Best Nursery Window Treatments for Style & Safety

Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash

With a baby on the way, most parents-to-be go into nesting mode, putting together the perfect nursery for their little one. A nursery often evokes images of subdued colors, soft textures, and warm, diffused lighting—a soothing place for baby. But in reality, life with a newborn isn’t quite as peaceful as we idealize. As you create a safe, calming, and functional room for your child, it’s wise to consider design elements that support your goals for the space. Our window treatment design team at Bloomin’ Blinds has some guidance to help you choose the best window treatments for a nursery.

Blackout Shades Promote Better Sleep

Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash

At first blush, blackout shades or curtains may not sound like they have a place in the soft, soothing nursery you’ve envisioned. However, since infants sleep so many hours of the day, blocking out the bright sunlight can help your little one rest peacefully. Blackout window treatments don’t have to be black, either, so you can still coordinate the window treatments with the rest of the design scheme.

Here are some ideas for nursery window treatments that block out light:

Roller shades

With one solid sheet of textile, roller shades provide superior light control and blocking. Thanks to minimal bulk, roller shades also pair well with curtains for even more versatility.

Seamless roman shades

For a classic, elegant nursery,seamless roman shades come in a range of fabrics that deliver complete light control.

Honeycomb or cellular shades

Cellular shades come in a variety of colors and fabrics, and offer insulating properties as well as optimal light control.

Curtains

Especially when paired with shades or blinds, curtains can add the blackout element or the softer light-filtering option for maximum light control.

If you have your heart set on something like blinds, where light may still be able to peek through, there are a number of ways to increase darkness. As we mentioned, pairing a window covering like blinds or shades with curtains can offer more control. Some blinds can also be customized with fabric strips along the laddering to cover the holes where light gets in.

Baby Safety & Window Treatments

When it comes to keeping your little one safe around windows, whether they are brand new or can toddle around on their own, it’s best to go cordless. To make it easier for parents, the window covering industry offers a third-party safety certification called Best for Kids™. Window coverings with this label meet a number of lab-tested safety criteria and are cord-free. Our consultants at Bloomin’ Blinds can help point you toward these options and other cordless styles—including motorized blinds and shades.

Aside from going cordless, most experts recommend keeping curtains shorter in length so children don’t become tangled in them or pull them down once they start standing and walking. For this same reason, place cribs and changing tables away from windows when possible. It’s also a smart safety decision to have window coverings installed by a professional using proper mounting hardware, since tension rods can be pulled down by curious and adventurous youngsters.

Are Curtains Safe in a Nursery? 

When it comes to hanging curtains with infants or toddlers, the two main dangers to watch for are are cords and floor-length drapes. Cords are obviously a strangulation hazard and should be avoided. Floor-length curtains or drapes can also be dangerous if a child trips, gets trapped in them, or pulls them off the wall. For these reasons, many people prefer valences, cordless options, or shades for their nursery. 

Coordinating Window Treatments with Nursery Décor

Along with function and safety, expecting parents should consider the color and texture palette of the room when deciding on window treatments. This often comes naturally—after all, the vision of a perfect nursery usually has more to do with aesthetics than cords versus cordless.

Neutral colors are always a good place to start, since they can grow with the room as your child gets older and the space is redecorated. Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring, though. Shades and curtains are available in such a wide variety of materials that even cream or beige gains some visual interest from different textures.

Curtains or sheer panels offer not only additional functional versatility but also more options for coordination. Select a long-term base window covering, such as a roller or cellular shade, then add curtains in a color or pattern that matches the palette of the room.

As you get your home ready for a new baby, reach out to Bloomin' Blinds for a free virtual or in-home consultation on custom window treatments for the nursery.