Five suggestions for decorating the nursery when preparing for a new arrival.

During the exciting time of expecting a baby there comes the time to decorate the nursery ready for your new arrival.  Whilst creating a beautiful nursery for your little baby, why not revamp your own room to create a place to relax and sleep (on those rare occasions when you get the chance that is!).

Here we look at five top suggestions.

1. Be “different” with colour

The usual pinks and blues aren’t the only choices when decorating a nursery.  Neutrals, pale yellows, mint greens all work well if you don’t yet know whether it’s a boy or a girl and you can extend the colour to your own room too if it’s in need of a facelift.  Make it stand out with a bright pop of colour on a “feature wall” and pick up the same bright colour in curtains or bedding for something truly special.

2. Mix or match

There is plenty of matching wallpaper and bedding sets available, especially for nurseries, so you can match colour/theme/character throughout the room. There are lots of accessories in various ranges too, for example night lights and lampshades, toy tidies and rugs so have fun mixing and matching.

3. Tailor to your budget

Decorating doesn’t have to cost a fortune and there are plenty of ways to tailor things to your budget. A nursery wall can be painted and then decorated with special reusable stickers instead of expensive wallpaper and you find plenty of affordable bedding to take care of the smaller details.

Decorating does not have stop at the nursery, why not revive your bedroom whilst you are at it.  Finishing touches such as mirror tiles and ornate tea light holders help freshen up a tired bedroom and don’t forget a multi-aperture frame for all your new baby photos!

4. Be practical

Remember to include things you’ll need in your room design; maybe a new chest of drawers to organise baby clothes or a bigger laundry basket.  A clean, safe place to change baby is essential and something as simple as a padded changing mat that can be slid under the cot will do the trick.

5. Update

Both nursery and bedroom can be updated as your baby grows, with new stickers or friezes being added to a base wall colour and new bedding and curtains updating a look. 

It is also love to update your own room too – after all, it’s highly important that you have a comfortable space in which to get a good night’s sleep.

*  This is a guest post from Sainsbury’s.  For more ideas and inspiration visit their website and check out their fantastic rangeof bedding colours and combos *