Rock-a-royal baby style

Prince George will soon have to abdicate his nursery to make way for a brother or sister.
PA Photo/Mel YatesPA Photo/Mel Yates
PA Photo/Mel Yates

The new prince or princess will most likely take up residence in the young prince’s Beatrix Potter-themed room at Kensington Palace, and will also enjoy a brand new nursery, currently being completed at the Cambridge’s country home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

No expense will have been spared to make it royally spectacular, and Kate and William may soon also be thinking of creating a ‘big boy’s’ bedroom for toddler George.

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Of course, all parents, whatever their budget, lavish care on nurseries and children’s rooms.

Here’s how to give your own little one’s space the regal touch.

“It’s a room on which parents lavish a lot of thought and care, and second time around, if they want a decor change - perhaps because of a different sex sibling - are often more confident about opting for a specific style and bolder in their colour choices,” says Lucinda Croft, owner of Dragons of Walton Street, who created nurseries for Princes William and Harry and their cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie.

“A space which is functional but stylish is always the most successful, and after a first baby, people are aware of the must-haves and the pieces which took up space needlessly.

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“Warm cream, antique white and dove grey are still classic choices for walls, but there’s a growing enthusiasm for brighter colour. We’re seeing deeper blues, bright pinks, sharp, citrus yellows and vivid greens coming through this year. Wall murals, which are enjoying a huge revival, are becoming more dramatic in vivid, rich colours too.

“Since the London 2012 Olympics and Queen’s Jubilee, we’ve also seen an increasing demand for traditional icons of Britishness, from our design depicting Terry’s Soldiers, which resemble the red uniformed Guardsmen at Buckingham Palace, through to London landmarks.”

Unless you live in a royal residence, space is often at a premium in a nursery; a Laura Cot Bed, incorporating a storage unit with drawers, £599, Cuckooland, is a clever solution. Simultaneous nursing and rocking soothes both baby and parent, and a Mo-Ma Glider nursing chair, £975, Olli Ella, could be a perfect gift from doting grandparents. A night nursery needs a soft light, and a rabbit Miffy Light, £114, Maiden, is sweet as well as practical.

When a little one moves out of the nursery to make way for a new baby, he needs to be given his own little kingdom, reflecting his personality.

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“Be inspired by your toddler’s favourite books or TV programmes to help you decide on a scheme, which will also help your child feel involved in the choice,” says Toks Aruoture, designer and founder of online nursery specialists, The Baby Cot Shop.

“A simple rule to follow is ‘less is more’. Children love colour, but an excessive amount of bright colours can over-stimulate, so reserve those for a playroom. Grey is ultra-fashionable and can be paired with reds, yellows or oranges for an adventurous scheme, or consider on-trend geometric prints, which would work well picked out on rugs, bed fabrics and pictures.”

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