Save money on gender neutral nursery designs
KAMPALA-It is only human to want to fit in with everyone else, but sometimes going against the flow is necessary for growth. A few years ago, decorating the nursery with any other colour apart from pink and blue would have been considered as poor taste or worse ignorance. But why shouldn’t our babies be allowed to experience more colour, more creativity and design?
Why should we assume that every little girl will be delighted by an aggressive use of colour pink and little boys be drawn to blue? If you are a new parent who has been pondering these questions, then you are not alone. More interior decor experts are now comfortable and even encourage parents to go with gender neutral designs for baby nurseries.
Peace Kobusinge, an interior designer at Patterned interior in Wakiso District, says gone are the days when parents were much interested in gender sensitive nursery for their babies. “Gender neutral nurseries are becoming ever more popular as more parents opt to wait to find out whether they are expecting a boy or girl. Now, gender neutral nursery does not have to mean only the pale greens and yellows instead of pink or blue,”Kobusigye says.
“…gender neutral nursery may sometimes mean soft whites and creams, and lots of texture.
Blending colours
The first step to designing gender neutral nursery is determining the perfect color theme. Should it be cool whites with cream and copper? Should brown be used as the colour theme, or would a soft grey be best?”
She emphasizes an interior designer helping to set up a neutral nursery may combine creams and varying shades of brown to add warmth and dimension to the neutral theme. The concept is a textural playground, with everything from soft border on the crib skirt to the carved face of the dresser in the baby’s room. The rule to mixing textures in a gender neutral nursery is similar to the rule when mixing colour patterns to bring out a chic look of the room.
She mentions that gone are the days of giraffes and skipping bears. “I absolutely love that nursery design has gone outside the gender box, and we are seeing more and more colours emerge as a gender neutral theme.”
Kobusigye says, navy is no longer just for boys, as we have seen the pink and navy combinations grow in popularity this year. This is beautified more with a shade of mint and aqua that would have before been considered feminine is the perfect color to work with girlish or boyish look.
She notes that currently mothers are so obsessed with mint paired with just about any colour, but keeping with gender neutral nursery colors. A mother may come with up with a mint and gray combination for example ‘a mint and gray floral baby bedding’. They love how the mint and gray combination can easily accompany a third color such as navy once the baby is born.
She says after that they as well choose a crib bedding which has a bold print design that is extremely gender neutral then add a mint crib.
Other than that Kobusigye states that generally all colours can be used in a gender neutral nursery if you find a competent interior designer who can play about with colour to bring out the best theme for your new born baby.
“I have seen so many nursery designs lately that really are not just about one colour but a variety of colours, from primaries, to pastels, which all seamlessly come together in a perfectly creative and modern design. So, by letting go of those colour boundaries at the beginning, it opens the door to a creative and colourful space that works for boys or girls,” she explained.
She further states that whether you are waiting to find out the gender of your baby or ditching the pink for girls and blue for boys tradition, expecting parents are all about gender neutral nurseries this year. In fact most parents who flood her shop are now refined people. They all seek for gender neutral nursery ideas. However, this does not mean that they stay away from pink or blue entirely when designing a gender neutral space for their babies.
She added that some parents come with ideas which include; pretty mint green ideas, circus-themed nursery and a nursery full of colorful polka dots, vibrant grass green ideas among other ideas.
Mix it up
Matchy-matchy nurseries might be so last decade but some furniture makers are yet to adjust. So if you have no option but to buy a matching nursery set, you can dilute the effect by mixing the old with the new, modern and traditional elements. Adding an antique trunk to store blankets and packages of diapers in is a great way to add some flair to the room.
When shopping for furniture, think longevity and adaptability. Incorporating a mix of both cozy and functional pieces is key in this space. Including a cozy armchair or rocker will be great for you, while a safe crib and changing table is necessary for baby.
Add pieces that inspire the baby’s imagination. Hang clever ceiling additions that add a colorful touch to the room.
Make use of mirrors; babies love looking at themselves in the mirror. Once they are able to see far enough to catch glimmers of light and make out more than a rough outline of your face, this simple addition will become one of their favorite features.
