DIY advice needed please and Nursery pics :)

[Happybunny]

Hello

My hubby and I are absolutely useless at DIY. We always get someone in to do it for us, but we decided to have a crack at the nursery ourselves, so it is a labour of love. But we don't have a clue where to start!!!

There is wall paper on the wall currently. If we wanted to have painted walls do we have to strip the paper off? or can we paint over? If we strip it, do we have to do anything to the wall before we paint?

We may have wallpaper yet...still deciding, if we do, do we definately have to remove the old stuff first?

The ceiling is artexed , but we will have to get a plasterer to skim that, it would be too tricky for us.

I would love any advice and /or any pics of your own nurseries for some inspiration
Thanks
M
xxxx

 

[Tangerinedream]

I would strip the walls, fill in any holes then sand the filler down, wash the walls in sugar soap , leae to dry, then do your painting. I dont do wall parering tho do cant help there sorry.

we havnt started our nursery yet its being used as the 'study' at the mo

 

[Babylicious]

definately strip the walls, get it skimmed if the walls are bad too

 

[Sherlock]

Wallpaper will need removing. Either the hard way, by soaking it and scraping it off, or by hiring a machine to lift it off. TBH, soaking it well enough and scraping is decent if its not a big room.

People used to repaper over old wallpaper, but I don't know they do that so much now. Better to remove it and have a clean, smooth surface to work on. Wallpapering takes a bit of getting used to also. Its often not an easy process and can be frustrating to hang.

TBH, I'd go with painting the walls. Much easier to clean, with wipe down paint and you can always add colour and pictures with curtains, pics etc. Also if a child draws on the walls (the kids I look after, the youngest went through a phase, drew on walls, sofa... ) you can easily touch the paintwork up but harder to remove off wallpaper.

And kiddies tastes change as they grow, so you want a simple base colour to work from and can expand or alter easily as they grow up. If you put Thomas the Tank Engine paper on the walls say and at 3 years your little one says he only like Spiderman.... But if you have painted walls with pics or posters etc, you can at least change those without need to expend too much energy or cash.

What can I say, I don't wallpaper. Ever

And colour wise, if you want to do the pink or blue thing, if you know what you are having then . Bear in mind blue is a considered a 'cold' colour and you will need to add warmth with other colours, or use less of the blue and go for a pale creamy wall colour for example. Strange but a blue painted bedroom can actually feel cold to sit in, but a pink room won't. If not, then stick to a neutral warm looking colour. You can get some lovely creamy biscuit colours now or soft warm greens, that you can jazz up with bright colours elsewhere. To make it funky looking.

I love colour co-ordinating and am one of those who uses colour a lot. My sitting room is a bright mustard colour on the walls, with a royal blue sofa and gold coloured arm chair and dark ochre curtains with gold elephants on. It sounds shocking maybe but looks stunning. My bedroom used to be painted aubergine with gold woodwork It was so snuggly and gorgeous to sleep in but my mother said it looked like a bordello Baby's colours will be neutral walls with colour added elsewhere. Bright fun ones but within reason and keeping it a warm feeling room

 

[emma28]

I just painted over the wallpaper that was already up when we moved into this house but we were on a shoestring budget. It looks fine though and before long your LO will have drawn all over it and stuck posters on the rest. Also we live in an old farm house and kinda think the wallpaper might be holding the walls up

I'm all for the quick fix...but we rent, maybe I'd be better if the house were actually my own

Here's our nursery anyway...I think it looks ok. The other walls are a biscuit colour.

 

[Happybunny]

aww thanks for the tips! I love your nursery too Emma, it is really sweet.

We aren't going to find out the sex, but I was thinking painting might be the best option, because, as you say, it is easily retouched and is less hassle when the child grows older...accessories etc are easier to change.

We were thinking of very neutral colours and adding some colour with the textiles we choose.

It is all so very exciting!!!

I need more nursery pics though I love looking at what other people have done!!

 

[Tangerinedream]

this is our current set up in our bedroom at the moment (well the pic was taken before Jake was born)

 

[MakkaP]

Hehe Natalie, we've got those Ikea pic's in Reece's room too!