Baby Space: Create a Soothing Retreat for Your Little One

Nurseries are much different than they were 10 to 15 years ago. Gone are the days when décor choices were restricted to a blue or pink color palette ? or yellow or green if expecting parents wanted a surprise! Nurseries are now more contemporary with unusual uses of color.

Celebrity designer Vern Yip offers tips for preparing a beautiful nursery for that new family member. He also offers tips on recreating the room for subsequent children or as the child gets older.

?Parents today are moving away from traditional nursery room décor and creating spaces for their children that are more sophisticated and savvy, yet still sweet,? says Vern. ?They are also looking to create spaces that can make the transition with the baby as he or she grows older.?

Parents are choosing neutral, soothing colors for the nursery?s walls and flooring and using accessories to add punches of color. Yip advises parents to use colorful bedding, bound rugs and window treatments. ?Make it fun ? go wild with color. Unusual pairings of traditional colors are very popular right now. I have used reds and pinks together with neutral accents and décor utilizing various shades of the same color.?

Using neutral colors for the walls and carpet and accenting the décor with color also makes it easier for parents to purchase accessories using a different color palette for another child, or creating a room for an older child. Keep this in mind - the first year goes by quickly! These changes are inexpensive and easy.

Carpet also has other functional features. It helps maintain a comfortable temperature in the nursery throughout the year. Carpet retains heat, keeping the nursery warm in the winter and insulates the space, keeping the room cool in the summer. Carpet also has excellent accoustic capabilities and acts as a sound barrier between floors.

?Parents should keep in mind that everything in the nursery - especially the carpet - should be easy to clean and maintain,? said Yip. ?Carpeting or bound rugs that are durable and stain-resistant are key. It is also important to make sure that the flooring is soft and comfortable. Carpet such as STAINMASTER® carpet with Tactesse® fiber is incredibly durable with a uniquely soft and luxurious touch, providing softness for a baby?s knees and hands as it crawls and plays on the floor.?

STAINMASTER® carpet provides extraordinary resistance to crushing, matting, spills and soils and is easy to maintain. Regular vacuuming, quick attention to spills and having your carpet professionally cleaned every 24 months as required by the STAINMASTER® carpet limited warranty will keep your carpet looking and feeling like new.

Decorating a nursery is one of the most enjoyable home improvement projects you can undertake. Use these tips to not only have fun, but also to create a beautiful space to welcome your child into his or her new home.