Tales for the NURSERY

Baby bedrooms without one hint of a princess or a spaceman

ANEW BABY SIGNALS A NEW, exciting time. You’re welcoming a new member into your family and preparing for your household to expand in a beautiful way.

To prepare for the arrival of your loved one, there’s something so special about getting their space ready; painting the nursery walls or a chest of drawers for all those nappies, creams, swaddles, getting curtains or blinds made to fit the window and finding some cute lighting and a mobile to match the colour scheme.

In terms of what colour scheme you go for, this is up to you. Remember, you’ll spend a lot of time in here as well as your baby, so consider a colour scheme that you will love being surrounded in.

You may be finding out the gender of your baby before they arrive. If not, the colour spectrum offers a multitude of gender-neutral paint choices for your walls and plenty of inspiration to be had.

Bold, cheerful reds, blues and yellows will stimulate your son or daughter’s mind and capture their attention. Bring them in by way of geometric shapes, blocks of colour or simple wavy lines scattered in random spots across the wall. Masking tape is your friend if you want to paint on certain shapes, just tape your chosen area and paint within, removing the tape once the paint is dry.

While strong primary colours can work in a nursery, so too can the muted end of the colour wheel. Relaxing, restful hues evoke a calming vibe. Or go autumnal with warm-white walls, fairy lights and owlthemed toys and cushions in radiant bronze. Hold onto this autumnal theme and even bring in a lilac pink, using Resene Soothe or the soft gold of Resene Porsche.

To adopt a more playful approach to walls, look to murals. They’re a wonderful way of bringing in multiple colours onto a background white or bright hue, evoking a favourite imaginary character and allowing you to show your creativity if you feel confident painting it yourself.

If you have had your heart set on pink, there are ways to use this that aren’t too garish. Resene Coral Tree, dusky and midtoned, and Resene Cashmere, coral and pale, are sophisticated, elegant pinks that don’t scream princess too loudly. Style it with a rug in patterned, similarly muted hues and a modern light pendant, floor cushions and a sheepskin rug — perfect for floor play — all in warm-white tones.

Similarly with the traditional boy’s colour of blue, you can vary away from the cliche by using the warm tones of Resene Ziggurat and watery hue of Resene Gulf Stream, their lively tones perfect for both genders. Or provide a base colour that is muted and gentle, then throw in elements of bright citrus yellow on the drawers or spicy pink on the cushions.

For pattern lovers, mix in Resene Wallpaper with your paint colour. Create a feature wall in the Resene Wallpaper and paint the remaining walls in a complementary Resene paint colour.

When to comes to designing nurseries, interior designer Stacy Heyman of Studio Reno is drawn to a soft palette with hints of complementary gender-neutral colours like peaches and soft blues together. “Choosing paint colours that aren’t overly bold means you can seasonally mix-up and switch out pillows or duvets, along with artwork and cushions,” she says. “You have more versatility as children go through all their different phases of favourite colours and the room stays timeless long enough to last them well into their teen years.”

Stacy suggests a cream or warm-white tone on walls, adding in cooler grey-toned furniture for balance. “I believe in adding dimension to spaces before any furniture goes in, whether you split-tone the wall with contrasting warm/cool colours or use a texture on the bottom like a dado panel or tongue and groove,” she says.

“Key elements to finishing a nursery for me would be the toys, and therefore open shelving or storage.”

Interior designer Hamish Dodd says nurseries are a chance to be whimsical and fun, try to avoid them being too dark and moody. “I’m a big fan of green in these rooms and it depends on what shade of green you like, my favourite is Resene Kandinsky. Wrap that on all the walls with Resene Alabaster on the ceiling, skirting and frames — use high-gloss frames and it’ll feel really fresh and clean.”

One of the fun things about expecting a baby is getting the space ready for them. “We all know the story of panic painting, but you want to take the time to enjoy getting the space ready,” Hamish says. “Green suits everyone, and another option is pale green Resene Aura. Slightly zesty,

I’d suggest painting all the walls in this, with white ceilings in Resene Alabaster to see the true nature of the colour.”

A lot of people get family bassinets, which can be painted a different colour for each child. Tie in white floating shelves and white blinds for a fresh, crisp look.

“Having a baby often comes at a time

when you may not have much money, so it’s a good time to upcycle and also upskill on some painting styles and finishes,” he says. “You can even use green paint on a cot or change table, with white paint on the walls.”

Make sure you have a lamp with a low glare that you can turn on at night for feeds without the light being too bright for the baby’s eyes. A comfortable chair on which you can feed them will be invaluable, as well as cushions for extra support.

For more colour ideas and inspiration, visit your local Resene Colorshop or view the latest looks online at www.resene.co. nz/latestlooks.

Linen from Foxtrot Home, blanket from Sunday Home Store, wreath by Markantonia, T-lab animals from Father Rabbit, basket from Blackbird Goods, Luca rocking chair from Contempa, cushion from Citta, rug from Father Rabbit, octopus from Tea Pea.