When Abhishek Parmar brought his newborn home from the hospital, the baby was welcomed in a room meticulously designed by his parents. A small but warm space that sported a modern, minimalistic theme, and pastel walls.
What the now two-year-old didn’t know is just how much work his parents put into creating the space. The Singapore-based couple went the do-it-yourself (DIY) way, which came with its fair share of challenges.
During the pandemic, a small room in their house became a home-office. This was then earmarked to be the nursery. Since it wasn’t spacious, accommodating everything was not easy. “We had to keep the furniture and décor minimalistic. So, finding the right things that would meet our needs, both functional and aesthetic, was key. With plenty of options available, it took us a while to narrow things down and a couple of iterations to get it all right.” Labour being expensive in Singapore, the 30-year-old parents “had to assemble pretty much everything ourselves — bed, changing station, shelves and storage, and artwork”.
Keeping it simple
When celebrities announce the arrival of a baby, the news is often accompanied by details of a plush baby nursery — be it Ram Charan, Karan Johar, Allu Arjun, Soha Ali Khan, Lindsay Lohan, or Anushka Sharma, to name a few. While these glimpses serve as inspiration for some parents like Parmar, others prefer to keep it simple.
The wall art designed by Sahiba Madan.
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Some new parents focus time and energy on building a dedicated space for a baby’s arrival, but just a few years ago, this was not the norm.
Amrita Bose is a parent to a 10-year-old. But a nursery was nowhere on her list of concerns. “We couldn’t really afford one,” she recalls. At the time, a 35-year-old Bose was living with her husband, then 39, in a 2-BHK. “Having a baby alone is so expensive. We set up a cot in our bedroom — baby used to co-sleep and we would play on the bed.”
Unlike designers who tell you to accommodate the many initial life stages of a baby, Bose chose to make the best use of whatever was available. “When she grew up a bit, a mat on the floor of the living room was enough.”
The toddler room designed and styled by Sarah Sham.
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The media professional from Bengaluru is not the only one. Rohini Varma and her partner became parents at 25 and 28; and were more focused on their baby. “[A nursery] is not common in our circle. People [we know] don’t think that having separate themes or furniture impacts a child’s growth. We knew the child wasn’t going to remain in a single room anyway,” the Kerala native says, adding that their daughter used to sleep in their bed till she turned five.
Storage woes
Storage needs addressing even before a new member enters the house. Especially in cities such as Mumbai where space is always an issue. While parents often make do with resources they have at hand — like Varma, who says that the couple allocated a separate cupboard in the house to store their daughter’s belongings — designers urge new parents to focus on accessibility and a storage investment that will grow along with the baby.
“As a parent, my primary focus was accessibility,” says designer Sarah Sham, parent of a four-and-a-half-year-old. Having everything within easy reach was important. “Whether it was diapers, baby cream, or a comfortable spot to sit and feed my baby.” Hence, investing in a sturdy chest of drawers is a top tip she offers. “It’s an item you’ll use for years to come. I’m still using the same one we bought when she was born,” says the principal designer at Essajees Atelier and co-founder of Jea Interiors.
Storage and accessibility were top priorities for another Mumbai-based designer. Sahiba Madan, principal architect and founder at Insitu by Kalakaarihaath, designed a nursery for her firstborn herself. “Babies’ requirements evolve so quickly that one can never really keep up. I wanted to develop more storage solutions that worked in the long term.”
The wall art designed by Sahiba Madan.
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Special arrangement
Functionality trumps aesthetics
This was a concern for Parmar, too. “It’s very likely that the room will require re-designing and upgrades as he outgrows some of the stuff.” In the last two years, they have already had to make changes to the nursery — a bigger bed, swapping the changing table for toys, books and running around.
Dual purpose furniture comes in handy here — like Sham’s recommendation of cribs that can be converted into beds as the baby grows. “Another product we’ve continued to use is a sofa bed with built-in storage that was originally in the nursery when our baby was small. It has since become a regular sofa in my child’s room,” she says.
Creating a safety net
Sham wouldn’t compromise on safety when building the nursery. “I wanted to ensure that the items my baby might need were accessible, but more importantly I wanted to keep potentially harmful objects out of reach. Especially avoiding sharp edges.”
Babyproofing can be done in the simplest of ways. “Wood flooring is a great choice for nurseries, as it’s softer and warmer than tile or stone. Adding a plush rug on top is essential, as both parents and kids spend a lot of time on the floor. A quality rug adds comfort and warmth to the space.”
Building a nursery is a fun activity for new parents — balancing functionality with aesthetics to create a space that is filled with love and care, regardless of fancy furniture and plush décor.
Evolving trends
No more ‘kiddy’ themes: Nursery design trends are moving away from overly ‘kiddy’ themes. “Parents are opting for a more contemporary, sophisticated approach, often drawing inspiration from nature and landscapes,” Sham says. She suggests choosing a single-color palette for the room, such as white with yellow, white with blue, or white with peach accents, rather than a mix of many colours. “This creates a clean, cohesive look that feels modern and soothing.”
Keep it personal: As dog parents, Madan chose warmer, earth-toned themes for the nursery of her baby boy. “I feel like when kids grow up around animals they develop a sense of empathy. The entire wallpaper has like different types of animals, almost like a deep forest scene. There are animals at different heights, so as he grows also, he discovers new things.”
Since babies spend so much time on their backs, adding a design element on the ceiling could make for a fun addition. Like Madan, who has brought such concepts to life, says, “We’ve put together an artwork that starts from the ceiling and comes down the wall. It looks straight out of a dream.”
The writer is a features journalist exploring culture, people, and urban life across Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Published – May 09, 2025 08:48 pm IST
