Her Honest Space

I spent months designing my son’s nursery, only to realise it wasn’t the room we actually lived in. Here’s what it taught me about designing spaces that grow with your child.

When I was pregnant with my son, I spent months planning his nursery. I carefully chose the wallpaper, furniture and little details, imagining all the memories we’d make in that room. Well… it wasn’t all me. My partner was the one standing on the ladder putting up the wallpaper while I supervised very heavily pregnant. Let’s just say it wasn’t our finest moment as a couple, and there was definitely a fair bit of bickering before the wallpaper finally made it onto the wall.

Once it was finished though, I loved it. It felt calm, cosy and ready for him. It was everything I had imagined a nursery should be.

Then my son arrived.

Like many newborns, he slept beside us. His bassinet was in our room, feeds happened in the living room, cuddles happened wherever we happened to be sitting, and the nursery was really only used for nappy changes and getting him dressed.

Looking back now, I realised I’d designed the room around how I imagined we’d use it, rather than how we naturally lived once he arrived.

It wasn’t until we recently started talking about moving him into his own room that I found myself standing in there again. As I looked around, I realised the nursery hadn’t gone unused at all. It had simply been waiting for this next chapter. The wallpaper I spent so long choosing, the furniture we carefully put together and the little details that once felt like they were for a newborn were actually becoming the foundation of a bedroom for the little boy he is today.

That realisation completely changed the way I think about designing children’s spaces.

Before my son arrived, creating his nursery felt like such an important part of preparing for parenthood. It’s all part of nesting and, if I’m honest, a way of calming those pre-baby nerves. There is something so special about that time, as your love for someone you’ve never even met continues to grow and the excitement of finally meeting them gets closer.

But what I’ve realised is that babies don’t really care whether the wallpaper is perfectly aligned or if every cushion matches. They don’t remember whether the room looked like something out of a magazine. What they remember, or rather what they feel, is being close to you.

For our family, those early months happened everywhere except the nursery. They happened in our bedroom, curled up on the lounge, pacing the hallway at 2 a.m. and in countless contact naps where putting him down simply wasn’t an option. Those moments became our normal, even though they looked nothing like what I had imagined while decorating his room.

And honestly, I think that’s a much more beautiful way to look at it.

So, if I were designing a nursery again, would I do anything differently?

Actually… yes.

Not because I regret the room we created, but because I now understand that the room wasn’t just for a newborn. It was the beginning of a space that would continue growing alongside my son for years to come.

Instead of focusing on creating the perfect nursery for those first few months, I’d focus on creating a timeless foundation. The walls, furniture and larger pieces don’t need to follow the latest trends or be centred around one stage of childhood. They can be beautiful, practical and designed to evolve as your child does.

Rather than investing in décor that only suits a newborn, I’d choose furniture that will continue to serve them as they grow. A quality chest of drawers, thoughtful storage, a comfortable chair and timeless pieces become part of the room’s story instead of something that needs replacing every few years.

The personality of the room can then come through in the pieces that are easy to change. Bedding, artwork, books, toys and little treasures collected over the years naturally begin to reflect who your child is becoming. As their interests change, the room changes with them, without ever needing to start all over again.

And perhaps the biggest thing I’d remind myself is this: the room doesn’t have to be finished before your baby arrives.

Homes are never truly finished.

They evolve, just as we evolve as people.

Your baby’s room will tell a different story at six months than it will at two years old, another at five, and another again when they’re old enough to tell you exactly what colour they want the walls painted. That’s the beauty of designing a home that grows with your family instead of trying to predict every season before you’ve even lived it.

As I stood in his room recently, I realised something else. Although I thought I had designed it purely for the newborn stage, deep down I had unknowingly chosen pieces that would grow with him. The wallpaper we spent so long putting up isn’t babyish. It still feels just as timeless today as it did before he was born. The furniture continues to serve a purpose, and the foundation of the room is just as relevant now as it was the day we brought him home.

Maybe that’s why I don’t think I’d redesign the room if I had my time again. I’d simply approach it differently. Instead of seeing a nursery as a room for a newborn, I’d see it as the beginning of a bedroom that will evolve over many years. I’d still create a beautiful space before my baby arrived, but I’d put even more thought into choosing timeless pieces that could adapt as he grew. The personality of the room wouldn’t come from the furniture or the walls. It would come from the books we read together, the artwork he creates, the toys scattered across the floor and the little collections that slowly tell the story of who he is becoming.

Maybe that’s what I’ve learnt through this whole experience. The most beautiful children’s rooms aren’t designed for just one season of life. They’re designed to grow alongside the little people who call them home.