Wee Baby Stuff

Last weekend was a big one in our house. We completed all of our major nursey furniture purchases and began piecing our little peanut's room together. We chose a color for the walls, painted, and got a first glimpse at the closet system for the nursery. It was a lot of work, but it has been exciting work!

Neither Bruno nor I are into themes, mainly because I don't think we would ever be able to decide on one. Instead, we are trying to create a warm and balanced feeling in our nursery. We have chosen a vintage bedding pattern with a modern twist and because the pattern is a little "pinky", we opted for a very neutral blue wall color. The color - Woodlawn Blue - comes from the Benjamin Moore line. It's soft and subtle and it goes beautifully with the bedding.

All of this color mixing got me thinking about the Feng Shui of the room. I am very much a novice when it comes to Feng Shui, but I find it interesting and have tried out a couple of its principles in our home. In my quest to balance the babe's room, I came across some wonderful online resources I will link to below.

Here are a few Feng Shui highlights from the articles I read:

1. Soothing wall colors are important. According to Feng Shui, neutral is the way to go when it comes to wall color. White is considered ideal because it's believed to inspire creativity in wee ones. If you can't bring yourself to go white, using harmonious color blends is optimal (e.g. gentle greens and blissful blues). Feng Shui experts avoide high-contrast combos like black and white because they are too stimulating.

2. Create gentle movement in the room. Keep the air moving softly to avoid a stagnant environment. Mobiles give nurseries a softness as they respond to the airflow in the room. A fan can also encourage airflow, so long as it's not placed too close to the baby.

3. Carefully consider the placement and positioning of the crib. The baby's crib should not be placed against a window or be directly in line with the door. Rather, the crib should be placed against a solid wall with the head of the crib against the wall. In order to promote a sense of protection, the crib should be positioned so that the baby can see his/her caregivers when they enter the room. The crib should not be placed against a wall that is shared with a bathroom, storage space, or utility room.

4. Balance the lighting in the room. Nursey lighting should be balanced - not too dark and not too bright. A room that's too bright can affect a baby’s level of deep sleep (and this could be detrimental to the "chi" of the baby's parents!) and too much darkness can be heavy and depressing. Curtains and blinds are a good option in the nursery as both allow you to adjust the levels of light throughout the day.

4. Clear away the clutter. Nothing stifles the flow of good "chi" energy like a heap of baby toys or an unsightly mound of clutter. A clutter-filed room can block the physical, mental and creative energy of the baby and the environment. Keeping the nursey tidy and organized will help calm both baby and parents.

For more information on nursey Feng Shui please visit the following links:

Creating Good Feng Shui in Baby's Room

Feng Shui in the Nursery

Baby Room Feng Shui: Welcome the Baby with a Healthy Feng Shui Nursery

• Feng Shui
• nursery