7 tips for baby rooms

Overpowering themes and gender-centric colours are passé. Go for modern design and functional furniture

Sometimes, the smallest things take up the biggest room. In your heart and your home! But designing a space for a baby isn’t the easiest of tasks. It’s more than just pulling together bright colours, vibrant accessories, cartoon prints, and decals that they’ll soon outgrow. Every baby, no matter the age, needs to own a space — ideally an organised room that stimulates the imagination, and offers comfort and security. For as they grow up, babies tend to explore, discover, and learn things — and offering a secure space can help boost their confidence. Children understand their environments in different ways from adults, and have different needs, wants, and ways of looking at things.

“It’s important to shun stereotypes and create a room that’s elegant, evocative, and intelligent, a space that allows the freedom to play — and learn alongside,” says Rohit Khanna, a Mumbai-based designer.

Whether you just had a baby and are keen to redecorate or are expecting a little bundle of joy, our seven practical tips will help you design the perfect baby room.

#1 Never ever pick a theme

Everyone’s doing it, we know, but this is one trend you’ll be glad you bucked. A theme tends to get overpowering and limiting, and kills the room once the baby grows up. Wait till your child knows her own mind and has fixed likes and dislikes. Till then, look for sweet and subtly related accessories.

#2 Keep things simple

The baby’s room is not where you want over-the-top décor. Clean lines, functional furniture and modern design are appropriate. They provide the best backdrop and can grow with the child — the toys and accessories can change against the same setting.