When you’re prepping a nursery, it’s easy to get caught up in picking the right cot or the cutest wallpaper. But once that baby arrives, you’ll quickly realise that the windows are one of the most important parts of the room.
Between midday naps and the 5:00 AM summer sunrise, how you manage light and safety makes a massive difference to how much sleep everyone gets.
Total Blackout is Your Best Friend
Babies don’t have a concept of “sleep cycles” yet; they just react to light. If the sun is streaming in at 2:00 PM, good luck getting them down for that afternoon nap. You want a solution that blocks as much light as possible.
While some parents try to DIY this with cardboard or heavy blankets, a proper set of blockout blinds is much easier on the eye and more effective. If you’re looking at different window covering options, make sure ‘blockout’ is at the top of your list.
In Australia, we have strict standards for blind cords because they’re a major hazard for toddlers who start climbing.
Nurseries can get stuffy, or in a typical Aussie summer, incredibly hot.
Timber venetian blinds are a solid choice because you can tilt the slats to let air flow through while keeping the direct sun off the baby. Basswood is a classic, lightweight natural timber that looks great, but if you’re in a particularly humid area, a PVC version won’t warp over time.
Thermal fabrics are also worth a look. They help keep the heat out in January and the warmth in during July. It saves you a bit on the power bill and keeps the room at a steady temperature, which is much safer for a sleeping bub.
A lot of parents overlook venetians because they worry about a bit of light “leakage” through the slats. However, they offer a level of privacy you don’t get with rollers. You can have the slats angled so people walking past on the footpath can’t see in, but you still get enough natural light for a nappy change without waking the baby up fully.
If you’re worried about total darkness, you can always pair them with a simple set of blockout curtains. It gives the room a softer look and doubles down on the light control.
Getting the windows sorted early means one less thing to worry about when you’re operating on four hours of sleep.