Decorating a nursery, Part 1: Themes and colours

Welcoming a new member to the family sometime soon? Then it's probably time you get started on preparing your baby's nursery.

Themes

The first thing you will want to plan is if you would like the bedroom to follow some kind of theme.

This will help to give some direction on the colours and patterns you will use and also give an idea of what furniture will best suit the room.

Some popular nursery themes include jungle/safari, nautical, princess/fairytale, teddy bears, farm animals and the alphabet and numbers.

Colours

Designer Dan Vickery told HGTV to avoid using red in your nursery as it can confuse newborns, with it being the only colour they recognise.

He suggested using softer tones such as greens, pinks and blues as they're more pleasing to a newborn's eye, pastels and neutral colours are also some other favourites.

Painting and wallpapering

Make sure to finish your DIY painting or wallpapering nursery project at least eight weeks before your child is due. Finishing these tasks early can help to get rid of any risk of harmful fumes, so make sure to also leave the windows open to air out the room until your baby arrives.