Dear Debbie -- We are expecting our first baby in April. There is a big closet in what is now the baby's room and I'm wondering the best way to set it up. Right now it has the customary single rod and shelf above that. Also, what's a good colour to paint? We have opted not to know if it's a girl or a boy.
Thanks for your great decorating advice.
-- Olivia
DEAR Olivia -- Congratulations! This is an exciting time for you. And you will discover that you'll need every square inch of available space for storing all the paraphernalia that comes along with your new baby. I would begin by fitting out the closet with a combination of ready-made shelves with sides, and rods set at two different heights. Excellent storage solutions are available at home stores that will help you design the space. I removed the closet door in the nursery shown here to save on space. But also, baby clothes, toys and books are decorative and fun to display. The change table should be a good height for you, with all the diapers and creams easy to reach. Your baby will grow quickly and be sitting and crawling before you know it. Store baby-safe toys, books and blankets on low shelves, and choose soft baskets covered in bright fabrics that little fingers can pull out without harm.
Choose a colour that you love for this special room as you will be spending a lot of time here. You might want to add a chair rail about three feet above the floor, which will give you lots of options for colour and style. Yellow is a safe and sunny bet. To balance the wall, apply a darker shade to the lower section. Or paper the lower half with a whimsical motif, which is the view the baby will see when he or she is lying or sitting up on the nursery floor.
DEAR Debbie -- On one of your TV-show episodes you treated a bathroom window so that no one could see in or out. I like this idea much better than curtains or blinds. Can you explain the technique please? Also, sun hits the windows all afternoon so the finish would have to be able to stand up to the heat. Thank you.
-- Jan
DEAR Jan -- I used this technique in the bathroom of a condo that I renovated for resale for the episode called Condo Redo, part of the Debbie Travis Painted House series. The product is frosted glass spray, available in hardware and paint stores. To enhance the look, I started by cutting out tiny stars from a piece of Mactac and sticking them onto the clean window glass randomly. Hold the spray about 6 inches away from the glass and spray the area including the stars. Once dry, remove the stars carefully using a utility knife to loosen the points and edges.
If you are interested in creating privacy and blocking heat and harmful sun rays, then check out the newest window films that come in a variety of patterns and colours.
Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.
