Written by Sophie Clemson

Designing your baby's nursery doesn’t need to break the bank, let's face it with all the important essentials that you need to buy for your new arrival, saving money on the nursery would be a bonus! It feels like now more than ever there is pressure to get it right due to social media. Social media is a great way to get inspiration but after a quick scroll, it can leave you feeling envious of all the picture perfect nurseries you see and it may make you think how can I achieve this look on budget?

We’ve designed a fair few nurseries at The Living House now, all with parents wanting the same thing - a beautiful nursery without costing the earth. We’ve put together our top interior design tips to help you decorate your nursery on a budget. 

1. Paint

2. Wallpaper

3. Sticker wall decals 

4. Panelling

5. Affordable nursery furniture 

6. Get crafty 

7. Large nursery rugs

8. Digital downloadable nursery art prints 

9. Use books for decoration 

Paint 

Paint will most likely be one of the cheapest and most transformative items you’ll buy for your nursery. You could, of course, paint the whole room in one shade or use some clever colour blocking techniques to add a feature. There are some fab colour blocking ideas for nurseries on Pinterest, from half-painted walls with a scallop border to arches, mountains, and stripes, to name a few! You can have fun and get creative. Colour blocking works great to zone areas within a nursery, such as around the cot or perhaps a cosy reading nook area for when they get older for story time.

Have a chat with us and find out how we can help you. Book a discovery call with us today!

Wallpaper

Wallpaper can look beautiful in a nursery and be budget friendly with some wallpapers costing less than £20 per roll. If you’re opting for a themed room, it can work great to incorporate wallpaper such as jungle, princess, rainbow, dinosaur, or safari themed. We are seeing all over Pinterest and Instagram at the moment delicate floral and leaf patterned wallpapers being used in nurseries for a timeless look. It works especially well if you have an older property. If you’re feeling bold, you could go to town and wallpaper every single wall, which I personally think looks fabulous! Or go for a feature wall and choose a complimentary paint colour to pair with the wallpaper.

Do you struggle to visualise how your room could look? We can help you, click here.

Sticker wall decals 

If you don’t fancy wallpaper but want to add some pattern to the walls in your nursery, then consider sticker wall decals. Wall decals are a really easy and affordable way to bring some life to the walls. The best thing is you can easily peel them off if you fancy a change further down the line (no need to get the wallpaper stripper out!). I recommend taking a look at Etsy. It has a gorgeous and inexpensive selection.

Panelling

If you’re going for a traditional look for your nursery, panelling is a great option. If you’re handy at DIY, it's an affordable way to add character to the room. There are various types of panelling you can choose from. The shaker style and tongue-and-groove panelling are very popular in nurseries. It can look beautiful when paired with wallpaper or you can simply paint the panelling the same colour as the walls. 

Affordable nursery furniture 

This probably won’t come as a surprise, but IKEA has nursery furniture at great prices. One in particular is the Sniglar cot under £70. It's a beech wooden cot that you could leave as is, especially if you’re going for a scandi or minimal look, or it would be perfect for painting to work with your colour scheme, making it completely unique to you (of course, always make sure the paint you use is safe for babies). Upcycling is another way to save money on furniture for your nursery. You could find a chest of drawers that would work perfectly for the baby changing unit, simply add a changing mat on top. For the handles, go for something a little more fun or fitting with your nursery theme. Check out Facebook Marketplace or eBay for some cheap and sometimes even unused finds!

Get crafty 

I don’t know about you, but I love getting crafty and making things for my home. Not only are you making something completely unique, but it's quite therapeutic to switch off and get crafty! (This may be easier said than done to find the time, if it's not baby number one.) You could create a mobile for over the cot, knit a name sign (if you’ve already decided on a name, of course), or upcycle some old frames for artwork. I made bobbin frames myself last year. I bought a cheap wooden frame from B&M and half-wooden beads from Amazon. Bobbin frames would look cute in a nursery, simply paint them to suit your colour scheme. Here's how I made my bobbin frame.

Large nursery rugs 

If changing the flooring is going to be out of your budget, you don’t need to compromise. Take a look at large rugs that will be big enough to cover an adequate amount of the flooring. Make sure the rug is big enough to sit underneath some of the furniture, as this will create a balance within the room while also keeping it in place. A rug will also work great as a place to sit and play with your baby on the floor as they grow up, or to sit and read a story together. Here are some of our affordable recommendations of rug companies for nurseries: RugVista, Benuta, and Wayfair. Totter and Tumble are worth checking out too, they have play mats that can be used as rugs. They will last for years to come from baby to child, making them a great investment piece. They are both practical and beautiful. (We particularly love the William Morris designs!) 

Digital downloadable nursery art prints 

Add artwork to your nursery walls to inject personality. Artwork doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and we’ve found a way to make it super affordable! Etsy has a lovely range of digitally downloadable prints, you buy the print file and print it out yourself. For example, you could buy a set of nine nursery wall prints for only £9. Yes, you do have the task of printing them yourself, however, they can be to whatever size you wish, meaning if you ever fancy a change, you could swap the prints around. If you want an eclectic mix of artwork but aren't very confident in knowing what works well together, these ready made gallery packs will be perfect for you. To frame the prints you can pick up some cheap frames from places such as Dunelm and B&M for less than £5.

Use books for decoration 

As your child grows, a bedtime story will more than likely become a regular evening event. There are so many beautiful book covers now that the books can act as accessories in the room. You can use picture ledges from IKEA or rustic floating shelves to display your best and prettiest books, and as your child gets older, their favourites (they just may not be as aesthetically pleasing!!)

If you’re wanting to make changes to your family home, take a look at our affordable online interior design packages to give you all the help you need. Whether you’re considering a full redesign or a refresh, we can take the stress away, and give you the confidence to move forward. Our online interior design packages are a flat fee and we can work to any budget large or small, saving you money along the way and ensuring you get the results you want and expect!

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