Thinking about planning your nursery but stuck on where to start? Planning your little ones room can be one of the most exciting parts of expecting and it is very easy to get carried away and jump in head first.

Read our top tips below on the practical considerations from making the most of the space, to safer sleeping advice and parenting hacks on creating a room which allows you to get more sleep once your little one arrives.

Our tips for nursery planning 

Be practical
The key pieces of furniture you will typically need when kitting out your nursery, are a wardrobe, changing table, cot with a firm, flat and waterproof mattress and chest of drawers. It is always surprising how many bits your nursery will accumulate, so always go for more storage than less! Be sure to bear in mind the numbers of day and night time changes you will be doing to ensure you buy furniture that it is at a comfortable height and that you make full use of all available space. There has got to be nothing worse than tripping over lamps at 3 o’clock in the morning or having to move the cot out of the way to open your chest of drawers. A great way to mark out all of your furniture is with masking tape, so you can better assess how much room you will really have to move and play.

A lot of brands today sell furniture for little people, which is lovely! But if you are on a budget money may be better invested in furniture that will grow with your child.

Lighting
Lighting is a vital element to consider when planning your nursery as bright lights can disturb baby when you enter for night feeds or changes. Instead of relying on one source of light, look at creating light layers with a number of lamps. The Grolight is a perfect addition to any nursery as it is able to adapt your existing light into an adjustable night light at the flick of a button. It is suitable from newborn onwards, and with a nifty little dial you can adjust the nightlights brightness to suit your needs.

Natural light
Although normally a naturally light room is deemed desirable, when a baby is involved, this can lead to premature wake up calls. When choosing which room is best to turn into a nursery, look for naturally darker and cooler bedrooms to help your little one get some extra sleep. If your nursery does receive a good level of natural light, there are ways to control this. The Gro Anywhere Blind is great at creating a snoozy environment by blocking out those unwanted sun rays.

Safer Sleep
Experts recommend the perfect room temperature for baby to be between 16-20 degrees. This should help in choosing the perfect room to turn into a nursery which does not tend to get direct sunlight, nor is affected by any cold drafts. A digital thermometer such as a Groegg2 can really help so you can see at a glance whether the temperature is too hot or cold for baby.