This is a collaborative post.

Expecting a new baby? Firstly, congratulations! Though they might feel like a bit of a whirlwind, the months and weeks leading up to the birth give you a fantastic opportunity to prepare for your home.

It’s important to create a soothing space that nurtures your baby’s development. Along with ensuring that the nursery room is calm and relaxing, it should also be somewhere that encourages them to interact with textures, sounds, and colours as they grow.

Babies start learning about the world as soon as they’re born, and you can play a large part in shaping their very first environment. Whether you’re still planning for a baby or you’ve reached the final few weeks of pregnancy, here’s how best to decorate your nursery room.

Nursery Room Ideas to Welcome Your New Arrival in Style

Decorating your new baby’s bedroom: Five foolproof ideas

Use mood-boosting colours

Channel warm, seasonal energy by choosing uplifting colours for your new nursery room. Start thinking about how, with just a few colours and a paintbrush, you can turn a blank canvas into a beautiful sanctuary in which you and your baby will share your closest moments.

Get to know each other under cosy ambient lighting. You can achieve a soft, warm glow by using thoughtfully chosen table lamps paired with lamp shades that match your décor. The size and style of your lamp go a long way when it comes to shaping the room, so make sure not to rush the process. The brighter and warmer the colours, the happier the room will feel.

Decorate creatively

As your baby grows into a toddler, you might not have time to start another redecoration project. Look to the future and decorate with a playful child in mind. You could nurture a love for nature with mountainous scenes, foliage, and fauna, or go for a wildlife safari instead.

If you don’t mind a little bit of mess here and there, a writing wall could be a fantastic addition to your child’s bedroom. Simply cover one wall (or part of it) with a blackboard and use two or three colourful chalks – then let your baby discover their inner artist!

Don’t forget the practicalities

During the first few weeks especially, you’ll appreciate a space that works for you. Choose a hard floor to make those inevitable spills a little bit easier to clean up. If you’d still like a bit of softness underfoot, go for a tactile rug in a colour that works with the shades of the room.

Try not to include any furniture that could pose a hazard to your baby once they start crawling. Avoid cornered units or heavy drawers, and make sure any larger items are securely attached to the walls or mounted to the floors.

Include book storage

The more stories you read to your baby, the more words they will learn. But keeping enthusiasm for reading strong is something that should be a priority. According to the National Literacy Trust, less than half of children over the age of eight said they enjoyed reading in 2022.

In the age of technology, you should still encourage your child to turn to books from their earliest stages of development through to and beyond their teenage years. Whether you buy a bookcase or build a bespoke one for your baby’s room, try to make it last through the years.

Make more room for learning

While you might not be looking to turn your baby’s bedroom into a classroom, there are so many ways to subtly incorporate and encourage learning into your décor. Try to fill your baby’s space with things they might be interested in playing with.

It’s a good idea to set up spaces that help you meet your baby’s level. Whether that’s a taller changing unit or a cosy nook with an armchair big enough for both of you, it’s always a good idea to encourage physical and visual engagement wherever you can.