Make like Meghan with a gender neutral nursery
MEGHAN Markle caused a stir when she decided to decorate the forthcoming royal baby’s nursery in a gender-neutral fashion. But far from being something unusual, this styling will help you create a colour scheme that won’t date too quickly as baby grows older —plus you will be able to prepare in advance. Staging and Interior design expert Natasha Rocca Devine says of the trend: ‘For gender neutral rooms there are endless options for themes. For instance, you can opt for a unified theme throughout such as botanical or animal prints or nautical, which are ideal for boys and girls alike. ‘Alternatively, opt for clean, classic or block coloured themes to make a statement but still retain a classic style within the room.’ Here, Natasha offers her tips for a gender neutral nursery.
RE-COLOUR:
For themed rooms embrace this with your choice of colours, for example, with animal prints continue with the colours of the prints chosen. For neutral colour schemes, opt for Scandinavian white or greys or cream colours to add extra warmth. Alternatively, choose one block colour of yellow or green complimented with two to three accent colours of grey, creams or off-whites.
WALLPAPER BRIGHT
Dress your nursery with beautiful wallpaper — a simple yet, effective way to decorate this room.
LIGHT IT UP
USE interesting lampshades or dimmer switches which are a great way of changing the mood in a room. Add fairy lights over book cases or a colourful lamp on nest tables.
COT CHIC
Opt for a cot in classic white with stylish themed bedding. Or try out a block colour of grey, green, or yellow, matched against more classic bedding.
BLIND & CURTAIN CARE
Ensuring the baby has blackout blinds and curtains is key to their sleep at this delicate time. Why not try an unconventional style of curtains to enhance this scheme? Go for botanical prints which are very fashionable right now, or opt for a pop of colour on the curtains.
WALL-ART-RIGHT
Frames and art, in particular gallery walls which are all the rage at the moment, are a key feature in nurseries. For a gender-neutral theme, you can’t go wrong with inspiring quotes or fun animal art. You can add family photos and pictures of your baby as they grow.