Mistakes to avoid when decorating a nursery

Teddy bear murals, rainbow-coloured shelving and moon-shaped ceiling fans; the only thing limiting your ability to decorate your new-born’s bedroom is how far your creativity stretches.

But, as free as you are to decorate however you choose, are there any mistakes homeowners can make when getting the room ready for the new addition to their family?

“As fun as it can be to decorate your child’s bedroom, homeowners need to consider how quickly their child will outgrow the space. To avoid costly renovations for every milestone birthday, I would suggest that homeowners stick to neutrals and rather add elements of playfulness through decorative touches that can be easily replaced as the child grows,” said Adrian Goslett, from RE/MAX.

Goslett also reminded homeowners that if, for whatever reason, they need to sell their house while baby is still young, a more neutral bedroom will make the home easier to sell than one that is too clearly decorated to function as a nursery.

“As tempting as it might be to paint the whole room hot pink or bright blue, the darker or brighter the shade of paint, the trickier it will be to repaint in a more neutral shade without having the colour shine through. Pale pastels, on the other hand, are playful enough to suit a nursery but also neutral enough to allow future buyers to envision alternative uses for the space. As a bonus, research suggests that pale colours have a calming, lulling effect on the human psyche which can aid restful sleep.”

Similarly homeowners should not get too creative when considering any of the permanent fixtures of the room, such as the built-in cupboards, flooring and ceiling.

There are plenty of ways to make a room feel cosy and kid-friendly without installing polka dot carpets or having the ceilings painted with the night’s sky. In fact, a busy ceiling might even stimulate a baby lying on its back in its crib rather than lull it to sleep.

Flooring is another thing parents should consider carefully when decorating their nursery. Wooden and laminated flooring in bedrooms are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in newer developments.

But, while they are easier to clean, they are often noisier than carpets, which is less than ideal when you want to check in on a sleeping infant. Area rugs might be a great solution to dampen the sound and simultaneously add a bit of playfulness into the room, since these can be easily replaced if you need to sell or if your child outgrows it.

“What many buyers tend to overlook when thinking about a nursery is the practicalities of the space itself. As much as it is possible to transform any space into a nursery superficially, not every property has a space that practically lends itself well to housing a sleeping infant.

“A picture-perfect nursery that happens to be against the wall of noisy neighbours or a busy part of the home, or is far removed from the main bedroom and the kitchen will make parents’ lives miserable for the first few years of their child’s life. In these instances, it is better to relocate than to redecorate.”