Many parents can hardly wait to start setting up the baby nursery. At the latest, when you assemble the baby cot and set up the changing table, the imminent arrival of your little roommate becomes even more real—and the anticipation grows. The wide selection of children's room furniture and accessories can, however, feel quite overwhelming. In this article, you’ll find tips for choosing the best room and the ideal time to start decorating. You’ll also learn which items you truly need from the very beginning and what safety precautions you can take to ensure the baby room is not only beautiful to look at, but also safe for your little explorer.

Which room in your apartment is suitable as a children's room?

Of course, you only need to ask yourself this question if there are multiple rooms in your apartment to choose from. Ideally, you decide for the room closest to your own bedroom. This way, you can still hear your baby even without a baby monitor if they cry, and you can reach them quickly—even when you’re sleep-deprived. Ideally, the baby’s room should be easy to reach not only from the bedroom, but also from all other rooms in your apartment. That way, you always have your little explorer close by, whether you're in the kitchen or the living room.

In the first weeks, your newborn will Sleep 16 to 18 hours a day . So that your baby isn’t disturbed by street noise, their room should, if possible, not be located on a noisy or busy street . A window not only provides sufficient fresh air, but natural light also helps your baby gradually adjust to a regular day-night rhythm starting from the 4th month of life.

When is the best time to set up the children's room?

When you start making the room of your little newcomer cozy is completely up to you . The right time naturally also depends on how important setting up the nursery is to you. If you want to provide your baby with a stylish home from the very beginning, it’s better to start a bit earlier, just in case—so that you’re ready before the Birth and don’t get stressed.

For many parents, the period around the 22nd week of pregnancy has proven to be a good time to start focusing on the nursery. At this point, expectant mothers are usually not yet restricted by pregnancy, so longer shopping trips and small DIY tasks are still easily manageable. It also gives you enough time to choose the right furniture without rushing and to compare prices calmly. You can even handle long delivery times with a more relaxed attitude. Of course, it is also perfectly okay if your baby doesn't have their own room at the beginning. Since parents' sleeping noises stimulate infants' breathing, a separate is recommended for the initial period. Baby cot in the parents' bedroom is anyway the best solution. Therefore, you can take your time with the Children's room until your baby is a bit older.

What furniture does the baby room need?

In the first few months, you and your baby will only need a few items in the nursery. However, if you plan ahead from the beginning and, for example, invest in flexible, expandable furniture, you can save yourself effort and additional expenses later on. Such growing furniture adapts to the development of your little explorer. Changing tables with removable changing pads can be used as a regular dresser after the diapering phase. This is not only practical, but also resource-efficient.

Make sure the furniture for your baby is made of natural wood and has been properly treated. Little explorers discover many things with their mouths, and your baby will probably be curious about exploring their furniture, too. That’s another reason why it should be free of toxins and solvents. It’s best to air out new furniture for a few weeks before your baby arrives.

The following items are useful purchases for every baby room :

What safety precautions can you take?

Even if it still feels far away during pregnancy, your baby will soon start exploring their surroundings. Every object within reach will be touched or thoroughly explored with their mouth. You should keep this in mind from the very beginning when planning. It helps to put yourself in your baby’s perspective for a moment. This way, you can identify potential hazards and avoid them from the outset. To provide your little explorer with a safe environment, keep the following points in mind:

• Socket fuse protection attach: This helps prevent electric shock, as your baby cannot reach into the socket or insert thin or pointed objects.

• Window security mount: Such a safety device prevents your child from opening the window independently and falling out, or throwing objects out of curiosity.

• Child safety lock for drawers and cabinets install: Depending on the variant, such a pinch guard not only prevents little fingers from getting pinched, but also ensures that your little explorer cannot reach things they shouldn’t access.

• At the baby cot, ensure correct sprout spacing : The spacing between the rungs should be between 4.5 and 6.5 cm to prevent your baby from getting pinched between rungs that are too narrow, or slipping their arms or legs between rungs that are too wide.

• Choosing the right mattress for the crib : Match the mattress size to the crib, as a gap between the Mattress and the bed frame poses a risk of injury. Additionally, the mattress should be firm enough so that your baby cannot sink in more than 3 cm. It’s best to choose a breathable mattress to prevent mold growth.

• Secure furniture to the wall Secure all furniture that could tip over to the wall. Straight dressers can easily tip forward if your little explorer holds onto the drawers or climbs on them.

• Do not hang shelves above the child's bed : If items fall from there, they could injure your baby.

• Check climbing options : To prevent your child from falling, there should be no way for them to climb onto higher furniture or the windowsill in their room. Therefore, watch out for stools and other objects that could serve as a "ladder" for them.

• Buffer corners and edges The furniture in the baby room should have no sharp edges or corners that could injure your child. If you do find a sharp edge, you can cover it with a special edge protector.

• Store cable : If all cables are well hidden, your baby cannot trip over them or accidentally get tangled. Additionally, you prevent them from pulling down lamps or devices by the cable, which could hurt them if they fall.

• Hang curtains sufficiently high : Do not use floor-length curtains in the baby room. The curtains should end at a height where your baby cannot touch or pull them down.

• Pay attention to chemically tested textiles : Since your baby is in close skin contact with many textiles, make sure they are tested for harmful substances when purchasing. Especially when your little explorer starts to put everything in their mouth, it becomes even more important that textiles do not contain toxic ingredients. However, you should also wash ecological fabrics before use to remove any residues from production and dyeing.

• Use non-toxic wall paints : If you need to paint the room for your newcomer, use non-toxic wall paints without solvents and formaldehyde, and then air out the room thoroughly. It’s best not to do the painting right before the birth.

Does the baby room need decorations?

Even though it’s easy to be tempted by the many beautiful items available for baby and children's rooms, when furnishing you should focus primarily on practicality and only consider appearance as a second step. Even the most beautiful changing pad won’t bring you joy in the long run if it can’t be cleaned easily. When shopping, you should therefore ask yourself questions such as “Does the item withstand intensive use?”, “Is the piece of furniture sufficiently stable, and does it offer enough storage space?”, and “How complicated is the cleaning process?” to help you decide.

Just like with our LILLYDOO products , the motto "Less is more" also applies to baby rooms: Too many stimuli can overwhelm your little explorer and make them restless. Stick to subtle furniture, colors, and decorative items so the room also conveys a calm atmosphere visually for your baby. Bright colors can also make babies nervous. Instead, opt for light and cheerful colors when designing the walls. Even white walls don’t have to be boring! You can combine them with colorful images to easily jazz them up. The big advantage: If your taste changes or your child outgrows the motifs, you can simply swap out the pictures without having to repaint right away.

In the first months, your baby spends most of their time on their back. To give them something to discover, it can be a nice idea to decorate the changing table or the crib with colorful wall paintings or wall tattoos . However, you should avoid fluorescent glow stars or similar items, as your baby could swallow them if they fall, or get injured by larger stars.

With these tips, the baby room is ready for all the adventures of your little explorer. If you also let your creativity run free when designing, there will soon be nothing standing in the way of your little roommate moving into their new home! We wish you lots of fun decorating!