How to prepare baby's nursery? We tell you everything!

How should you decorate the nursery? A question that comes up often and brings both excitement and stress. So here are our tips for getting the nursery ready!

What should you put on the nursery walls?

When choosing paint, go for natural, eco-friendly, lime-based or water-based paints with the NF Environnement label or the EU Ecolabel: labels that guarantee the absence of harmful substances (such as heavy metals).

nursery Some paints can release toxic substances into the air, particularly those containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
And even though VOCs are less and less common, remember to paint the room several weeks or months before baby moves in, so it has time to air properly!

When it comes to colours, it's above all a matter of taste. Some prefer white or pastel colours for a soft feel, others bright colours to stimulate baby's development. No colour is off-limits! So go for whatever you love!

The nursery hasn’t escaped the Scandinavian trend: light walls and pastel colours for a natural, warm effect. Among the colours of the moment for getting the nursery ready are powder pink, leafy green and pearl grey.
(Photo: Instagram @marine_ette)

What type of flooring should you choose?

For the nursery floor, choose wooden flooring, lino or vinyl: these surfaces are easy to clean, which helps prevent germs from spreading. That way, you'll reduce the chances of your baby falling ill! For a cosy feel, you can opt for a nice soft rug. It will create a warm, cocoon-like effect. It will also make baby more comfortable when playing on it. Do remember to wash your rug regularly, though, as germs and dust mites love to settle in it!

How should you choose baby's bed?

As in mummy's tummy, baby needs a cosy bed with narrow sides to keep that cocoon feeling: a bedside crib, Moses basket or crib are the recommended beds for newborns. Thanks to their size, better suited to newborns, baby will feel less lost and will cry less.

Why not choose the Premiers Moments Moses basket? It’s the ideal bed for baby: made of hand-woven palm leaves, it is easy to carry from one room to another and its narrow sides remind baby of mum’s tummy. What’s more, its lining is made of organic cotton to protect baby’s delicate skin from any risk of irritation.

For the big cot, go for wood and natural materials.

And for your baby's safety, before buying: make sure your bed complies with European Standards. Your Moses basket must bear the EN 1466 marking, your crib or bedside crib must bear the EN 1130 marking, while your larger cot must bear the EN 716-1 marking.

If you've already received baby's big cot while baby is still sleeping next to you, don't hesitate to prepare the nursery in advance and set up the cot before baby even uses it: this will let it air out after being in its packaging.

Choose 100% cotton mattresses (the same goes for comforters, by the way) to avoid any allergies! And in the bed: no blankets, opt for a baby sleeping bag to keep baby safe!
For more on baby’s sleep, feel free to read our article on the subject.

What are the essential pieces of furniture?

Of course, everyone does what they can with the space available! The essentials are at least a chest of drawers and a changing table. The changing table can be in the nursery next to baby's clothes, but also in the bathroom, closer to baby's bath. Both layouts have advantages and disadvantages (organisation, temperature…), so choose the option that suits you and fits best with the layout of your home! Think of yourself too: don't choose a changing table that's too low, to avoid backache!

For the chest of drawers or tallboy, it’s entirely up to your taste and the layout of the room, so you can easily put baby’s clothes away.

As with the bed, choose natural materials, check that your furniture meets European standards and air it out as soon as possible.

How should you decorate the nursery?

Setting up and decorating baby's nursery is a personal matter and a time to treat yourself!

From wall stickers to teepees, there are plenty of ways to have fun, for parents as much as for baby!

For lighting, go for soft lights to protect baby’s delicate eyes. Think about a little night light for the night and blackout curtains if the sun’s rays risk shining straight onto baby!

(Photo: Instagram @marie_a_dit)

Dylan
Proud dad of three little ones and founder of Premiers Moments. Together with the whole team, I share our parenting tips here to support you, from pregnancy through your child's first years.