When our moms were pregnant, their nursery décor decisions consisted of pink, blue or yellow and elephants or Teddy bears. For modern parents, designing the nursery can take more time, thought and effort than any other room in the house.
Often, the nursery comes to mean more than the place where your precious bundle of joy will sleep. It reflects your parenting style. Are you trendy or traditional? Do you want to incorporate the latest finds in furniture and color or do you prefer nostalgia?
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These days, it's not about wallpaper borders dancing with clowns and a traveling circus. It’s about color. And the most popular selections on the color wheel are yummy browns, from chocolate and espresso to mocha and brownie.
Erin Ussery, a Bluffton mom whose business The Peanut Paintshop provides canvas wall art for Lowcountry nurseries, said chocolate brown is on almost ever canvas she paints. In fact, brown has been the dominant color, no matter if the nursery is for a boy or a girl. The latest trends include pairing brown with a range of colorful tones, from vintage rose to deep raspberry for girls and from vibrant aqua to electric turquoise for boys.
Another color that continually tops Ussery’s most-requested color list is green. Popular color combinations include the “organic” color trend, a mix of dominant yellow tones, greens and rich, soil brown.
Some parents are opting for the “nocturnal” color trend, rich tones that are bold and serene: greens, orange, red and blue.
Once the color scheme is in place, try to stick with the 60-30-10 formula. The 60 percent base color should be a neutral tone, such as soft grey or cream, that unifies the other colors. The 30 percent color provides visual interest. And the 10 percent color is a bright pulse that makes the room sing.
As for nursery furniture, many parents continue the design scheme from other rooms, such as sleigh cribs. No matter the style, many parents gravitate toward furniture that grows with the child, such as convertible cribs that transform into toddler and full-size beds.
As the mother of two boys, Ussery knows how quickly those first years pass by. While scenes from the jungle or the sea are cute, Ussery suggested buying nursery bedding and accessories that transition with your child. Geometric shapes, such as polka dots and stripes, make it easier for the child to grow with the décor as time passes.
Laura Jacobi is a Bluffton mother to 21-month-old Cole. To contact her, e-mail laura@lowcountrychild.com
