Mom and designer Erica Cook of Moth Design is a new friend and inspiration to me. I was able to get her to take time out of her busy schedule to give you some tips and suggestions for personalizing your child's space.
Erica Cook:
As an interior designer and parent to five children, I'm always looking for ways to personalize and make a big impact in nurseries and children's rooms. To me, great design has to perform on multiple levels by being pleasing aesthetically, functional and efficient, and timeless. Naming a child is an incredible honor and nothing seems to make a parent happier than to see their new baby's name proudly hung in the nursery. It's little personal touches that add warmth to a space and homemade accents are the ultimate expression of love. Inexpensive frames and alphabet cards are readily available and perfect for such a project.
To frame baby's name:
1. Pick out alphabet cards (don't forget to purchase two packs in the case of double letters in baby's name), or if you're tech-savvy, make your own with Photoshop.
2. Purchase frames with mats that will accommodate card dimensions.
3. Frame cards and hang.
4. Stand back and admire!
A second way to create a personalized feel in the nursery is to utilize a piece of furniture like a buffet or dresser for a diaper changing station. The typical changing table can never be used as anything other than a changing table after baby is out of diapers. For this reason it's a good idea to purchase a contoured changing pad to use on any piece of furniture. They come with safety straps that enable them to be mounted directly to the top of the piece of furniture being used. Here is an example of an entry or dining console purchased at a consignment shop with the change pad mounted on top. This console looks great and will provide efficient storage for years to come.
A third simple and yet high-impact way to decorate a nursery is to hang picture rails. They look great and will remain very flexible for years as you change the items displayed. Hanging them at varying heights will ensure they're in the sight lines of adults and babes alike, and lower rails will be accessible to little fingers later to easily access books, blocks and small toys. As baby grows into a young lady or boy these rails may be turned into a picture wall or used to hold trophies and ribbons or collections of treasured keepsakes.
Stuff We Love is written by the editors of Pregnancy & Newborn and showcases exactly that: The stuff we love! We come across more goodies than we can fit in the pages of the magazine, so we've headed over here to share all our finds. Check in with us every Tuesday and Friday as we bring you our favorite baby/maternity/just-plain-fabulous gear.
More P&N blogs:
Adventures in Motherhood
Baby buzz
Birth Day
Dad's Eye View
Knocked up
