As you get closer to your due date, you’ll find yourself answering a multitude of questions from friends, family, and even strangers. Everyone wants to know if you’ve decided on a name for the new arrival. That question is inevitably followed with ‘Have you decorated the nursery yet?’
Pregnancy is stressful enough without the added pressure of putting together the perfect nursery for your baby. Should you buy the furniture or paint first? Do you have a particular theme in mind? Do you need wallpaper or not? Decorating can be daunting, especially if you don’t have much experience with design.
Wallpaper is a quick and relatively inexpensive way to decorate the nursery. You can use wallpaper to create a focal point in the room and draw attention to a specific area. You can use neutral colors for the furniture and walls, with a themed wallpaper to brighten up the room. Wallpaper has the advantage of being easy to remove. That means you can change it up as your child becomes a toddler, without redoing the entire space.
Here are a few design tips on using wallpaper in the nursery:
Accent Wall
Sometimes the pattern you like can be a bit overwhelming if you cover an entire room with it. The colors are too bright or the paper has large patterns. Why not use it on an accent wall instead? You don’t have to cover the wall from floor to ceiling either. Use the wallpaper on a small section at eye level as a highlight. You can also use wallpaper to divide the room into functional areas. A brightly patterned wall makes a great background for the changing table or playpen.
Going for a nautical theme with white furniture from the Rustico Moderno collection? A wallpaper with blue waves and boats will enhance the feeling of being at sea. Use it behind the baby’s crib or the opposite wall for a striking effect.
Wallpaper the Ceiling
Who said wallpaper can only go on the wall? Switch it up and put it on the ceiling instead. Your baby will spend more time looking at the ceiling than the walls anyway! Light colored wallpaper on the ceiling can make the room appear larger than it is, a blessing if you have limited space. On the other hand, darker colors like navy blue will give a cozy feel to an otherwise large nursery.
Wallpaper on the ceiling is a great idea when you want to focus attention on the furniture in your nursery. Why take the spotlight away from the beautiful pieces in the Milano or Provence collection? Soft patterns of stars or clouds on the ceiling will accent the decor, instead of competing with it.
Add Texture with Wallpaper
Nursery walls don’t have to be flat and smooth. Use textured wallpaper to bring depth and a tactile feel to the nursery. Create an idyllic landscape with elegant trees and chirping birds. Bring a sense of fun to the nursery with animal shapes and silhouettes.
Pair farmhouse style pieces from the Cortina collection in different finishes with textured wallpaper. Or indulge your senses with more modern patterns like stripes or stars with the Leander collection. Textures can liven up many ‘boring’ or common themes extremely well.
Decals and Posters
Wallpaper is not all about repeating patterns or designs. You can use decals or posters that match your chosen theme. Developing a travel theme with the Avalon collection? Try pairing it with a giant map of the world on one wall. You can even create interesting poster designs with your own photographs for the nursery walls. Make it personal!
You can get smaller decals and put them together to suit your theme as well. This approach allows you to mix and match pieces from different collections. Create your own mini zoo with animal prints. How about making an enchanting forest with fairies or woodland creatures? All these possibilities come to life with the right decals and posters.
At the end of the day, nursery decor is as much for you as it is for the baby. It will be a good while before your little one starts taking an interest in what’s on their walls. You’ll probably spend more time looking at them anyway. When it comes right down to it, select something that you like. You can always replace it with something else in a few years!
