You’ve got a new baby on the way (congrats!) and you’re in the throes of preparations which includes reimagining everything in your home. You already know to baby-proof your property by sticking baby-numbers on sharp corners, adding covers to electrical outlets, installing gates on staircases, and so forth. These are all essential, of course, but they do not constitute new baby interior design. Instead, you want your home to be more accommodating and stimulating for the newest member of its household. The latter is especially important as 90% of cognitive development occurs before kindergarten.
You’ve come to the right place. As a family owned interior design firm in Vancouver BC we have insight into today’s important topic. Below are some ideas to consider for your growing family home.
3 Most Important Interior Design Upgrades to Better Accommodate and Stimulate Your Household’s New Bundle of Joy
Increase Access to Natural Light
One of the most important interior design upgrades you can make is to increase the amount of natural light that can come into your home. This can be accomplished by adding and/or widening existing window installations, installing a skylight, changing the window coverings to mechanized systems that follow the progress of the sun from morning until night, and by removing partitions that may block natural light from entering spaces in the home.
Why is this so important?
Infants depend upon consistent exposure to the daily cycles of natural light to define their sense of day and night. Exposure during the day and avoidance of exposure during the night will promote normal circadian rhythm development in your baby. This will help them sleep more consistently at night which is something new parents such as yourselves will definitely appreciate! Moreover, 90-95% of the body's vitamin D comes from sunlight. Pediatricians and other health experts suggest that babies be exposed to indirect sunlight on a daily basis. The home is the ideal place to start.
Add Lots of Color
It’s time to toss aside your penchant for monochromatic design and decor. By 3-months, your baby will begin to see color in all of its glory. The addition of brighter, primary colors is exceedingly important for their development from this stage and beyond. Most parents think that adding this color to the baby room is enough, but will your bundle of joy spend his/her time exclusively in there? Certainly not! They will enjoy their days in your room, the living room, dining room, and will wiggle into every corner of your (now their) abode.
Consider painting walls in different rooms in different colors and add colorful art and accent pieces to shelving and furnishing to enhance exposure to varying hues and tones in a given space.
Slip-and-Fall Proof Surfaces
The above two new baby interior design concepts are all about stimulating cognitive development in your infant. This one is about protecting them physically, while maintaining aesthetic appeal.
When it comes to the stairs, consider refinishing, overlays, and tread coverings (laminate, rubber, sisal, bullnose carpet, etc.) which provide for better traction while enhancing aesthetics. You must also rethink the floors in every room of the home. One of the best options for traction is luxury vinyl flooring, some of which are specifically designed to provide slip resistance. This type of flooring is also very easy to maintain. Furthermore, it does not stain and specific types will not damage from water and other liquids which is a VERY important when there is a new baby in the home.
Ready to upgrade the design of your home for your wonderful bundle of joy? If it’s located in the Greater Vancouver BC area, call Calvert Design Studio for a FREE 20-minute phone consultation.
EMAIL INFO@CALVERTDESIGN.CA