Creating a sweet space and decorating your baby’s room does not need to cost a fortune. We will give you some tips and suggestions on how you can design and furnish without breaking the bank.
Decorating your Baby’s Room on a Budget
So, you know the sex of the baby, you’ve started collecting clothes but you’ve been putting off thinking about the nursery as it is such a daunting task. Keep calm and don’t panic.
Firstly you should decide what your budget is. Then list all the things that you think you need. There are certain items that are essential- a cot, changing table a chair and some sort of storage for clothes, nappies and toiletries. Then there are the other smaller items and accessories that will warm the room up and make it look pretty like lamps, rugs and pictures. Work through the list and see what you can borrow, refurbish or add on at a later stage.
Next, you will need some inspiration. Page through magazines for ideas or spend some time on Pinterest and get an idea of what colours, themes or styles you like. Look at the room and visualise the space that you want. Go to a paint store and collect swatches of colours that appeal to you.
Recycle
Take a look around your house or at second hand shops for items you can restyle or up-style. An old cabinet or chest of drawers can be converted to a changing table. Just sand it down, paint it white and replace the drawer knobs with something fun.
Old wicker baskets can be found at flea markets and spring cleaned and used for storing clothes or blankets. That old rocking chair from your Grandmother’s house can be given a distressed treatment and made comfortable with fluffy cushions.
Friends and family
Add the items you want for the nursery onto the list for your baby shower. Friends can join up together and buy those bigger priced items. ‘You can’t hurt from asking’ is one of my mantras that I live by. See what people have to share or pass on. Children grow up so quickly and all parents find themselves with changing tables, cots and other accessories and no place to store them. You can offer to store it for them; in your home.
Design
Adaptability is the keyword here so keep the colours neutral and the designs simple. As your baby grows you then do not have to redecorate every year.
You can keep the walls a clean colour and then add a patterned border as a feature. You can also paint one wall a fun vibrant colour and have this as your accent wall. Or paint designs such as wide stripes a large checkerboard or polka dots on one wall.
Detail
Small accessories will add a personal touch and some fun. A pretty lamp or light shade.
A simple bookshelf on the wall displayed with soft toys and some books makes a great feature. The bookshelf can be brought at a hardware store and painted white.
Artworks add a great touch. Simple white frames from a discount homestore can be filled with family pictures or pattered scrapbook paper or fun wrapping paper.
Striped or shaped rugs add some warmth and colour and can bring the whole area together.
Letters in wood that spell out your child’s name can be positioned above the cot or get a whole lot of numbers and paint them and hang as a feature.
I have decorated my son’s bedroom and helped countless friends out with their nurseries. I always try to create a space that the child can relax in and grow into. Have fun with it, share ideas and don’t forget to ask for help from friends and family.
I also have a business called Super Cool Stuff where we create awesome pictures, prints, posters and cards and customise your photos.
I live in Cape Town and love my adventures and never ending challenges of being a wife and mother.
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