Isn’t She Lovely
Hello and thank you for tuning in today. So much of what interior designers plan for is based on what’s considered standard use cases. This is what the “average” person experiences and their limitations, in a space. For instance, a 7’-0” door assumes rarely would someone over 7’-0” walk into a space. These standards do work for most people, but getting into the specific, unique standards of your life, is what makes interior design such a powerful tool. This episode is looking at a very specific set of circumstances that are actually most common this time of year. Do you, or anyone you know, have a new family member on the way? I ask because July, August, and September are the most common birth months in North America. This trend is attributed to the seasons, the winter months create a lot of babies. Other parts of the world experience different popular birth months, such as Australia, where the most common birthdays are in March. That being said, towards the end of summer, it’s not uncommon if you, or someone you know, is in their third trimester, finalizing an adoption, or maybe even already a new parent. Bringing a new family member home has a whole host of preparations and changes, and today we are looking at the all the ways you can create a nursery or baby’s room that will bring serenity, joy, and delight into your home. And if you aren’t expecting anytime soon, or that time is long since over for you, stayed tuned because we can all use these tips to help us sleep like babies.
But first, let’s talk about the Color Of The Week. While most of the delicate blooms of spring and early summer are long gone by August here in New York City, one flower is reaching its prime. This hardy, super tall, plant is iconic beyond comparison - that’s right we are talking about the sunflower. With over 70 different varieties around the globe, including some with red pedals, the Common Sunflower is the genus we see the most often. Our beloved color matching system Pantone doesn’t always name their numeric colors, but they did dedicate 16-0154 TPX to the name Sunflower Yellow. This color is golden, with the slightest hint of orange, making it feel robust, rather than a delicate lemon or acidic sulfur. Sunflower yellow can be the perfect base for all four walls of a maximalist room, and evokes memories of the 1970’s and 1990’s. Try layering deep forest green, cobalt teal, mint, bright orange, or powder blue with this happy hue - really more is more with this color. The trick is to get it to look like a neutral in the room because so much else is going on. Avoid using this color as an accent wall in an otherwise subdued space, because Sunflower Yellow’s electricity can be shocking when forced into a solo situation. If you want a little visual guidance - look no further than our good friend Ikea - who features this color cyclically in their annual catalog. After all, their bold yellow logo looks so good above a yellow sofa. You can peruse through the full historical library of Ikea catalogues at ikeamusem.com. The years 2018, 2015, and 1993 all feature Sunflower Yellow prominently. This color is so sunny and bright it will keep you feeling uplifted all year long.
I want to start off by acknowledging a few things. Firstly, not everyone has the luxury of creating a defined, separate nursery. These tips are applicable to any area that you dedicate for your child, where that be a section of another room, a temporary space, or a full blown nursery. Secondly, the world of early childhood development is a whole speciality, and it’s not mine. This is interior design commentary, and chances are, if you’re expecting, you’ve read a whole heck of a lot more than I have on parenting and little ones. That being said, we are going to go through a few practical tips to keep in mind as you are setting up your baby’s space. We’re going to talk about laying out a nursery up for maximum functionality, and how to give yourself a little bit of a break in the process.
Remember, this space is for you, and whoever else is caretaking this child. The first four months, most babies can’t even see more than a foot in front of their faces, so rather than obsessing over the idea of creating a themed room that is for a potential interest they might have, make sure it’s a space you love to be in. It can match the rest of your home’s decor and colors, or it can be different - there’s no one right answer there, but feel free to skip out on overly gendered stereotypes or intricately fussy details. This room should feel relaxing for you to be in, and above all, it should function in an efficient way.
So, let’s get practical. Eating, sleeping, and changing - those are the activities that this room needs to support.
When I design large corporate offices, many of them, depending on where they are located, require a dedicated nursing room, usually referred to as a mother’s room. This is a space that is expressly for individuals who have recently given birth, but back from maternity leave, and need to use a breast pump periodically through out the work day. Every company’s culture and the requirements for what these rooms entail vary, but the idea is to give people who are nursing a private, quiet space to pump. The basic building blocks of a room like this include a comfortable chair, ideally one that reclines, a small refrigerator, shelving for pump storage, and a sink. Other amenities like a full length mirror, soft indirect lighting, and phone charging stations are frequently requested.
This room has always interested me because it is a lot like a nursery without the baby, and these design components can be helpful in your little one’s space, whether your feeding plan includes nursing, or not. A comfortable seat for you is great for meal time, but also for stories, naps, and just good old fashion family time. A range of soft lighting is important because, while you want to be able to see clearly, having the ability to take the lighting level down a notch can help set a calmer mood. We’ll talk more about that in a minute. You can easily replace the bulb in your favorite lamp with a night light bulb for a soft glow. Feedings and changing naturally get messy, and having a mirror in the room is helpful for you to give yourself a quick once over as you leave. This is probably more relevant in the corporate office mother’s room, who wants to walk into a meeting looking ruffled after they’ve pumped? But at home, it helps you keep an eye on multiple parts of the room at once, and kids dig their own reflections.
Most nursery inspiration we see in magazines and on Pinterest focuses on the crib, but really, the center of a nursery is the changing table. This is effectively a workstation for both of you. You’ll be there a lot, and things can get, well messy. And so is life, so there’s no reason not to set things up to be as easy as possible. Make sure that everything, I mean everything is within arms reach of the changing table. Having tons of storage below will help with this, and you can even convert an existing dresser or credenza into a changing table. That way, you can have a piece of furniture that you love in the room, and no need to buy something new. Make sure the top of the dresser you choose has enough room for the changing pad itself and a basket with a changing kit of diapers, wipes, lotions, powers, and anything else that is regularly used during changing. Don’t forget to have a collection vessel aka a trash can or a hamper if you’re using cloth diapers. This can be as simple as a cylinder on the floor next to the changing table, or you can tuck it away in its own cabinet if you prefer, but accessibility and size are the most important things to focus on. Trash is one of those factors that unfortunately ends up being an afterthought, but it can take up a ton of space. While you’re at it, it’s not a bad idea to have a trash can next to your comfy chair too.
Another thing to keep in mind, I mentioned things get messy. You can really do yourself a favor by investing in wipeable paint and wallpaper. Sherwin Williams has a specific type of paint base called Emerald, which is made just for this purpose, and most paint brands have a version of paint that is meant to be scrubbed and will resist staining. Of course, no paint is indestructible, so choosing something not too pristine, like an organic patterned wallpaper, can help camouflage those really stubborn spots or the ones you missed for a few days. Hoping back to feeding for one minute, you can invest in a washable slip cover for your lounge chair to help protect it. You can even buy two so you can have them on rotation, and choosing something with a texture or pattern, instead of the pure whites and pastels that we often see, will distract from any major messes that just won’t 100% wash out.
Okay, let’s talk about sleep - yay! My favorite thing. Baby’s sleep schedules can vary by both the individual and their age. They’ll go through different phases, some will love bedtime, others will fight it. And while the exact crib you choose is a pretty personal decision, there are a few things you can do to the room that will make it optimal for sleeping. The first is adding blackout curtains! If you have blinds, shades, or sheers, or any other type of window covering, layering blackout curtains in front of these will allow you to have complete control over the amount of light in the room. Babies sleep on and off 24/7, and that means lots of morning and afternoon naps, while the sun is still doing its thing. Having an extra layer to block out any light pollution has been proven in research to allow for better quality of sleep, and can even help with falling and staying asleep. So we love a blackout curtains. And if you love the look of the curtains you have already, and don’t want to add an extra visual element, try getting a blackout honeycomb or roller shade. When these are installed in front of a window, covering the frame on all sides, they can be very effective. And remember, blackout shades by no means have to be black, they come in many colors and textures to coordinate with the rest of your room.
The other important aspect to consider is how the room will effect your sleep. It’s unavoidable that you will be coming into the nursery late at night, when you’re groggy, foggy, and not at 100%. So make sure that there is plenty of clear space and generous pathways from the door to the crib. Normally, I’m not a fan of pushing furniture up against the walls when avoidable, but for a nursery, having a wide, central space is a safety measure. Overloading the room with toys, furniture, and accessories can lead to trips and falls, so keep it simple. This includes unnecessary area rugs, especially ones that end abruptly in the middle of the space. Wall-to-wall carpet is really your best bet in a nursery, but if you have a hard floor like wood or laminate, opt for the biggest area rug you can get. All of the furniture should be able to sit squarely on the rug. Keeping an open space also doubles as free play area when your new family member is ready for tummy time and beyond.
Lastly, don’t forget how quickly kids grow. What is a nursery now, could end up being a teenagers room in the blink of an eye, and so many iterations in between. So keep the idea of flexibility in mind as you make your design choices. There are very few other room types in a typical home that change as rapidly as child’s room. So before you invest a ton of time, money, or emotion into this space, remember, this is where you and your little one will be together for that very special miracle first year. But after that - they’ll start to have opinions, thoughts, and feelings, and want to contribute to the space themselves. They’ll have a favorite color, animal, and hobby. And you’ll get to find out all about it. Afterall, isn’t that the exciting part? I hope you are taking amazing care of yourself, getting lots of rest, and I will talk to you in the next episode.
