FENG SHUI FOR THE NURSURY

I wanted to go a little deeper for Cara- as she design's her daughter's bedroom. I thought the showcase house I did in 2004 was another good example.

Cranky children that do not sleep well can cause us to too easily forget all the wonderful aspects of raising a child. Even the newest of mothers quickly learn how important it is for baby to sleep well. As a mother of FOUR, I have learned that a well-rested child is usually content, well trained and agreeable. The mornings are always so much more pleasant at my home than the few hours before bedtime (my personal least favorite time of the day).

In designing the nursery for the 2004 Designer Showcase Dream Home, I incorporated Feng Shui techniques to make it a haven for rest! Relying on ideas from Feng Shui for Children’s Spaces, by Nancilee Wydra, and drawing from real-life experience with my own children, I incorporated those elements that would enable a child to easily quiet down and relax by just being in the room.

Color is an inexpensive and beneficial place to start for creating a dream nursery. Greens, blues and purples fill this space. The soft colors, low in contrast to one another, are relaxing and encourage quiet activity as well as sleeping. The colors are not pure and vibrant, but rather grayed and more subtle. When selecting a color scheme for a bedroom, choose soft colors that are next to one another on a color wheel, like blues and purples, rather than opposite one another, like yellows and purples. The higher the contrast, the more the color scheme will inspire action and movement. High contrast and bright colors may be an excellent choice for a playroom or bonus room, but they are not exactly what you want at naptime!

It is essential to consider that different children will have different needs. A sad, melancholy child could benefit from a soft yellow, which cheers. But instead of combining yellow with high-contrasting blue, use a soft green, or a subtle peach. And what if red is your child’s favorite color? Is it not allowed at all? Of course not- simply combine it with soft tans and blues and put the red on the bed skirt, where it won’t be seen when it’s time to slumber.

While murals are gaining fast popularity in homes, especially children’s rooms, not all murals are ideal for a young person’s space. The subtlety of the mural in this dream nursery inspires peace rather than uproar. The same rules apply with artwork as with wall color. By keeping the colors soft and low in contrast, your child will be calmer and will rest more easily.

The soft window treatments that adorn the windows in the Dream Home Showcase nursery were selected for their ability to diffuse light, creating a cozy environment, even for middle-of-the-day naptime. The floor pillows in soft muted colors encourage quiet play. Mom can settle down with her little one for a bedtime story next to their paper moon light, which subtly diffuses the reading light.

It is significant to consider the contour of an area when creating a room for baby as well. While diagonal lines encourage activity and movement, the soft circles found in this room inspire a calming sleepiness. The curvature is repeated throughout this space as seen in the round crib, rotund ceiling art work, circular rug, spherical light, and curved changing table motif.

Feng Shui experts agree that every room in your home should have a form of sound. With studies illustrating how noise is an essential ingredient for a child’s development, the nursery is certainly one place not to be overlooked for some sort of reverberation. You don’t need constant classical music (although that would work). Something as simple as a ticking clock will enhance child development.

Texture is another element that can be used to a child’s advantage in a nursery. If you want your child to use the room primarily for quiet activities and sleep, use textures that are fine rather than coarse, open weaves rather than tightly woven fabrics, soft rather than rigid, matte rather than shiny, and smooth rather than rough. Patterns with small repeats will also be more soothing than bold, larger patterns.

Clean, uncluttered spaces are vital for encouraging relaxing and sleeping in anyone’s bedroom, but especially for baby. When the child’s bedroom doubles as a playroom, this beacons the need for storage solutions, which put the toys out of sight.

By following simple techniques in selecting the color, lighting, and texture for your baby’s nursery, you too can create a peaceful place that will encourage rest and happiness for your new addition.

Cara's Daughter

Hi Cara,

I had some more thoughts that I wanted to share with you on your daughter's room. First of all- there are some things to consider before we start to decorate. Think about how you want your child to feel when in the room. This will be different for different children's personalities, and in different homes, depending on if your bedroom doubles as a playroom.

Do you want your child to feel calm, quiet, inactive, pensive and sleepy?

• low lighting


• few furnishings


• wall to wall carpet


• no shiny materials or glossy finishes


• small windows


• plush padded furnishings


• low bed

Do you want your child to feel exited, energetic, talkative, sociable and alert?

• bright overall lighting


• lots of choices


• highly polished surfaces


• glossy walls, shiny fabrics


• lots of windows


• firm surfaces that provide resistance


• bunk beds

These pictures came from my own daughter's bedroom in a previous home. I wanted my daughter's bedroom to be a place just for sleeping and quiet reading. I find it funny when people who have overactive, hyper little boys paint their rooms red or other bright colors, and then put in bunk beds. I had these beds custom made, and then had the mattresses cut down to give me wall to wall beds. The chandelier came out of an old friend's garage. She asked, "What do you want that old thing for?" It had been in her home for years before retiring in the garage. I got the corbels at an antique store, salvaged from an old home north of Davis, CA. They had a million layers of paint, and some of them were damaged. I stripped them, my husband repaired what could be repaired, and then added a fresh coat of paint the same color as the bed, bead board and shelf. The wallpaper is a subtle botanical print, and the ceiling is painted green with a whimsical detail around the chandelier. When we moved, my daughter (age 5) said that what she missed was the design on the ceiling. The shade is a Hunter Douglas Silhouette, and the curtains are silk, with beaded tie backs. The chairs are Pottery Barn Kids.

daughter's bedroom

Hi Christine,

My name is Cara I found your blog through Michal's. I love to decorate my home, but I am at a loss as to what to do with my almost 3-year-old's pink bedroom. I am planning on purchasing a "big girl" bed soon. If I sent pictures, maybe you could help with some ideas? (I loved the idea of painting the base boards, but am a little hesitant only because we will have to sell our house in 2 years, because we are in the military). Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon.

Cara

Dear Cara,

Ever since I started having children of my own- I have had a new love- decorating childrens' rooms. Keep posted- I'll have a few different posts to respond to your question. I would love for you to send pictures. I think to begin with, you need some inspiration- for instance- a fabulous piece of art- a great quilt- something to be the focal point fo the room, something to build your room around. The photo is one of an artist's child's bedroom- her name is Jennifer Judd McGee- I love her work. What do you think? Any particualr interests of your daughter to work around? Keep posted- this is just the begining. I would also like a floorplan of your daughter's room.

Thanks,

Christine