Daddy Decor: How to Plan Out Your First Nursery

Baby room basics

You’ll want to get the big things out of the way first so that every other trip to your local baby store will be a breeze in comparison. Start with finding a suitable crib, baby changing table, highchair, armchair and if needed, also a bookcase, toy chest, and chest of drawers for all of your baby’s clothes and other belongings. If you’re looking to design your nursery space with a specific style in mind, it helps to purchase all these baby room essentials at the same store, so be sure to find a retailer with a substantial collection.

Walls and windows

Once you’ve found all your furniture, fight the urge to start moving the pieces into your nursery space immediately. You’ll want to make sure you’ve decorated the walls, windows and floors first, just so you don’t have to manoeuvre around your larger pieces of furniture. You also deserve a little bit of a break after that huge day of shopping you probably just had, so let yourself get creative with nursery decorations. Finetune your colour palette so your walls match your furniture, and perhaps even have a go at hand-painting some whimsical illustrations together! Make the space a work of art that your baby can enjoy for years to come.

Safety considerations

Part of the reason why we do walls, windows, and floors before organising the particulars of the space, is simply so we can address safety concerns at their roots. For instance, a lot of nurseries use block-out blinds or curtains for their window coverings. With either option, it’s vital that you secure any cords far out of your baby’s reach to minimise any potential risks. Similarly, if you’re hanging any frames or ceiling accessories, be sure to make absolutely certain that these accents are secure.

After moving in your larger pieces of furniture, one major safety consideration you’ll find yourself having to make is the placement of your baby monitor. Of course, the optimal placement differs from room to room, but it’s highly recommended that if possible, you wall-mount your monitor somewhat over your crib (but not directly over!). This is because the wide-angle view will ensure you always have sights on your baby, a sense of security which becomes even more important once your baby starts learning to pull themselves up in their cribs. If wall-mounting is not an option, you can place your monitor on top of a nearby chest of drawers as well, so long as you ensure any cables are securely out of the way.

Toys and other stimuli

Finally, it’s time to fill up that bookcase, toybox, and chest of drawers with all sorts of baby goodies! You can leave a fair portion of this step up to your friends and family by requesting they bring toys, books, and clothing as gifts to your baby shower, or you can also take a little control yourself by thinking about what elements you’d like to introduce your child to at their most tender years of development. Consider equipping your nursery with a diverse selection of different stimuli to ensure your baby receives a balanced early education. Not only will this help enrich your baby’s earliest years, but it will also ensure you get a head start in understanding their learning style, which can make a world of difference when it comes to setting them up for later life.

Now that your brilliant nursery is all taken care of, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy your last few months of pregnancy. Take some time and be gentle with yourselves before the baby comes, so you can hit the ground running as new parents.