Rock-a-bye baby

Whether you want the look of Baa Baa Black Sheep or Humpty Dumpty, creating a nursery for a newborn baby need not be expensive or difficult.

West Bay couple Judy Singh Hurlston and Eden Hurlston recently welcomed their first child, Liam, transforming their guest room into a nursery prior to his arrival.

“We knew we wanted to do something fun and since the baby was going to be a Leo (horoscope sign) we thought of a jungle theme,” says Judy.

“So we started looking at jungle animal decals, online, to decorate with and I thought it would be cool to paint a background for the animals. We sketched it out on the wall, picked paint colors and went for it.”

The result is a 360-degree depiction of jungle, beach and ocean scenes, with monkeys swinging from trees, dolphins jumping over white-crested waves, and lions overlooking their cartoon kingdom.

The Cherry Creek animal decals, which adorn all four walls of the room, were ordered through Amazon, after a lot of research by Judy, who was concerned about the effect of Cayman’s tropical climate on their longevity.
 

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“I made as informed a decision as I could about the quality and we’re thrilled with how nice they turned out to be, particularly considering how relatively inexpensive they were,” she says.

Painted on walls

The Hurlstons did most of the work themselves, with Eden designing and painting the waves, sand dunes and waterfall. The couple enlisted the help of artist and close friend Tansy Maki to paint the scene’s clouds.

The wall colors were matched to the jungle-themed linen set which adorns the crib, with the new parents choosing the Valspar Medallion paint line from A. L. Thompson’s, which is easy to clean, has low odor and low levels of volatile organic compounds.

Some items in the room were from The Baby Shoppe at Alissta Towers and Bedside Manor at Camana Bay, either purchased by the couple or gifted from generous friends and family.
As well as new items, the couple also made use of second-hand goods, purchasing their glider chair, foot stool and stroller through Ecay website.

“Ecay was an important part of our preparations because we know there are great deals on second-hand, quality items as people redecorate or leave the island,” says Judy, who also benefitted from hand-me-downs from family and friends.
 

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Hand-me-downs

“Second or third, or more, hand-me-down baby items are important because so many things are really only used for a short time and are still in excellent condition,” says Judy.

“I’m happy to know that my crib and change table are welcoming their fifth baby.”

Designing with decals gives the Hurlstons the freedom to change the room’s design as Liam gets older, without the guilt of painting over a piece of artwork.

“Realistically, we know Liam will eventually develop his own preferences and then we’ll make a change, but until then, we hope the design will entertain and inspire for a good few years,” says Judy.

The expanding family’s use of inexpensive yet innovative wall adornments, as well as using a mix of new items and hand-me-downs, shows that creating a fun, usable space for parents and baby need not be an expensive mission.
 

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Decorating with decals
 

  • Choose your desired designs from the numerous decal décor brands online or at an on-island home store.
  • Measure the space before purchasing to ensure your design idea will fit.
  • Hold or tape the decal against the wall to check the correct positioning, drawing a guideline against the paper mount if necessary.
  • Clean and dry the surface.
  • Remove adhesive covering and carefully stick the decal on your selected area.
  • Smooth the surface from the middle, outwards, to remove air bubbles or creases, and then remove paper backing.
  • Decals cost around US$10 to US$20 for four sheets measuring 10 x 18 inches.