Preparing for a baby’s arrival is an exciting time for parents, from choosing the baby’s name to buying the necessities. To make a nursery suitable for a baby, parents should give careful thought to the paint and painting style they use.
Splashes of Colors
When many people think of a baby’s room, they think of pastels. For parents who are expecting a baby boy, the common color is pale blue, while for a baby girl it is pale pink. If the sex of the baby is unknown, pale yellow and pale green are safe choices. Many parents prefer primary colors to keep the room livelier, but some think bright colors are not as soothing and calming as the pastels.
No matter what color you choose, it is always important to pick the right type of paint. Choose nontoxic paints, those that do not have a perfume scent or harmful chemicals.
To prepare for the growing years and keep the walls smudge-free, choose paints that are washable with a damp sponge dipped in water and mild soap. Choose from latex or semi-gloss paint, similar to what’s used in high-traffic and humid areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, to keep the walls from staining easily.
Faux Painting Techniques
Some painting techniques you can use in a nursery are sponging, rag-rolling, stippling and dry-brush techniques. These faux-painting techniques can add depth to the room as opposed to just doing the traditional paint rolling or brushing on the walls. For example, by using sponges and rags, parents can create clouds and other scenery to make the room more playful.
Stencils
Using stencils on the walls can be a great way to paint the nursery. Stencil your baby’s name or the letters of the alphabet on the wall. You can also stencil a favorite phrase from a storybook. There are other stencils to choose from, such as animals, insects or cars.
Whimsical
Some nurseries seem to pop out of the pages of a storybook because parents have painted the scenery and characters from a favorite bedtime story. For example, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter would work in a nursery for either a boy or a girl. By painting the room with a garden filled with flowers, vegetables, birds, insects and Peter Rabbit eating carrots with his furry friends, can give your child a lot to look at and imagine.
Some other whimsical themes to choose from are a pirate theme, princess theme, cowboy theme, jungle theme, cartoon theme or others you may find in a storybook or movie. When creating a whimsical theme, just avoid overdoing it, keeping the theme balanced all around the room. In addition, keep in mind the ceilings, which you can also paint on so that when the child is lying down, there are things to look at that can spark the imagination.
