The walls of a nursery can set the scene, simply because they are the most visible part of the room. The colour scheme and media you decide to use for decorating the walls will have an impact on the mood of the room as a whole.
Having a nursery theme in mind will help you decide on how to decorate the walls. It is worth considering whether the baby nursery wall should be a focus of the room or act as backdrop to tie in the overall theme. If the furniture you have chosen is quite neutral and subtle in its colours and designs; you can use the wall as a feature of the room. On the contrary, a plainer wall would serve well as a neutral background accentuating featured items, such as the furniture, baby gifts and ornaments.
If you like the idea of redecorating the nursery wall every once in a while, then less permanent fixtures like removable motifs and wall stickers will suit your purpose well and won’t damage your walls – look for reusable types that allow you to reposition and make adjustments as you please.
For a personal touch, add a memory board or incorporate wall art featuring your baby’s name or the first letter of their name. The ideas are endless so let your imagination go!
Decorating the nursery walls with paint
Paints that create a chalkboard finish are a popular and fun feature for kids to have in their room. There are various colours available other than black so you can be bold and have a whole feature wall or create a smaller area at a height suitable for the kids to doodle on.
If you decide to go with conventional paints, the use of various techniques can help you achieve different effects – such as sponging, ragging, stencilling or even painting a mural. Consider using easy-cleaning wall paints or a semi-gloss paint so the walls can be cleaned with a quick wipe-down, without being too shiny or reflective.
Check that any paint you use is non-toxic and safe for the baby. Some paint shops specialise in low-allergy, low-odour and no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints. Even if low-odour paint is used, keep the room well-ventilated until the odour is gone. Freshly painted areas should be avoided by children and pregnant women until there are no traces of odour left.
Decorating with wallpaper
Giving the nursery walls a complete face-lift with the use of wallpaper or murals can have a dramatic effect. Selecting matching colours or patterns can work wonders with setting the stage for the overall theme. Be forewarned about working with wallpaper as it can be a labour-intensive exercise but the results often leave a lasting impression.
Mix and match
You can always try mixing and matching media to achieve great results. Paint the walls as a base and add wallpaper to the lower third with a border covering the adjoining sections. This technique can be just as effective as wallpapering the entire wall.
To decorate a plain wall whilst tying in traces of the general theme, a subtle yet effective approach can be achieved by adding a decorative border halfway, two thirds up or around the top of the wall. To introduce more colour variations into the room, try painting the wall in two colours that coordinate with the border – one colour for the top section and another colour for the bottom section.
For a practical approach, incorporate shelves as part of the wall design to provide a place for storing all the essentials or displaying photos, baby gifts and mementos of your baby’s milestones.
