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Dr Dulux: How to Make Your Nursery Décor Stand Up to Family Life

The nursery is a very important space in the house. Not only will your teeny-tiny one be spending a lot of time in this room, but so will you, so you need to ensure it’s a space that you’ll both love.

Here, we share our expert tips from Dr Dulux on how to make your nursery décor stand up to family life. 


 

Q: Hi Dr Dulux, we are expecting our first baby in a few months’ time and are about to start decorating our nursery. What sort of scheme can you suggest that will stand the test of time?

A: Firstly, congratulations! An exciting time, indeed. If you’re smart with your decorating choices, updating your little one’s space every few years is easy as A, B, C. Read on for my top three tips.

Tip One: Choose Paints That Last

Most importantly, you need to choose paint that lasts. No doubt your bundle of joy’s room will take a lot of wear and tear as they grow up – mucky fingerprints, crayons and who knows what else! 

Our Dulux Easycare range is tough enough to stand up to all of that and more because it’s washable without the colour fading. In fact, it’s 20 times tougher than standard Dulux Matt paint, so whatever your little angels throw at it, it’ll stay looking lovely for longer.

Tip Two: Choose a Look That Can Grow with Your Child

Now for the scheme itself. If you want a look that can adapt and grow with your child, think about a backdrop that can be updated by changing a few pieces of furniture and accessories here and there. 

For example, you could stencil large polka dots or stripes across one wall – it’s a timeless look but still gives spaces a playful, childlike feeling. Alternatively, go for a motif that won’t date – take your cue from nature, such as this tree mural above. For more fabulous paint effect inspiration, visit our kids’ page.

Tip Three: Include Space for Your Kids to Express Themselves

Finally, dedicate space for them to express themselves. Whether that’s creating a gallery wall with string and wooden pegs to hang their latest masterpieces, a reading corner, or a cork-tiled wall for doodles and to-do lists, it’ll provide an ever-changing backdrop that reflects their passions every step of the way.

Nursery Ideas

Here are a few of our favourite nursery decorating ideas that’ll ensure your baby’s arrival into your home is as welcoming (and stylish) as possible. Whether you’re looking for boys’ nursery ideas, girls’ nursery ideas, or neutral nursery ideas, we’re here to help. 

Sweetie pie

Looking for nursery wall ideas? For a contemporary twist on the classic gender-specific pink nursery, you can bring in harmonising candy-coloured shades to complement the pinks such as Blush Pink, Caribbean Dawn 3, and Lavender Quartz painted separately on each wall.

Expert tip

While your candy-coloured walls add a playful atmosphere to the room, keep your furniture and accessories in natural wooden shades and crisp whites to keep your baby’s room contemporary.

Lucky stripes

A nursery should be soothing and calming. This is where pale greens such as Willow Tree and warm greys such as Crispy Crumble can play a part. A neutral white base such as Jasmine White in a nursery scheme gives opportunities to play with small doses of brighter colour, such as painting the edge of a shelf in a happy shade like Vanilla Sundae.

Expert tip

When accessorising your baby’s nursery, introduce interesting soft textures for your baby to play with, like a furry blanket or sheepskin draped across a rocking chair that’ll be sure to stimulate their senses.

Two peas in a pod

Sometimes fitting another family member into a small house can be a real challenge! This calls for some sibling room-sharing. The good news is that putting together a playful colour scheme that’ll look the part for both your baby’s nursery and for your toddler is simpler than it sounds.

This blue striped scheme will see a child’s room through from nursery to toddler room using Marine Splash, Paper Chain and Lagoon Falls.

Expert tip

To keep a cohesive look in a shared sibling bedroom, use matching bedding in both the crib and the toddler bed to tie the room together.

Crib corner

If your little one’s crib is making its way into your own bedroom (either because you’re tight on space or just want to be close to your new baby), one excellent way to give both parent and baby their own spaces is by colour zoning.

Using a calm shade such as Chic Shadow to paint around the room where the crib sits can mentally divide the bedroom space and leave a little room for your own tranquillity.

Expert tip

Another way to maximise your personal space is by adding a room-dividing curtain or two around the crib to give your baby a cosy corner. Another bonus for using curtains like this is the sound-absorbing qualities – ideal for tiptoeing around a sleeping baby!

Blue babe

Do you have your heart set on a traditional blue nursery? Blue is believed to be the shade of relaxation, after all. Give your stress-free blue scheme a little pizzazz by incorporating a few complementing hues, like a serene green such as Willow Tree, and a calm, light grey shade such as Polished Pebble.

Expert tip

Use different shades on adjacent walls for a crisp and contemporary look that won’t date as your little ones grow up. Try out different shades on your walls with the Dulux Visualizer app.

Pastel perfect

Combine Bitter Chocolate 5, Blue Seduction 5 and Sea Urchin 4 for an invigorating colour scheme that’ll suit both little boys and girls. Use these peaceful pastels together by creating a striped feature wall that’ll stimulate your little one’s senses.

Expert tip

These bold stripes are easy to achieve – all you need is masking tape, a tape measure, chalk and a plumb line. Watch this video to learn how to paint the perfect stripes. For an extra protected and washable Dulux Easycare alternative, use Willow Tree, Mineral Mist and Blush Pink.

Chosen your favourite scheme? Order your colour testers, with free delivery, to test them at home. 

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