Liven up the nursery with these clever ideas

Liven up the nursery this winter with these clever and colourful décor hacks from interiors stylist Amber Armitage.

GET MOBILE

Even novice crafters will have fun with this easy-as craft concept! To add a pop of colour to your nursery, or to help you choose a nursery colour scheme, make this mobile using the paint colours you like best and hang it up to help you decide. Simply order A4 drawdown paint swatches in your favourite Resene colours, cut them into organic shapes, punch a hole in each and string them up. 

Wall painted in Resene Umber White. Hanging mobile made from drawdown paint swatches in Resene Dark Knight, Resene Pewter, Resene Olive Green, Resene Cashmere, Resene Umber White and Resene First Light. Trolley (stylist’s own) painted in Resene Pewter. Long wool sheepskin rug, $129, naturebaby.co.nz; Garbo And Friends cinnamon muslin swaddle $54, and Enzo canopy, $199, both from littlewhimsy.co.nz; Aspen cot, $379.95, mocka.co.nz, with details painted in Resene Olive Green.

CRISS-CROSS AND COLOUR

Create interest by adding wall panelling in an unexpected way. We’ve created an assymetrical criss-cross pattern and painted both the detail and wall in Resene Cashmere. Continue to showcase your colour palette by adding touches of paint to your cot; we painted the edging in Resene Olive Green.

Wall and panelling painted in Resene Cashmere, flooring in Resene Colorwood Natural. Aspen cot (with details painted in Resene Olive Green), $379.95, mocka.co.nz; Paxi floor rug – natural, $549, and Salamander side table, $179, both from freedomfurniture.co.nz; Burrow And Be blush meadow cot sheet, $55, clay cot quilt, $90, flower fields cot quilt, $99, Enzo canopy, $199, Rhyme Cordial book, $23, I Can Fly book, $6, and Mysterious Girl art print, $34.50, all from littlewhimsy.co.nz; Sienna (model) wears Nature Baby pinafore cord dress, $59.95, leggings – June’s Garden, $26.95, and merino essential tee, all from naturebaby.co.nz. (Toys model’s own).

DRAWERS ON THE DOUBLE

Save precious space with dual-use furniture. Revamp an old set of drawers with a quick lick of paint, and they can double as a change table or a storage bench for a Moses basket. This is a great option especially for smaller nurseries. We continued the colour palette and added detail by painting the wall hanging (from Kmart). This is another décor hack that even the least crafty among us can pull off – plus it’s light on your wallet!

Wall painted in Resene Umber White, flooring in Resene Colorwood Natural and drawers painted in Resene First Light. Hanging pocket (painted from top in Resene Cashmere, Resene Pewter and Resene Olive Green), $7, and bunny basket (with ears painted in Resene Cashmere), $15, both from kmart.co.nz; heirloom African Moses basket, $239, reversible cot quilt – teal vines, $99, Sweet Dreams cot blanket in sky gray, $49.90, rattan dolls’ bassinet – Summer, $199, Mildred Giraffe, $39.90, and Miss Posey (inside wall hanging pocket) $43.90, all from ecosprout.co.nz; Paxi floor rug – natural, $549, freedomfurniture.co.nz; Olli Ella See-Ya suitcase, $142.50, littlegatherer.com; Seth The Sloth art print, $38, littlewhimsy.co.nz; willow rattle (inside wall hanging pocket), $26.95, and merino wrap, $74.95, both from naturebaby.co.nz.

STORAGE SOLUTIONS

Keeping kids’ bedrooms tidy is so much easier if you employ different types of storage to house different types of things. Storage cubes can be used low down for books, toys and shoes. Hooks are great to make things like coats readily available for swift departures. And a high-up shelf is perfect for all the precious items that need to be out of reach of little hands.

Wall painted in Resene Umber White, flooring in Resene Colorwood Natural. Four-cube storage unit (painted in Resene Pewter), $20, Star lamp (painted in Resene Olive Green), $24, and wall hooks, $22, all from kmart.co.nz; Anak rattan chair, $139, freedomfurniture.co.nz; radial floating shelf, $99.90, cittadesign.com; long wool sheepskin $129, Nature Baby organic baby bottom balm, $34.95, goat’s milk and manuka honey soap, $6.95, sweet almond oil, $19.95, Mum’s Butter, $24.95, Frankie sunscreen & bug repellent, $31.95, and baby hairbrush, $29.95, all from naturebaby.co.nz; Le Toy Van wooden espresso machine, $59, espressoninja.co.nz; Barber jacket in clay, $64.95, Hanna Hoppel wooden pull-along rabbit, $35.95, and merino knit blanket in straw, $229.95, all from naturebaby.co.nz; Pretty Brave baby hi-tops, $69.95, and Archie boots in dusky pink, $99.95, both from prettybrave.com; mini foldable crate, $25, Olli Ella rattan basket, $49.50, and Crywolf play jacket in spots, $89.95, all from littlegatherer.com; Meri Meri bunny mini suitcase doll, $69, Bloomingville wooden giraffe puzzle, $56.50, Liewood Play Amy abacus, $74, I Can Fly book, $6, and Poppy sunglasses, $39.50, all from littlewhimsy.co.nz. 

Styling: Amber Armitage
Photography: Mel Jenkins/Flash Studios
Paint colours from Resene