There's
now an absolutely vast selection of not just the usual wallpaper
and bed linens aimed at the little people, but serious
furniture–club chairs and ottomans, sofas–scaled down to kid
sizes; things that they used to have to grow into are now being
made just for them. Some say it's great: kids are finally being
catered to on their own terms, even in the furniture world. Some
others say the trend only encourages people to spend more money on
things they don't need.
Who's to say who is right? Certainly not us here at Sheffield.
Truth is, the stuff is most likely here to stay, like it or not;
so we're here to help you figure out how to wade through all
that's out there to create a place that's just right for your
child or for the child's room of a client.
And having said that, let's now move on to furniture. What items
will you put in the room? What's essential, and what's essentially
for show? (Well, if you want to get really practical, the
truth is that most babies would be just as content to sleep in a
plastic laundry basket lined with a soft blanket as in the finest
Queen Anne–style antique cradle. And a matching changing table
and chest of drawers are cute, but a deep, waist-height bookshelf
might serve both purposes just as well. But we'll assume you want
to make the place look nice, too.) The basic list of furniture
essentials for a basic nursery are as follows:
a mobile to hang over the crib or bassinet, and another to
hang over the changing table
Some safety precautions for the crib: Make sure that the slats or
posts are no more than 2-3/8" apart. Any wider than that, and
a newborn's body might slip through. Also make sure that the
corner posts don't extend much more than 1/16" above the
railings, as the baby's clothing can get caught on taller ones.
You shouldn't be able to fit more than two fingers between the
mattress and the sides of the crib, and avoid decorative cutouts
that can trap the baby's head or limbs. And if the crib is
secondhand and has been painted by its previous owner, make sure
the paint isn't lead-based, as babies do tend to chew on
whatever's handy.
Pads for the changing table should have straps to keep the baby
from wriggling off onto the floor.. And remember that all
furniture that can possibly be tipped over by a little one's
tugging should be bolted to the wall. For the same reason, avoid
floor lamps when choosing lighting, especially halogen torchieres
as they tend to burn hot.
But many experienced parents will tell you that as much fun as it
is to create a whole new world in that little room, the baby will
be just fine and just as happy without such a big production.
Truth is, by the time the baby is old enough to appreciate a
decorating scheme at all, the child will want to have a say in the
matter. And they quickly reach the age when they find all the
bunnies and chickadees to be too babyish, and then it's time to
redecorate all over again. All in just three or four years. If
you're working for a client, it can be a wise idea to check in
every few years regarding children's rooms. Maybe there's a
recurring job every few years.
Here's a do it yourself tip. A practical way to indulge your
decorating urges without creating unnecessary work for yourself
down the line is to choose furniture and wall treatments that are
appropriate for any age, then use accessories to create babyland.
Painting the walls a solid color instead of using wallpaper, then
using a removable wallpaper border for interest is a good idea, as
is avoiding wall-to-wall carpeting and using inexpensive area rugs
on a wood or cork floor. Hard floors are easier to clean up, they
don't harbor allergy-aggravating dust, and you can easily replace
the area rugs as the child's taste changes. Use lamps, mobiles and
framed pictures to bring in the baby duckies and teddies, then
simply switch them out when the child gets into the Powerpuff
Girls or Elmo.
And a
word about window treatments: There are a number of window
coverings that are suitable for any room in a home except the
baby's room. Among these are floor-length curtains or drapes of
any style, for once the crawling stage begins, it will be easy for
the baby to grab these, pull them down on top of himself and
possibly suffocate. Blinds with long pull-cords are also a no-no,
especially looped cords, as a baby can easily get these wrapped
around her neck. Curtains that end at the windowsill are perhaps
the safest option.
The bottom line when decorating a nursery is safety and comfort
for the baby, but beyond that the sky's the limit. It's worth
bearing in mind that since the baby won't really care, the
decorating is mostly for the client's benefit. If you're planning
your own child's room, who says there's anything wrong with
decorating to suit yourself? Just like with any other room in the
house, start by taking some time to think about how the space will
be used, not just now but also in the future. Then decorate your
little heart out.
Before
you go out looking at wallpaper and fabrics and paint, the best
place to start when planning a nursery is by going into the room
you've chosen and spending some time there. See what it's like at
different times of the day, find out if a particular window is
more drafty in the winter than another. A spot with too much sun
in the very early morning may have junior waking you up earlier
than he would in a shadier spot. Or a corner that's constantly lit
by the street light outside may keep the baby up all night. Many
people get attached to the picture they have in mind of the
perfect nursery and determine to make it happen come hell or high
water, but that mental image isn't always in line with the needs
of a real baby. It's important to keep practicality in mind first
and foremost. To get a feel for the child's room–spend some time
there. In Unit One, Sheffield students learn how to "have a
conversation" with a room. When you have a
"conversation" with a child's room, think like a kid.
Once
you've chosen furniture for the room, considering the overall look
and color scheme of the room can be an overwhelming experience.
There are gazillions of wallpaper patterns out there just for
babies' rooms, and even entire lines of paint for them that are
formulated to be as nontoxic as possible. And the current craze
for "theme" rooms, with wallpaper, borders, paint and
even carpets to match add to the frenzy. There is a tendency to
get excited and go all-out when it comes to decorating a nursery,
wanting everything to match and work together just so, for we all
want everything to be just perfect for the new arrival.
And a
word about window treatments: There are a number of window
coverings that are suitable for any room in a home except the
baby's room. Among these are floor-length curtains or drapes of
any style, for once the crawling stage begins, it will be easy for
the baby to grab these, pull them down on top of himself and
possibly suffocate. Blinds with long pull-cords are also a no-no,
especially looped cords, as a baby can easily get these wrapped
around her neck. Curtains that end at the windowsill are perhaps
the safest option.
