CONGRATULATIONS! It's time to start planning your baby's nursery. This is a wonderful opportunity to express your creativity and prepare a healthy room to welcome your new baby home. Here are some decorating ideas to get you started.
1. Color considerations. It used to be that little girl's rooms were pink and little boy's rooms were blue. While these colors are still a popular choice, don't feel limited by tradition. Today there are endless possibilities for color. Color has the ability to set the mood and evoke feelings of peace and tranquility, inspire creativity or get us energized. Think about how you feel in a deep red room verses a space painted a soothing sky blue. Pastel colors make a room feel spacious and promote relaxation making them a good choice for a baby's bedroom. Think about buttery yellows or soft lilac paired with sage green. Many parents prefer bolder primary colors for their baby's room like red, blue and yellow. These also look great and have been shown to stimulate brain activity, but think about reserving them for an older child or limiting them to a designated play area in the nursery. Infants need a lot of sleep and keeping the nursery in calming colors, prevents distraction and over stimulation.
No matter what color you chose to paint, use a natural or zero VOC paint to avoid having fumes in the nursery. If you are pregnant, try to have someone else do the painting and make sure there is adequate ventilation.
2. Create a little whimsy. Think about using an object for other than its intended purpose. For example, instead of the little plastic disks under the furniture feet to prevent the dreaded floor dents, why not use baby shoes? How about using alphabet blocks with your child's initials as finials on a curtain rod? If you are doing a nautical theme, what about hanging up a life preserver with you child's name painted on it?
3. Consider alternatives to carpet . New carpet may look nice and be warm and soft to walk on, but it can also be a toxic nightmare. New carpeting contains too many chemicals to list which may be released into the air for a long time. Older carpets contains years of accumulated dust and dirt that may contribute to the development of asthma. There are many other flooring options besides carpeting that are now coming into mainstream design. Cork flooring is beautiful, soft and environmentally friendly. Bamboo is another attractive environmentally friendly option. Just make sure that the manufacturer and the installer do not use any glues containing formaldehyde.
Natural fiber area rugs are another option which can be laid on cork or bamboo floors to make a play area or to give your baby a soft spot to land while learning to walk. Wool rugs are available in many fun designs for children's rooms. Some people just love the look and warmth of wall to wall carpeting and for those there is low VOC carpeting made from recycled plastic making it even more durable and stain resistant than traditional carpeting.
4. Paint a Mural . You don't have to be Picasso, just a little resourceful. Find a picture you like and want to paint on the nursery wall. Enlarge the picture using a photocopy machine and transfer to a clear plastic sheet for an overhead projector. This can be done at a local office supply store. Inexpensive overhead projectors are readily available on E-bay. Just project the picture up on the wall, trace, and paint. Remember to allow enough time to finish all the tracing before moving the projector since it's very difficult to re-position it to match exactly.
5. Get a Breath of Fresh Air. Air purifiers are a great addition to a nursery. They remove dust and bacteria from the air reducing the likelihood of your baby catching a cold or developing asthma. There is a wide range of air purifiers on the market to choose from. The best will have HEPA or HEGA filtration and will also remove gasses from the air. Beware of air purifiers that contain ionizers as they may release ozone into the air which is harmful to lung tissue, especially for those with asthma. Air purifiers are available in a wide range of prices but also consider how much it will cost to operate in terms of electricity and replacement filters. Think about how noisy a unit is while running. If you can't leave it on while your baby sleeps it will not do serve much purpose in the nursery. Air purifiers specifically designed for a baby's nursery that come in pink and blue and make a "white noise" which actually helps your baby to fall asleep are available. Now that will help you both to rest easy!
6. Add Some Green. Plants are healthy little guys to have around the house. They not only look good as a design element, but they also work hard to clean the air. NASA has tested 12 plants for their ability to remove formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from the air (Yes...those chemicals are most likely all in your home). Consider placing a Bamboo palm, Dracaena 'Janet Craig', Mother-in-law's tongue, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily, green Spider plant, or golden pothos in the nursery and anywhere else around your home. Based on the NASA study, an 1800 square foot home would need between 15-20 plants to clean the air. Of course, not everyone wants to feel like they live in a jungle but that's why you have the air purifier.
7. Think Organic . Organic has escaped the confines of the kitchen and has made its way into the bedroom. An organic cotton and wool crib mattress is an essential item for a healthy nursery. Traditional crib mattresses are sprayed with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (nicknamed PBDEs). Several animal studies have found that PBDEs build up in the body over time and exposure during critical growth periods may cause irreversible reproductive and nervous system damage.1 PBDEs are chemically similar to PCB's which were banned in 1976 after they were found to cause cancer and affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine system in animals2. PBDEs are already banned in Europe but unfortunately they are still widely used in the US. Although it may seem like you never get any sleep with a newborn in the house, babies actually do a lot of sleeping--about 60% of their first year! That is a lot of time to spend in close contact with a mattress treated with PBDEs. Don't worry that you will have to trade off fire safety for general health. The wool in organic mattresses acts to regulate temperature as well as being naturally fire retardant without the addition of any synthetic chemicals.
While we're talking organic, opt for organic sheets to go along with that mattress. Most baby bedding contains cotton, which is the second most heavily pesticide treated crop. The pesticides used on cotton are also some of the most toxic. Choosing organic bedding will ensure that your baby is not in close contact to any pesticide residues while they are sleeping.
8. Refurbish Some Furniture. Some furniture contains particle board (A.K.A. pressed wood or MDF) which involves the use of formaldehyde in the manufacturing process. The formaldehyde can then off gas from the furniture into the air where your baby can breathe the fumes. A crib should always be purchased new to ensure that it meets current safety standards so look to see that it is made from solid wood and contains no particle board. Dressers, however, can be purchased used and painted using natural or zero VOC paints to complement the design scheme. Purchasing older, used furniture is also a good way to save some money which could be put toward other necessities...like the organic mattress, bedding and air purifier.
9. Choose a Theme. The theme is something you would want to consider first but I am putting it last because it will pull everything together. There are endless ideas for nursery themes. You could choose a cartoon character, angels, lady bugs, butterflies, fire engines, cars, sports, an under-the-sea theme...you just can't name them all. Let's say you decide to go with an under-the-sea theme. You can paint the walls a pale blue color like the Caribbean Sea. Get pictures of sea creatures and paint them on the walls and ceiling. Use the little children's water shoes for underneath the furniture legs. Buy a new crib, organic mattress and air purifier and find a used dresser in a style you like. You could paint the dresser a sandy color and purchase new draw pulls shaped like fish. When your child outgrows the theme, the furniture is painted a neutral color and you can just change the drawer pulls. Consider a cork floor with a wool or cotton area rug in a sea theme. Top it off by hanging a few pothos plants to give the appearance of seaweed. You'll have a beautiful nursery that puts the health of your baby first.
Kamis, 31 Agustus 2017
Selasa, 15 Agustus 2017
Finding The Best Way To Furnish Your Baby's Bedroom
The addition of a new baby into the family is a wonderful occasion but it is also a time for change and in many cases upheaval. Before the birth of the baby so many things need to be organised and be ready in time for the birth. One major job that always needs preparing is the baby's bedroom.
As long as you know the gender of your baby before the birth you can start to prepare the bedroom weeks or months in advance of the birth. A new baby's bedroom doesn't have to be anything too fancy as the baby won't have to impress anybody; the most important thing is for the bedroom to contain good practical furniture and items that you will need on a daily basis for your baby as well as items of convenience. Items such as clothes drawers, a small wardrobe, a crib and a set of storage shelves will generally be enough in the room both to make the room look full as well serve as a practical place to look after your baby.
Where furniture is concerned for your baby's room the choice can be quite simple alternatively you can go as extravagant as you please, most design houses now provide ranges of baby furniture that would grace many a penthouse suite. Practicality really has to be the key for any parent when furnishing the baby's room. No matter how wonderful the furniture looks if a parent cannot keep clothes and baby sundries organised and to hand when preparing the baby then extra work and stress will be created, which is not good.
You can allow yourself to indulge in certain items of luxury baby furniture to improve the look of the room as the practicality of certain pieces would be the same regardless of the quality. One such item of furniture would be the baby's crib. These are available in many designs and it is possible to find a style to suit most types of interior décor. Pieces of furniture tend to fall into the category of fashion furniture as certain styles do go in and out of fashion with frequent regularity but many of the older more traditional styles will probably be available for ever. The old nursery type crib which is rectangular in shape with wooden side fence rails is the ultimate old nursery style crib is probably still to this day the most popular style but it is now possible to get cribs that although are still as practical as the older style versions can just add a little bit more style to a room. One of the more popular "new" style cribs is round in shape and hence doesn't pen the baby in so much as he or she is free to roll around in any direction without banging into the sides of the crib. This style also offers the parents more accessibility when getting the infant out of the crib.
If you would prefer to stick with the more traditional style of crib it is still possible to freshen up the look of a baby's bedroom by adding a few other touches that can make subtle little differences to the overall look of the room. The bedding that you put onto the crib is one such thing. Baby crib bedding comes in many different materials and styles, from standard cotton to organic bamboo fibre as well as a hundred different materials and styles. Sometimes it might be pay to be prudent with the bedding for your babies crib as not babies adapt to sleeping with a different type of material than they are already used to. Unfortunately it may be a case of trial and error before you can find a bedding type for your baby's crib that suits everybody.
As long as you know the gender of your baby before the birth you can start to prepare the bedroom weeks or months in advance of the birth. A new baby's bedroom doesn't have to be anything too fancy as the baby won't have to impress anybody; the most important thing is for the bedroom to contain good practical furniture and items that you will need on a daily basis for your baby as well as items of convenience. Items such as clothes drawers, a small wardrobe, a crib and a set of storage shelves will generally be enough in the room both to make the room look full as well serve as a practical place to look after your baby.
Where furniture is concerned for your baby's room the choice can be quite simple alternatively you can go as extravagant as you please, most design houses now provide ranges of baby furniture that would grace many a penthouse suite. Practicality really has to be the key for any parent when furnishing the baby's room. No matter how wonderful the furniture looks if a parent cannot keep clothes and baby sundries organised and to hand when preparing the baby then extra work and stress will be created, which is not good.
You can allow yourself to indulge in certain items of luxury baby furniture to improve the look of the room as the practicality of certain pieces would be the same regardless of the quality. One such item of furniture would be the baby's crib. These are available in many designs and it is possible to find a style to suit most types of interior décor. Pieces of furniture tend to fall into the category of fashion furniture as certain styles do go in and out of fashion with frequent regularity but many of the older more traditional styles will probably be available for ever. The old nursery type crib which is rectangular in shape with wooden side fence rails is the ultimate old nursery style crib is probably still to this day the most popular style but it is now possible to get cribs that although are still as practical as the older style versions can just add a little bit more style to a room. One of the more popular "new" style cribs is round in shape and hence doesn't pen the baby in so much as he or she is free to roll around in any direction without banging into the sides of the crib. This style also offers the parents more accessibility when getting the infant out of the crib.
If you would prefer to stick with the more traditional style of crib it is still possible to freshen up the look of a baby's bedroom by adding a few other touches that can make subtle little differences to the overall look of the room. The bedding that you put onto the crib is one such thing. Baby crib bedding comes in many different materials and styles, from standard cotton to organic bamboo fibre as well as a hundred different materials and styles. Sometimes it might be pay to be prudent with the bedding for your babies crib as not babies adapt to sleeping with a different type of material than they are already used to. Unfortunately it may be a case of trial and error before you can find a bedding type for your baby's crib that suits everybody.
Rabu, 26 Juli 2017
Create A Safe Haven For Your Baby - Bedroom Designing Tips You Should Know
Most parents concentrate on design more than anything else when arranging the bedroom of their baby. But you should think of more than just design. Your baby needs to be safe and comfortable too.
You might think that the bedroom is the safest place on earth for your little one but the bedroom actually poses considerable threat to the life of your baby. This is why when you are designing your baby's room, you should keep safety and comfort in mind.
Tip 1: Choose the appropriate crib set first. While some parents use bassinet mattress for their little ones, others immediately give cribs. According to sleep experts, bassinet helps give the infant a secured kind of feeling. The cocoon-like shape makes them feel like they are still in their mother's womb. However, this can also suffocate the baby. It increases the likelihood of SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Choose a good kind of crib with sturdy structure. The crib should be made from natural materials. They should be painted with non-toxic materials. Also choose the right mattress. Consider buying a semi-firm kind of mattress as this provides better support for the baby. Moreover, a natural mattress devoid of harmful chemicals is also an ideal choice. Harmful chemicals tend to facilitate off-gassing. You would not want your baby to inhale toxic nerve gasses. SIDS can also happen because of toxic nerve gas inhalation.
Place the crib in the center of the room, away from the wall. This will ensure that there is good flow of air on all sides of the crib. It will also avoid mishaps such as falling wall designs or wall pictures.
Tip 2: Combine vibrant and neutral colors when painting the room. Vibrant colors stimulate the baby's brain while neutral colors help them sleep better. Yellow, blue, pink and green are some of the most popular colors for bedroom designs. But you can also mix a bit of dark colors such as deep purple, brown or even red.
Tip 3: Use quick-dry paint with no smell and no toxic chemicals. They cost more than regular paint but they contain safer ingredients. Also, it is difficult to get rid of regular paint smell.
Tip 4: Do not put a lot of pillows in the baby's crib. Use small bolsters and place them on the edges of the crib. Also use one small and light pillow to cradle the baby's head. Do not use big and heavy pillows as this might pose suffocation threats to your baby.
Tip 5: The room has to be well-ventilated. You can also purchase room thermometer to measure the humidity inside and to make sure that the room temperature is conducive for sleeping.
You might think that the bedroom is the safest place on earth for your little one but the bedroom actually poses considerable threat to the life of your baby. This is why when you are designing your baby's room, you should keep safety and comfort in mind.
Tip 1: Choose the appropriate crib set first. While some parents use bassinet mattress for their little ones, others immediately give cribs. According to sleep experts, bassinet helps give the infant a secured kind of feeling. The cocoon-like shape makes them feel like they are still in their mother's womb. However, this can also suffocate the baby. It increases the likelihood of SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Choose a good kind of crib with sturdy structure. The crib should be made from natural materials. They should be painted with non-toxic materials. Also choose the right mattress. Consider buying a semi-firm kind of mattress as this provides better support for the baby. Moreover, a natural mattress devoid of harmful chemicals is also an ideal choice. Harmful chemicals tend to facilitate off-gassing. You would not want your baby to inhale toxic nerve gasses. SIDS can also happen because of toxic nerve gas inhalation.
Place the crib in the center of the room, away from the wall. This will ensure that there is good flow of air on all sides of the crib. It will also avoid mishaps such as falling wall designs or wall pictures.
Tip 2: Combine vibrant and neutral colors when painting the room. Vibrant colors stimulate the baby's brain while neutral colors help them sleep better. Yellow, blue, pink and green are some of the most popular colors for bedroom designs. But you can also mix a bit of dark colors such as deep purple, brown or even red.
Tip 3: Use quick-dry paint with no smell and no toxic chemicals. They cost more than regular paint but they contain safer ingredients. Also, it is difficult to get rid of regular paint smell.
Tip 4: Do not put a lot of pillows in the baby's crib. Use small bolsters and place them on the edges of the crib. Also use one small and light pillow to cradle the baby's head. Do not use big and heavy pillows as this might pose suffocation threats to your baby.
Tip 5: The room has to be well-ventilated. You can also purchase room thermometer to measure the humidity inside and to make sure that the room temperature is conducive for sleeping.
Jumat, 07 Juli 2017
Five Tips For Choosing Airplane Baby Bedding For Your Baby Boy
If you have a little baby boy, you most likely want to decorate his room in boyish designs such as cars and trucks, trains, sports, pirate, and so on. One good theme for a boy's room is aviation or airplane. Many boys dream to fly high in the sky that is why most pilots are guys. Most parents decorate their boy's bedroom with this theme mostly because of the colors. The colors are blue and white, perfect for your little son's bedroom.
The focal point of any bedroom is the bed. It is the most important furniture inside this room because this is the area where your little one can relax and sleep peacefully. If you are thinking of having an airplane theme for your son's bedroom, you should also consider getting a set of airplane baby bedding. It would look awkward and out of place if the bedding has a different theme from the rest of the room's decorations and furnishings.
If you are going to buy a baby bedding set, here are your considerations:
The colors are very important. Babies should be able to sleep well in their rooms and the colors should be soothing and relaxing, although very young babies still cannot recognize colors. But as they start to grow older, they will slowly recognize colors. Since an airplane theme is perfect for little baby boys, you can choose the primary color blue or light blue. Light blue is perfect for infants and babies. You can choose a darker shade of blue for toddlers.
The major colors for an airplane themed room are blue and white. Blue and white represent the colors of the sky and cloud. You can also incorporate other designs that will add more color and interest to the room. You can choose additional designs like the sun, moon, stars, flowers, trees, birds, hot air balloons, and anything outdoors, especially those objects that are usually found in the sky.
You should also consider the material used for making the bedding set, not just the designs. Is the bedding soft enough for your baby to be comfortable while sleeping? Will it keep your baby warm when the temperature is low or cool when the temperature is high? Is it safe for your baby's skin and lungs? These factors should be your guide when choosing any kind of bedding.
You should also consider the size of the bedding. Determine whether your baby's crib has the standard size or not. If the crib's size is standard, then it is easy to find a bedding set that will fit snugly into the crib. Do not choose something too fluffy or big to prevent suffocation that is fatal especially to babies.
You should also consider other furnishings inside the room such as your baby's changing station, closet, curtains, and so on. Make sure that they also complement the room's overall airplane theme.
By considering these tips, you will be able to choose the perfect baby bedding for your little one's bedroom.
The focal point of any bedroom is the bed. It is the most important furniture inside this room because this is the area where your little one can relax and sleep peacefully. If you are thinking of having an airplane theme for your son's bedroom, you should also consider getting a set of airplane baby bedding. It would look awkward and out of place if the bedding has a different theme from the rest of the room's decorations and furnishings.
If you are going to buy a baby bedding set, here are your considerations:
The colors are very important. Babies should be able to sleep well in their rooms and the colors should be soothing and relaxing, although very young babies still cannot recognize colors. But as they start to grow older, they will slowly recognize colors. Since an airplane theme is perfect for little baby boys, you can choose the primary color blue or light blue. Light blue is perfect for infants and babies. You can choose a darker shade of blue for toddlers.
The major colors for an airplane themed room are blue and white. Blue and white represent the colors of the sky and cloud. You can also incorporate other designs that will add more color and interest to the room. You can choose additional designs like the sun, moon, stars, flowers, trees, birds, hot air balloons, and anything outdoors, especially those objects that are usually found in the sky.
You should also consider the material used for making the bedding set, not just the designs. Is the bedding soft enough for your baby to be comfortable while sleeping? Will it keep your baby warm when the temperature is low or cool when the temperature is high? Is it safe for your baby's skin and lungs? These factors should be your guide when choosing any kind of bedding.
You should also consider the size of the bedding. Determine whether your baby's crib has the standard size or not. If the crib's size is standard, then it is easy to find a bedding set that will fit snugly into the crib. Do not choose something too fluffy or big to prevent suffocation that is fatal especially to babies.
You should also consider other furnishings inside the room such as your baby's changing station, closet, curtains, and so on. Make sure that they also complement the room's overall airplane theme.
By considering these tips, you will be able to choose the perfect baby bedding for your little one's bedroom.
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