NEWS COPY
Parents will spend more than £5,300 decorating their child’s nursery and bedroom - before they turn 10.
A study of 2,000 mums and dads found six in 10 made sure their new son or daughter’s room was ready for them before the birth, spending around £853 on new furniture, décor and soft furnishings.
With parents redecorating their children’s rooms at least once every two years - parting with £900 each time - a further £4,500 will be splashed out before their 10th birthday.
But while 42 per cent admitted to spending too much money on their child’s nursery, 37 per cent don’t mind how much it costs, as long as their bundle of joy is happy in it.
More than half of dads (54 per cent), polled by Next Home, thought they spent too much time and money on decorating the nursery - compared to just 35 per cent of mums.
And 68 per cent of parents agreed that the design and décor of a nursery is important, spending an average of 20 hours to make sure everything is just so.
It also emerged more parents now choose neutrals or bright colours such as grey or yellow (57 per cent), while just 36 per cent opted for the 'traditional' pink for a girl and blue for a boy.
A spokesman for Next Home said: “It’s a special time for parents planning and preparing the nursery, thinking about the aesthetics and the practicality of the room.
"There is so much inspiration and help around choosing the colour scheme and buying furniture and accessories to create the perfect calm, safe space for the baby.
"Parents also want to put time and thought into how the space can grow and evolve, from baby to child and onward.”
The study also found the furniture was given the most thought, with 28 per cent saying this took the longest to decide on when planning their baby’s nursery.
This was followed by the colour scheme (26 per cent), the layout of the room (17 per cent) and the theme (17 per cent).
Animals is the most popular theme choice for baby bedrooms, followed by jungles or forests, princesses, superheroes and unicorns.
It also emerged more than a third bought all-new items for their baby’s nursery and 37 per cent bought a few second-hand items while 25 per cent reckon they bought more second hand than they did new.
Older parents who are now aged over 55 were more likely to hit the shops, with 57 per cent buying everything new.
The cot is considered the most important item to get right in the nursery - although 40 per cent didn’t agree - followed by cupboards and storage, the baby monitor and the wallpaper.
As a result, more than one in five wish they spent more money than they did on the cot, while around a fifth said the same about the wardrobe.
Others wish they splashed out more on a baby monitor (24 per cent), baby bouncer (26 per cent) or the wallpaper (20 per cent).
But 21 per think they spent too much money on the cot mobile while almost a fifth think they paid too much for a changing table.
When it comes to the inspiration for their baby’s nursery, almost three in 10 turned to magazines or Pinterest, while more than a quarter took ideas from friends’ or relatives’ homes.
Those finished rooms are then shared on social media with the average parent, polled via OnePoll, posting three photos on Facebook or Instagram to show off their efforts.
Full results available at: https://www.next.co.uk/homeware/nursery-decor-survey-results
Top 10 child’s room themes
1. Animal
2. Jungle/Forest
3. Princess
4. Superhero
5. Unicorn
6. Space
7. Dinosaur
8. Aquatic
9. Sports
10. TV show/ film
Top 10 most important items when decorating a nursery
1. Cot/Bed
2. Cupboard/Storage
3. Baby monitor
4. Wallpaper/Wall art
5. Lighting
6. Changing table
7. Nursing chair
8. Toybox
9. Cot mobile
10. Nappy/Laundry bin
ENDS
