Dear Jean and Richard, We’re expecting our first child in a couple of months, and have an area devoted to the nursery. Aside from the bed and a rocker, do you have any suggestions for creating a welcoming space? Karin, Atlanta

Jean: Hi Karin, and congratulations! I’m actually glad you didn’t mention the baby’s sex, because a good design does not depend on the choice of pastel blue or pink. As far as I’m concerned, yellow or green work equally well as wall colors, and not necessarily pastel.
Richard: True, but I think the first few months should be in a calming environment—for mom and dad! Karin did not mention whether the space was a separate room or not, which would impact things like wall colors, but we’ll assume it’s baby’s first bedroom. Most people associate babies with soft or delicate textures, so I say it’s appropriate to use pastels. Besides, the toys will be coming, and I assure you they are as bright as colors can get.
Jean: Good point, but I would encourage you to pick more than one—color, that is. For example, a pale yellow, trimmed in white, looks great with a periwinkle blue or even a soft turquoise. You might mix patterns, like blue and white striped bedding, and polka dot draperies. Other pairs of colors that work well are lime and periwinkle, pink and lavender, cream and teal, or white and anything.
Richard: Actually, using fabric is a good way to decorate a baby’s room. Consider dressing some baskets or boxes in different coordinating fabrics and placing them side by side on white shelves. (This adds storage capacity, too.) You might even fold some different colored baby blankets and leave them stacked on a bench at the foot of the bed or on some shelves in easy reach.
Jean: Karin, you will need some table space, too. Whether it’s the top of a drawer cabinet, or a simple side table beside your rocker, plan to have some surface area available for easy access to powder, bottles, clean wash cloths, and various dispensers. And because you will be in and out of the room throughout the night, I submit you cannot have too many throw rugs for barefoot moments.
Richard: Jean’s an expert on this—she has “barefoot moments” in the office. It’s the real reason that we don’t allow walk-in traffic when we’re in town.
Jean: No, it’s not. But everyone takes off their shoes now and then--or I hope they do. Anyway, you’re in socks or bare feet a lot of the time in a nursery. But make sure you choose rugs that you can throw in the washer—and don’t use a rug with a rubber backing if you have a cat. For some reason, cats are attracted to those, and like to “mark” them.
Richard: I wouldn’t want cats in the nursery anyway…or for that matter, anywhere in the house. Dogs only please!
Jean: What am I going to do with you? But you might want stuffed kittens, teddy bears, DOGS, and other plush toys in the nursery as a form of infant accessories. I’ll bet Richard has at stuffed animal or two in his bedroom.
Richard: As a matter of fact, I do have a stuffed teddy bear named Jean. And Izzy, my dog, is constantly trying to make her thinner by removing her “stuffing”.