And baby makes 3...

Or in my case, here comes baby #3! Yes, we are expecting baby #3 in the month of April. We are excited for the new addition and expanding our family! This will also be my third nursery to set up - I wouldn't say that I'm a baby pro but I definitely have experience decorating the perfect nursery.

Here are some of the must-haves:

- a crib or a bassinet (personally we never did the bassinet thing, although they are beautiful they are only able to be used for a certain period of time and if you are on a budget a crib will last much longer)

- you will want a dresser, try looking at kijiji or yard sales (depending on your due date) there are some great finds and you can always paint (or change up the hardware)them to make a custom look for your little one. We used 2 beautiful pine dressers that were passed down in my family and they are sturdy and perfect for a baby's room.

- changing table (open concept is very accessible just use some great baskets to stay organized OR try on with drawers, those too are great storage)

- you will want a rocker or a glider, very soothing at bedtime and those late night feedings. Add a fun cushion for comfort and style. If you have the allowance in your budget, try lay-z-boy, they have gliders and you get to choose the fabric so stylish and very comfy!

- bedding. like the rest of my home i like to stick with a theme but not get too matchy-matchy. I have done a different theme for each of my children. I like a theme that can grow with the child and one that you can add too as well. My daughter's room the theme was 'floral' and now that she has started to develop her own interests incorporating 'fairies' (her new obsession) was easy to integrate into our existing flower motif.

- crib sheets, you'll need a few I'd recommend 4-6

- wall decor can be tricky, I used wall decals in my kids' rooms as they are easy to stick on and pull off plus they are safe (especially when decorating above the crib) you don't have to worry about them falling down. Also with wall decals there are so many to choose from. For my daughter's room, we found a great floral wall decal at IKEA for $9.00 - a great find!

- a mobile, all of my children loved their mobiles, the movement, the music and the shapes. If you have chosen a bedding theme chances are there is a matching mobile.

-you'll need a changing table pad and cover, I always used solids as they were easier to find and the ones that match the bedding set were usually expensive.

- I also had a lamp (floor or table) for softer lighting during those late night feedings

- We always had hardwood flooring so I had a neutral area full of fun texture cut and bound for each room, as my children became older they loved playing and crawling on the shaggy rug

- you'll want a hamper, I also found great wicker baskets

- one thing I did in all of my nurseries is have a baby photo. I don't know why but I always liked how it looked and felt in the room. Now that my children are a bit older they love looking at photos of the family!

- think of some other items to: humidifier (there are some very cute ones), waste basket, curtains, window valance...

You can go really crazy when buying for baby as there are so many, many things to choose from. Talk to friends and family (anyone with experience with babies) and get the real deal of what you really need - there are a lot of silly products out there. Also if this is your first child, you may already know you plan on more than one, I would recommend purchasing furniture in a finish that is neutral - white, espresso, maple and then the accessories can be changed around as your family expands.

My baby's room has a farm theme, it's not quite done yet but it's getting there!

Good luck to all of you who are parents to be!

Colour blind

Do these colours work together?

Does this match or coordinate?

Do you find yourself asking yourself these questions? Or, questions similar to these? Whether it is your wardrobe, your furniture or your home's exterior many people find creating a colour concept very challenging.

A fool-proof tool for facing this challenge is the colour wheel.

The colour wheel is used in all art fields including interior design.

On the basic colour wheel there are two families of colours - the primary colours (red, yellow and blue) and the secondary colours (orange, green and violet). If you want to coordinate your colours to have a punch in your room like a pro, use this tip - the colours that are opposite to one another on the colour wheel are called complementary colours and they always work well together.

Take a look at the image of the colour wheel above, the complementary colours are yellow and violet, orange and blue, red and green. You'll see these colours in a lot of team uniforms, look at the LA Lakers and the Edmonton Oilers for example.

When choosing your colour concept you do not have to be so literal and follow the colour wheel to the tee. Any variation of the complementary colours will also work, for example - a navy sofa with terra cotta pillows looks really rich, a red brick house with an olive green door - these are some ways to add a splash of colour to your surroundings and pull it off like a pro.

Nursery by design

Your little bundle of joy is expected to be arriving soon and there is so much do to! There is so much selection, so many products and if this is your first baby, like me, it can be hard to know where to start. But relax, the set up of the nursery should be fun and it is a great activity to keep you and your partner busy.


If you have been to any baby or department stores - the choices are incredible! How to decide? Where to start? How much to spend? Those are some questions you should ask before you start. Here are some easy decorating tips to create your dream nursery!

1. Once you have selected the room (I would recommend one close to your master bedroom) clear it out and give it a good cleaning.

2. When choosing the colour palette or the theme opt for something with ageless appeal or something that can grow with your child. Re-decorating a room every year can get very expensive (and time consuming). Keep in mind your little one could quickly outgrow the Winnie the Pooh theme, so try and make your nursery easily adaptable for a young child's bedroom, with some minor modifications as he or she grows. Select at a colour palette that is soothing and calm, the addition of toys, stuffed animals, photos, curtains, bed linens and other baby belongings will add colour, pop and energy to the room. Neutrals colours are best, white, soft grey, light green or light yellow - they will compliment not compete. Themes such as florals, nautical, under the sea and jungle are good examples that will still be appropriate as he or she grows.

3. Before you arrange any of the furniture be aware of where the sun hits at different times of the day. Make sure you place the crib in a place away from direct sunlight. Other essential pieces in a nursery are: a change table, a dresser and a rocking chair. It's very important to choose a comfortable place for you to sit while you rock your beautiful baby to sleep.

4. Safety. The first step to organizing a nursery is to make it babyproof! Make sure there is a functioning smoke detector near or in the baby's room, cover all electrical sockets with plastic plugs, keep all electrical cords away from the crib and it is recommended to place non-skid pads under decorative area rugs. Another tip to keep in mind, wall-to-wall carpeting can accumulate allergy-aggrivating dust and pet hair so make sure to clean your carpet regularly.


Remember to have fun and enjoy the experience!!