to avoid making mistakes with the décor, giving them something they might not like. 

If they don’t have many ideas, fire up Pinterest and take a look at some kids’ nursery ideas. The social network is packed with interior designs plus links to buy the products you see in the images. 

As you go through the ideas together, it will get your child’s creative juices flowing. Looking at the pictures will help them decide the form they want the new space to take before you start buying everything you need from the DIY store. 

Provide Plenty Of Space For Movement

Next, you’ll want to ensure that you provide enough space for your child to move and groove. You don’t want them to feel penned in. 

Cupboard rooms are okay for storage, but you’ll want to avoid them for your kids’ nurseries. Architects and home designers often assume children need less space than they do. 

Whether you could build a pillow and blanket fort in the room using all the cushions from your sofas is a good rule of thumb. If there isn’t enough space for that, then the room is probably too small. 

Designate Rest Areas

While children are highly active creatures, you’ll also want to dedicate parts of the room to rest and relaxation. Kids need downtime, too. 

Most parents do this by including a sleep zone in one part of the room. This area has a mat and various pillows and blankets to keep kids feeling warm and comfortable.  

Depending on the size of your child, the rest area doesn’t have to be that large. For babies, it can be little more than a crib or penned area.

When designing these areas, give them a separate feel from the rest of the space. You want your child to understand that they are doing something different (i.e. resting) when in this part of the room. 

Add Storage

All the best nurseries have comprehensive storage solutions. These help keep the space tidy (and make it more straightforward for everyone to clean up after playtime). 

You can add storage in numerous ways, including installing cubbies, incorporating shelves, and keeping toys organized. If you decide to use shelves, ensure you place them well above the height of your child. You don’t want them running into them and bumping their heads. 

You can also concoct methods to make storage solutions less conspicuous. For example, you could use chests or other pieces of furniture to keep items until your child needs them. 

If you use bins, be sure to label them. Adding a note helps you organize everything when you come to tidying up. 

It also helps if the bins are made of transparent plastic. Being able to see what’s inside helps you see how full they are getting and whether you need to try another storage solution. 

Add Treasured Items

It’s also helpful to incorporate treasured items. You want the nursery to be full of your child’s favorite objects, whether a globe of the Earth or a plushie toy. 

Treasured items make the space feel special and safe. They can also make the transition from the previous use of the space feel more gradual and natural. 

Make Space For Reading

Even if your child isn’t at the age where they are ready to read yet, adding a cozy nook can encourage them to get into the habit. Providing space for books, reading, and diving into narratives gets them used to the idea that this is something that they should do. If it’s part of their nursery design, it constantly reminds them of the value of knowledge, storytelling, and information. 

Older children can sit down in the corner and work their way through a novel. However, if you have younger ones, you might want to add some seating in the area so you can read to them. A good story is an excellent way to send them off to sleep. 

Choose Timeless Furniture Pieces

Choosing timeless furniture is essential for designing and creating a dream space for your little one. Classic pieces help you elevate the space and recreate the sorts of aesthetics you can find on Pinterest and in magazines. 

The best place to start is with the bedding, usually a cot. You want something that stands out but also complements the rest of the room. Adding a chest of drawers is also an excellent idea, as is including a chest of some description for storage. These three items alone should make up the bulk of the furniture in the room. You might also want an armchair for the reading area and a small table for crafts.

Once you have these items in place, giving your kids’ nursery that classic look you want it to have should become much easier. Everything else should eventually fall into place. 

Hang Something From The Ceiling

Hanging something from the ceiling is another way you can create nursery nirvana for your child. Breaking up the space can help it seem more friendly. 

For example, you could loft a busy buzzing bee on a cord, ready and waiting to go to the next flower. Or you could add a biplane, traveling to a foreign land. 

Hanging something from the ceiling is a small touch, but it can have a profound impact on the look and feel of the room. Suddenly, everything is more child-friendly.

Use A Neutral Theme With Pops Of Color

Most parents believe they have to make their kids’ nurseries as colorful as possible. However, the best designers never take this approach. Instead, they believe in giving these spaces neutral themes and then adding pops of color to reveal the space’s more playful side. 

For example, you could start with a light baby blue. Then, you might add extra flashes of dark blue or yellow here and there to give the room a livelier and younger spirit. 

You could also use the furniture for this purpose. For example, you might contrast your child’s yellow bedding with their pastel blue walls. 

Personalize Some Furniture Pieces

While classic furniture pieces can work well, personalizing them and adding your own twist can enhance them even further. You could do this yourself or get your child to provide input for you. 

Personalization is more straightforward if you have an arts and crafts background. Even basic carpentry and upholstery skills can have a tremendous impact on how the room feels. 

Add Interactive Elements

You also want to add interactive elements to the space for your child. Providing them with areas they can go to express themselves creatively fosters more balanced development. 

For example, some parents add chalkboards to their nurseries, allowing their children to experiment with writing things down or drawing. Others add murals their children can add to whenever they do extra work or their interests change. 

You might even consider building a full-on dedicated art zone for your kids. Providing them with a space where they can try new ideas or paint things they have seen can be a fantastic way to build artistic skills. 

Put Their Artwork Up On Display

Related to this, you might also want to put any of their previous artwork up on display. Adding it to the room helps to put their stamp of ownership on it, making it seem friendlier when everything is new. 

You can stick their work up on the wall with tack, or you can go all out and get their work framed. It’s entirely up to you. 

Add Things From Their Existing Room

Finally, you might want to add items from their existing room to the new space. Again, this helps to create continuity and makes the nursery more welcoming. 

For example, if they love their bed, you might move this to the new space without changing anything. You might also include pictures or games that they love. 

So there you have it: how to design a dream space for your little one. We hope you enjoyed these incredible ideas and will use them for your child.