Healthy Nursery Design with Light and Color
LIGHT AND COLOR IN HEALTHY NURSERY DESIGN
The lighting in your nursery should be a prime consideration and if at all possible, choose a room that entertains an abundance of natural light and sunlight. Sunlight and natural light help the body to produce vitamin D necessary for healthy physical and emotional development . The ultraviolet light in sunlight induces conversion of the skins vitamin precursors such as ergostol, into vitamin D. Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphates in the body and recent research shows that it may also offer protection from cancer. Natural sunlight is also a key factor in synchronizing our daily biological clock. A lack of daylight produces chemical changes in the brain that researchers still don’t fully understand but is commonly known to cause depression. In addition there are visual benefits from natural light because eyes need ultraviolet rays to remain healthy and strong.
I remember classrooms in the school buildings of yesteryear, with windows that reached almost from ceiling to floor along one entire wall.
The choice of those windows was not just a design whimsy . The importance of natural light was understood. Today the effect of light is frequently overlooked, but when included in your nursery design, natural light and sunlight can greatly increase the well being of your baby.
Color also affects baby in important ways. In our nursery design, the wall color is the easiest thing to change and the most flexible. Keep baby in mind when choosing your colors and remember that babies are in the process of developing visual skills. Newborns are more easily aware of stark contrast . For this reason a black and white theme may be effective and helpful.
Perhaps white walls with black or mahogany furniture, black and white photographs, or black photo frames on white walls. Soft colors are helpful for infants since they soothe and don’t overstimulate. I would not recommend decorating a nursery in stark reds, or deep blues, no matter how much I may personally enjoy these colors. Perhaps that is why babies were traditionally dressed and furnished in pastel pink and blues. Possible alternatives to traditional blues and pinks would be soft greens, soft yellows, soft peach, turquoise pastels and so on.
If you crave a strong color as part of your design and feel you will simply not be happy without it, try it as an accent color. Perhaps a turquoise blue stripe as a benchrail design on one or two of your walls; or a colorful border along the top may satisfy your need for a splash of intense color without shocking your infant’s color cones!
Light and color tie together and complement each other. Therefore if your room has lots of natural sunlight and a southern exposure, you might want to choose “cool” colors like green or yellow for balance. On the other hand, if the room faces a northerly direction, warmer colors will tend to brighten and enliven your nursery.
When choosing the lighting and color for your nursery, remember to put baby’s needs first and to consider how important natural light is for health and well being while color may be chosen to support visual development.