| THE arrival of a new baby is an exciting time in any parent's life. >> Wall decorations STICK-ON wall designs are growing in popularity as a means to individualise a child's room without the labour of repainting. Businesses such as The Wall Sticker Company offer parents easy-to-adhere and remove fabric designs, from trees (pictured above) and animals to polka dots, love hearts and footballs. "With a good deal of our designs, we try to concentrate on them growing with the child," owner Fiona Gathercole said. The new national law requires curtain cords to be no less than 1600mm from the ground, to prevent young children from reaching and becoming entangled in the cords. "If (curtain) cords have to be lower than the restricted height, we can put a child safety device on it to prevent the cord from making a loop bigger than 120mm. "Try to choose something that could work as the child gets a little older. "If you don't wish to go with paint there are several amazing wallpapers available today. " Mr Thomas said wooden shutters were popular, providing the selection of filtered, full or no light, while remaining simple to clean. Consumer Affairs Victoria offers information on nursery safety. " Ms Gathercole said the company's 160-plus nursery and children's room designs included sticker wallpaper, that may cover a whole wall or just a panel. >> Colour schemes THE idea of blue for boys and pink for girls when decorating a bedroom has long been thrown out the window, with many parents now opting for a range of unisex colours. "Ability to block out light and sound is very important for a nursery," Mr Thomas said. Snooze national product manager Adrian Galiazzo said combining key pieces of furniture with a few bold bedroom accessories was an easy way to refresh a child's room. "Children's interests grow and change almost as quickly as they do, so to keep them interested for longer and encourage them to take pride in their own space it's essential to provide regular, small updates," Mr Galiazzo said. Or, for the more adventurous, a bold and lively room can be achieved through bright blues, greens, yellow and orange and can be mixed with wall decorations to add a bit more zing. "You can start out with something quite simple like polka dots and, if you have a girl, add fairies later - the designs are made to complement each other. >> Furniture THERE are many choices when picking the right cot, bed, change table and other items for your child's room and what style you go with really comes going down to a matter of taste. gov. Ms Valente said pale green or yellow provided a base colour that parents could then add to once their baby arrived. >> Window covers THE Australian Government introduced mandatory standards for internal blinds, curtains and corded internal window coverings in 2010. At least 15 young children have died as a result of strangling themselves in looped curtain and blind cords since the early 1990s, including two in Victoria in August and September 2009. The Blind Factory director Brett Thomas said his company offered advice on the right type and height of window covers to suit children. " . |
Thursday 8 March 2012
Room to have a play
