Nursery décor is getting a lot more sophisticated as trends in interior design – boosted by social media – move quickly into baby spaces: think rose gold, velvet and oversized floral prints .
“Interior design is coming through to the baby side faster than ever before. A few years ago, what was trendy in adult design took two or three years to reach the baby space; now it’s almost immediate with the impact of social media and companies moving faster on product development,” says Heather Lisi, creative lead at West Coast Kids , a chain with nine stores across Canada, including two in Metro Vancouver.
Prints on wallpaper and textiles are becoming more stylized and there are a lot more textures like velvets and linen in baby spaces, she says, adding rose gold on bassinets and cribs is a big trend that transferred from adult to baby space as did lucite, now a popular choice for nursery furniture like bookshelves.
While animals endure as a favourite theme in nursery décor, more unusual creatures like sloths, llamas, whales and octopi are the modern-day choices, says Lisi.
“I hear over and over again, parents say that the nursery is their favourite room in the house. Often, it’s because for the first time in their lives they can decorate from top to bottom and choose everything in the space. In other rooms, you may start with a sofa and build from there,” she says.
Parents will often spend more on creating a nursery for their first baby than they will on their own master bedroom, says Gillian Segal, principal designer at Gillian Segal Design , who recently decorated a nursery in her own home.
“They want to express their love and excitement through designing the nursery as a super-special place in the home,” she adds.
The nursery for her daughter showcases her philosophy on nursery design and kids’ design in general.
“It should be really fun and really playful, but I also like an element of sophistication so it’s a space that you can make adjustments to as your child ages, but that you’re not needing to redo every two years,” says Segal.
For the nursery, Segal chose a jungle print wallpaper and Roman shades and accessories in dusty rose.
“It’s super-fun, super-playful, and not formal, but it’s something that I think even when she’s 10 years old will still be great,” says the mom of two.
A great way to bring in colour is through accents like affordable art prints if you want to change them up from time to time.
“We had a client who, when their kids were born, invested in a special piece of art for each of their kids. It’s kind of sentimental, and their child can take it with them when they move out on their own,” says Segal.
“One thing I’ve learned as a new mom is that blackout window coverings are key to survival. We (Gillian Segal Design) put a blackout window covering in every nursery we design.”
Another must-have is a good chair – preferably one that rocks or glides. For the chair in her daughter’s room, Segal had a slipcover made in a durable indoor/outdoor fabric.
“I can just pull it off and throw it in the washing machine when I need to,” she says.
For the walls, Segal suggests wallpaper.
“I think bringing in colour and patterned wallpaper is really fun, particularly in a kid’s room. If you’re nervous about the commitment, or you’re renting, there are some great temporary wallpapers out there. There are also wall decals that you can install to look like a wallpaper. Of course, paint is always the most affordable option, so if you’re going to paint, have fun with it,” she says.
One of Segal’s favourite features in the nursery is a chandelier she has on a dimmer.
“I love it because at night, when we’re doing story time, I can really dim the lighting and set the sleepy time mood for bedtime.”
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
