Furnishings for the little ones: The best tips for a child-friendly room

When a new baby is on the way, it's clear: sooner or later, a separate room will have to be set up in the apartment for the new family member. But regardless of whether the nursery is set up before or after the birth, there are certain things to consider. The following article explains which factors are particularly important when designing the room for the new baby.

When should the children’s room be decorated?

Pregnancy is always a particularly exciting time for parents. They are constantly coming up with new ideas about how to decorate their child's room in a particularly sweet and loving way. Of course, hardly all of these can ultimately be implemented.

Setting up the nursery should therefore not become a source of unnecessary stress. However, the anticipation of life with a child will of course be increased if the nursery is set up with great dedication during the pregnancy. However, this should only be done after the first three months of pregnancy.

As soon as maternity leave begins, i.e. around six weeks before the birth, you can start designing the room for your child. The numerous tasks that need to be completed will take a certain amount of time. However, it is not a problem to finish the furnishings after the birth.

Babies usually sleep in the same room as their parents at the beginning. A special Cot in the form of a side bed. This way, the little ones can be given physical closeness immediately if they wake up in the night. However, many parents also decide to monitor the child at night with a baby monitor so that they immediately notice if the child wakes up in its own room.

The right furniture for the children's room

The many ideas that are swirling around in the heads of expectant parents should first be sorted according to their priority.

It is particularly important that there is a place available right from the start where diapers can be changed comfortably. A changing table is recommended for this. Alternatively, attachments are available that can be attached to any dresser. If there is not much space in the child's room, changing table attachments that can be attached to the little one's cot are practical.

With regard to the cot, it is also recommended that there is a gap of around 4,5 to 6,5 centimetres between the individual bars. This way, babies cannot stick their heads through the bars or get their hands caught in them.

Of course, a few chests, dressers, shelves and cupboards are also necessary in the children's room to keep the children's clothes and toys neatly stored. In this context, it is a good idea to ensure that there is as much storage space as possible right from the start, as more and more things will accumulate in the children's room over time.

In terms of seating, a comfortable armchair is a good choice, where the child can also be breastfed. Indirect light is then recommended for lighting to avoid unpleasant glare and to support a cozy atmosphere.

Safety in the children's room

The most important aspect when furnishing a child’s room is, of course, safety. 

All furnishings that the child comes into direct contact with should be free of harmful substances. This is something that should be taken into account when buying. After all, on their journeys of discovery, little ones like to put everything that comes their way into their mouths. Special quality seals, such as the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 award, serve as a guide in this regard. It is also important that there are no small parts lying around that the baby could swallow.

In addition, the children's room must of course also offer enough space for children to play to their heart's content. Especially when the children reach the age where they can play unsupervised for a few minutes, it is important that special safety devices are installed on windows, sockets, cupboard doors and drawers.

As soon as the child starts crawling, the furniture should be firmly attached to the walls to prevent the risk of it tipping over. Electrical devices can also pose a great danger to children. They should therefore be put away safely and out of reach of the little ones immediately after use. If the furniture is also equipped with edge protection, the child can also be prevented from being injured by sharp corners.

Plants can of course add value to the design of a child's room, but they must not be poisonous. They should also not have any dangling shoots that the child can grab.

Coloring pages on the topic of safety at home

What color should the walls be painted?

When it comes to choosing the right wall color for a child's room, pastel tones are particularly recommended. These always exude a pleasant sense of calm, which helps the child to fall asleep easily. Purple and blue have a particularly calming effect. Apricot and pink shades convey a sense of security.

Contrasts can be created by using beige, grey and white. These help children to recognise things, estimate distances and develop their three-dimensional vision. Individual areas on the wall can also be coloured for this purpose.

These are objective findings of color theory, which should ultimately take precedence over parents’ personal preferences.

Combining aesthetics with functionality

Of course, the decoration in the children's room should not be completely ignored. Color accents can be set with the help of bunting, grasping rings, cuddly toys and pictures, for example. However, the child itself will hardly be interested in these, at least in the first few months of life. And with all accessories - especially bunting - make sure that children cannot reach them, otherwise there is a risk of strangulation. 

When it comes to decoration, it is important that it is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional. Play and crawling blankets as well as carpets make the room feel cosy. A homely atmosphere can also be created with beautiful curtains that can darken the room at the same time. This promotes a healthy and restful sleep of the offspring.

A mobile is much more than just a decorative object. It also promotes the child's development. The various sound or light effects and the moving figures promote children's sensory perception. A mobile can have an activating or calming effect - this varies from child to child. Again - keep it out of the child's reach, just look, don't touch.

Once the child is older, the decoration of his kingdom can of course be adapted to his personal preferences and interests.