Nursery Décor

When it comes time to decorate your baby’s nursery, there are many questions expectant parents ask themselves:

Ø Paint or Wallpaper?

Ø Gender specific or gender neutral?

Ø Classic, Modern, Country or Whimsical theme?

Ø Cartoon, Animal prints or Real Life wall art?

At Bonavita, we feel strongly that when it comes to designing your nursery, it comes down to your personal taste. As long as you keep safety top of mind, there is no wrong way to decorate!

With that said, we know that it always helps to have some creative inspiration and we wanted to share some great tips and visual ideas offered over at YoungHouseLove.

The dynamic duo of design and décor, Sherry and John Petersik are not only super savvy with DIY design but they are expecting their own bundle of joy in the coming weeks! Here are some of their top tips for nursery design.

Paint:

Tip- Think Natural Light and Frog Tape

When Sherry and John found out they were having a girl, they didn’t go straight for the pink paint. Instead, they had visions of green and blue. Before making a paint purchase, they used paper samples (you can buy sample size paint and Oak Tag) and taped the samples to the wall – in natural light – to see how the colors will really play in the room in question. They chose beautiful colors of Celery Sticks for the wall by Glidden and Regency Pale by True Value for the ceiling.

Painting can also be very challenging, especially if you’re wielding a brush and carting around a basketball sized belly! But, with the use of some strategically placed Frog Tape, the final result was a bright, cheerful, and extremely colorful room!

Window Treatments:

Tip: Hit the Fabric Store

John and Sherry found a fabric they loved while visiting a discount fabric store in Richmond called The Interior Outlet. Not only was the fabric a perfect backdrop to the paint they selected for the walls, but being an indoor/outdoor textile meant it’s resistant to even the dirtiest child! Keep your eyes open in your travels and you may find you too are inspired by something unexpected. Once they found this fabric, John and Sherry were able to create custom curtains like this.

You can also add some fabric to the room by doing some simpler DIY work like sticking it in a frame (more on that later) if curtains feel too advanced.

Mobiles:

Tip: Use non-toxic and water-based glue

All it took was some floral wire, fake hydrangeas in pink and yellow, and Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue, and Sherry and John created the perfect, whimsical mobile to hang over their baby’s changing table. While the end result was definitely worthwhile, it was pretty time consuming, and they chronicled the entire process here.

Wall Art:

Tip: Combine personalized photos with vintage prints for a one-of-a-kind collage!

Before they converted a bedroom into a nursery for their new addition, John and Sherry had an asymmetrical wall of frames that they wanted to keep but swap out to create a more kid-friendly collection. With a limited budget and some imagination, they created this fantastic wall collage that features vintage prints from Wall Bank and artwork from Etsy. They also found paper from Michaels and even used an advertisement for Skinny Cow ice cream in one! For a really sweet touch, they included photos of both parents as babies and some art of their beloved puppy Burger.

Note – this wall bench was a $7 find at a local thrift store, which they painted and recovered. It’s the perfect piece to house the basket of toys for their baby!

Storage Space

Tip: Strategically placed hooks provides extra hanging space

When they aren’t concentrating on getting their baby’s nursery ready, Sherry and John have been known to lend a hand and some creative know-how to friends and family. Armed with two packs of $9.99 hooks from Ikea, they solved a storage problem aesthetically by placing hooks underneath the wall mirrors. These hooks will always be functional – you can hook anything from bibs to knapsacks - and will be an integral part of the room even when the baby grows up.

Sherry and John Petersik, 27, live in a 53-year-old house in Richmond, Virginia and have lovingly and painstakingly refurbished the entire 1,350 sq. feet while chronicling every curtain and sconce decision on their popular blog YoungHouseLove. To see the entire nursery, from start to finish, visit here.

For our readers who are expecting, we hope this blog post helped inspire you as you think about your baby’s nursery!

Do you have some nursery photos you want to share with us? What about suggestions or tips on how to get started? Comment below, we’d love to hear from you!

As Always, Bonavita Wishes You Inspired Nesting!

How to Design a Stylish Nursery

Pastel paint or cartoon wallpaper? Blinds or curtains? Diaper genie or wastebasket? Dora the Explorer or Sesame Street? Dark wood or white paint finish furniture?

When it comes to designing the nursery, many new parents are filled with excitement while others are overwhelmed. From selecting the perfect crib to choosing patterns and colors to compliment it, designing a baby nursery can either be a great joy or a source of frustration for new parents.

Artist and designer Ron Briere shares some tips for turning that cluttered office or spare guest room into your new baby’s perfect corner.

Inspire Yourself: Look around your house for inspiration. Love country? Modern? Do you love dark wood and pale walls? Whatever you have enjoyed in the rest of your home, will serve to inspire great décor in the baby nursery. Design a nursery that fits your personal style.

1-2-3: Select colors that are soothing or cheerful, calm or bold, but a good rule of thumb is to stick to three complimentary colors and then look for accents and paint and bedding to coordinate.

Cut the Clutter: Wipes and creams and diapers, Oh My! Babies seem to have more toiletries than movie stars but if you have selected your furniture carefully, there is a place for everything and everything should be in its place. Keep everything you need for changing baby in arms reach, but inside a drawer or stacked in a decorative basket near the changing pad.

On the Wall: Artwork and wall hangings are great ways to personalize the room. You do not need to match frames with the furniture but do try to match frames with frames. Pull the room together by selecting art that reflects the colors in the room or choose black and white for a classic look. If you have digital photos, play with the programs on your computer and create the look of charcoal paintings or add borders and other subtle effects. Photos of relatives, cherished pets or even favorite vacation spots can all add character and class to the nursery. Hang wall accessories at eye level for an average adult.

Try, try again: Designers don’t walk into a room and immediately decide where to place each object so neither should you. The best way to decide how the crib and furniture will look, is to move the pieces around and live with them, walking in and out of the room, for several days. Just don’t bolt anything to the floor! As baby develops, you may find the nursery needs to change and grow to keep up as well.

Invest in Rest: Baby furniture is an investment. Many families invest in a crib and furniture set that will grow with the baby. Look for a crib that converts to a toddler bed and even to a full-size bed as baby grows. Select styles that look beautiful in a baby’s and in a child’s room. For great photos to inspire decorating ideas, a selection of Lifestyle® cribs and quality furniture, visit our website.

We hope these tips help, and as always, comment below or contact us with any questions!