Baby Room Wall Treatments
Turn a blank canvas into a colorful backdrop
Photo: E. Andrew McKinney
Yellow and white stripes below are separated from the stars and swirls above by a glued-on strip of ball fringe.
Paint
A fresh coat of paint in just the right shade can change a room's look overnight. While color is the main paint question parents ponder, there are important safety issues to consider, too. First, if your house was built before 1978, when lead-base paint was banned in this country, have the walls and trim checked for lead by a professional or by using a home test kit. Lead poisoning is a serious danger for adults, children, and even a fetus. If lead is detected, call the Lead Information Center and Clearinghouse at (800) 532-3394 for information on how to proceed.
Next, which finish and type of paint should you choose? Most parents select a water-base latex in a wipe-able eggshell finish for the walls, and a durable, easy-to-wash semigloss finish for the trim. Water-base paints are not only less smelly than their oil-base counterparts, they are also quick and easy to apply, and they dry faster.
Because of increased awareness about the harmful effects of solvents, more and more parents are choosing not only paints that are water-base latex (which have less solvent in them than oil-base formulations) but also those labeled "Low VOC" or "No VOC" (for volatile organic compounds). Most paint stores carry these health- and environment-friendly products in the same range of colors as regular paints. Whatever product you choose, paint the nursery at least a month before the baby is due, and allow plenty of ventilation during and after painting.
Decorative painting
A baby's room seems the perfect place for a mural or stencil treatment. An increasing number of professional muralists are offering their services; word of mouth is the best source, followed by references from baby-furnishings stores. College art students are a less expensive alternative. There are also paint-by-number mural transfer kits that give professional-looking results to the most amateur painter. Rubber stamps dipped in acrylic craft paints are perhaps the simplest and quickest way to give walls an individualized treatment.
One money-saving approach that will make changes easier down the road: Limit the mural to one wall, and paint the other walls in the background color or a complementary shade.
