How To Plan Your Nursery: Making The Most Of Your Space

Today we’re bringing you the very best tips when it comes to designing a nursery and making the most of the space you have, courtesy of our good friends at RoomLab – a complete online interior design & shopping service from just £79 per room. We had a chat with the founder of RoomLab – an interior designer and expecting mom herself – to get her expert insights.

“Now that I’m expecting my first child, and being the designer that I am, I’ve also been thinking about designing my own nursery and how to best put together a space that both baby and I will enjoy. There’s such a lot to consider - from layout to design to storage and safety – and I’ve done my homework to put together my top tips for you all below!”    - Suzann Bozorgi, RoomLab Founder & CEO

Plus, RoomLab is offering Baby2Body users an exclusive 10% OFF of their online design services. Their services are available worldwide but furniture discounts are currently limited to UK clientele only.  Start your nursery design off right using the code NEWNURSERY10 at checkout.Now, here are RoomLab's top tips when it comes to planning your nursery decor and design!

IT’S ALL ABOUT SPACE PLANNING

Before you do anything else look at the space carefully and in particular where the window is, or where a radiator or any plugs are, in short things that it is worth paying attention to now so that you can work around them.

WHERE TO START: THE SLEEP SPACE

The cot will probably be the main consideration in terms of getting the most of the space and working around any restrictions, so work out where this will go first. Most cots are the same size (60 x 120cm or 2 x 4ft) so you can do some rough layout assessment based on that. Here are my top tips for getting this into the right place:

1. Take everything out of the room and start with as much of a blank canvas as possible.
2. Get a tape measure and measure out the room.
3. Draw out a simple floorplan of the space on paper, noting down anything to work around (also think about how the door will open!), and that will help you decide where the cot should go.

A good tip is to use some masking tape or even sheets of newspaper and measure out the space that the cot will take straight onto the floor. Then step back, walk around it and look at where other key restrictions or pieces of furniture will sit. You may be surprised at how little (or much) space this actually takes so this is a great starting point.

UP NEXT: CHANGING, NURSING, AND FEEDING SPACE

The next piece to consider is where to have the changing area and a comfy seat for feeding. These should ideally all be close to each other with the nursing seat closest to the cot.As well as the space looking beautiful and feeling calm, you should aim to create a practical area next to the cot/ changing station where you can easily access everything you need. Some quick tips

1. A small trolley (perhaps with wheels) tucked alongside is great for this
2. Shelves above the changing station are great as well. To keep things looking lovely put all your essentials in baskets on the shelves. Always ensure that the shelves are well hung, safely using wall studs.

MOVING ON TO: FURNITURE THAT WILL GROW WITH BABY

Decorating a room from scratch is expensive and ideally, you need a room that will serve the test of time and grow with your child.Key questions to consider when choosing a piece of furniture are:

• How long will it get used?
• Will it offer enough storage as my baby grows?
• Do I plan on having more children?
• Will it match other furniture in the room? 

 Here are some simple DIY Hacks to help with furniture

1. Converting a chest of drawers into a changing station rather than buying a dedicated changing table. There are lots of simple videos on YouTube on how to do this and there’s something nice (and thrifty!) about doing it yourself.
2. If you’re not buying a dedicated changing station, do ensure that it has drawers, as these can then individually be kitted out with drawer dividers to keep you more organized making it easy to grab what you need quickly.
3. You may also find that a simple rail and shelves will work well in place of a custom baby wardrobe.

[gallery ids="3686,3687" type="rectangular"]Here are a few other tips for furniture

4. Cube storage shelves are a great option for the nursery because as your baby grows this converts to toy and book storage really well!
5. Long, low book/toy shelves that can later be used by your child are great storage pieces to start.
6. You can also buy cots that turn into beds by removing the rails at a later time.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES: DÉCOR

You want a space that is relaxing and calming for baby, comfortable for mom and dad, and outfitted with everything you need to succeed from the start.The key areas to consider are color or theme. You could go for both but my advice to avoid things looking ‘overly done’ is to opt for just one.If going for a theme consider again how this will grow with your baby, you may want to opt for items within your scheme (eg. ornaments, a light shade, cushions), that can be easily swapped out later. Wall decals are also a great option as they can be hung on neutral walls but be sure to check they are able to be repositioned.If you go for a particular color but don’t know what you’re having or just don’t want gender-specific nursery colors, opt for a muted palette. I’ll be opting for a pared-back color scheme of pale greys, purples, and whites, perhaps with the odd color pop on accessories or an area rug. If you do opt for a blue or pink go for one with a good base of grey in them. Your paint shop will be able to advise but some of my favorite neutrals are Ammonite, Blackened, Cornforth White, and Skimming Stone by Farrow-Ball and Timeless, Jasmine White, and White Cotton by Dulux. These colors will keep the space feeling calm.Take a look at some of these beautiful neutral spaces that aren’t just yellow or green for more inspiration.[gallery ids="3691,3692" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"]  

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RoomLab is an online interior design service where the UK's top interior designers work with you to design your home for £79 per room and pass on trade discounts on all furniture you buy.