As someone who offers newborn photography in Fort Lauderdale I can tell you I see a lot of baby cribs! From elegant Victorian style to mid century modern and everything in between. I know when designing your own nursery it can be overwhelming picking out the right crib. The crib really sets the tone and is a statement item in Fort Lauderdale nurseries. Plus your newborn photography will probably feature baby in the crib, so you really want to get it right!
Picking out a crib is like picking out your wedding dress! It’s the statement piece in the room and sets the tone for the rest of the decor. Just like you wouldn’t wear a ball gown to a beach wedding you wouldn’t put an ornate crib in a mid century modern style nursery. So start with the crib!
Nursery Crib Style
Some people just know exactly what style crib they want. For me it was a white Jenny Lind style for Grace’s nursery. I’m pretty sure I had a brown Jenny Lind bed or crib as a kid so it was a style I loved and I definitely wanted white. If you don’t know exactly what style crib you are wanting take a look around the rest of your home. What is your decor and furniture style?
As I mentioned above if you house is mid century modern then you might look for a crib in that style to coordinate with the rest of the house. You could also already have a theme in mind for the nursery so that could dictate what kind of crib to purchase. For example maybe you are going with a farmhouse style then a shiplap crib would work perfectly! Here are a few styles I’ve run across over the years that might inspire you! Farmhouse, Ornate, Mid Century Modern, Feminine, Rustic and of course Traditional.
Nursery Crib Finish & Color
In the past you only had white or brown wood as your crib color options. Those are still the most popular but now you can find bright bold colors and metal finishes too. I love the cribs that mix white and wood together! This gives you even more ways to add visual interest in the nursery and really show off your style. I don’t tend to see bold painted cribs in my clients nurseries but I almost went with a gold finished crib for Grace’s room!
Nursery Crib Bedding
“AAP recommends all babies sleep on their back, on a flat, firm, separate sleep surface such as a bassinet, play yard or crib, and to keep the baby’s sleep space free of blankets, bumpers, toys or other objects.” – American Academy of Pediatrics
Now that we’ve covered the AAP recommendations lets talk about picking out crib bedding. When it comes to pretty photos in your nursery you will want a crib sheet on the bed and a blanket or quilt hanging over the rail. I definitely prefer no bumpers in the crib because they actually tend to block the light from hitting baby’s face when I photograph them in the crib.
Crib Sheets
If you created an accent wall behind the nursery crib with wallpaper then I definitely recommend going with a solid color sheet. Pick a color from the wallpaper and get a crib sheet in that color! You can go with something subtle like a light pink or go bold with a teal like my client did below.
White is of course always a solid choice and goes with everything. If you do go with white and your mattress has a pattern on it be sure to use a mattress pad so we don’t see the pattern through the sheet. (I saw the funniest story one time where a mom thought there was a ghost in her baby’s crib on the nighttime monitor, turns out it was just the photo of the baby on the mattress that you could see through the crib sheet ????)
If your crib wall is more neutral then I personally love sheets with something printed on them that ties into the nursery theme. For example one of my clients had a Kate Spade theme and her crib sheet had beautiful black bows on it. I had a swam theme for Grace’s room so she had a swan crib sheet. Sheets with printed words is also super cute!
Quilt or Blanket
Most new parents find themself drowning in baby blankets, it’s a gift everyone loves to give! I think it’s because they are so soft we wish they had them in normal bedding sizes. You also might have something handmade or passed down that you want to feature.
Typically I will hang the quilt or blanket on the nursery crib as part of the décor of the room. This isn’t completely necessary so if you don’t have one don’t stress about it. If you have multiple blankets I recommend choosing 1 for the crib and you can even put 1 on the chair.
I made all my kids quilts while I was pregnant with them so for me it was something special to feature in the nursery. My middle kiddo Rob still sleeps with his quilt and he’s almost 8, that thing is so faded and threadbare ????!
Newborn Photography Fort Lauderdale
Hi there and thank you for stopping by! I’m Melissa, owner of Melissa Arlena Photography, a Fort Lauderdale newborn photographer specializing in young and growing families in South Florida. I hope you enjoyed the feature on my favorite cribs I shared today and if you are interested in talking with me more about your own lifestyle newborn session, let’s connect. Not quite ready, but know you want to keep me in your back pocket? No problem! Follow me on Instagram and let’s be friends!
