Vintage 1950s nursery tips: How to make the room practical & colorful
Article from The Times (Munster, Indiana) May 1, 1955
The matter at hand: how to decorate a nursery.
“All right,” interior decorator Sidney Liberman said. “Let’s start out with this premise. The baby is going to grow. And if the room doesn’t grow with him, it’s going to cost more money and more time later. So we’re going to decorate the nursery in its most flexible manner.”
Color in the baby’s nursery
The old coupling of blue for boys and pink for girls is silly. Choose the colors that are the easiest to live with, and the easiest colors are the simple tones.
For wall coverings, the Libermans use washable paints of the late variety because children soon learn how to smudge and crayon.
Wall decor for the baby’s room
On a simple, washable color, the decorations are hung. Nursery story pictures, maps, posters, and even advertisements and illustrations are fine. They can be changed from time to time to give variety to a familiar setting.
Look up to the ceiling
This is where the Liberman creativity begins to gallop. The ceilings in many of the nurseries they have designed are papered. The Libermans use tea box paper, marbelized paper, paper with photographic effects, and even texture.
Vintage baby nursery furniture
Besides the crib, there should be at least one piece of adult furniture. The Libermans recommend a convertible loveseat or sofa like Turn-a-Bed.
It gives visitors a place to sit. It gives the child a feeling for the adult world into which he will grow. And it makes extra sleeping space for a nurse or mother.
The upholstery should be finished with a silicone treatment to resist spots and stains.
In addition, there can be long, low shelves with adjustable pegs for toy storage and later on for books. There can also be a coffee table covered in some wear-resistant tile like rubber.
The only piece of children’s furniture should be chairs. These, along with the crib, are the only items that need be discarded later.
Retro tips for storage space
Everything should be put into the closet. Clothing rods can be moved higher as the child grows. Drawers ‘should be built into the closet to leave the nursery clear and uncluttered.
If it’s {impossible to get the drawers into the closet, the Libermans suggest either an old “lowboy” or a new, unpainted chest of drawers. Suggestion: It can very profitably be covered with a vinyl-coated paper like Con-Tact.
What to use on the nursery floor
Stay away from rugs. They can be dangerous to an adult carrying a squirming infant.
The Liberman idea: vinyl tile or rubber, cork or linoleum covering that is resilient, scarproof and easily cleaned. Sometimes, even a spatter-painted hardwood floor makes a fine finish.
Vintage baby nursery window decor
Drapes gather dust, and so do Venetian blinds. For the nursery, the Libermans often use old-fashioned window shades which they spray-paint in matching color and flat-paint with a decorative border.
Bunny Suite baby nursery furniture & decor, including custom handles (1955)
Sweet vintage Mother Goose crib & more nursery decor from 1955
The Thayer “Mother Goose” crib is a wonderful new model, with exclusive Snap-Fast hardware.
Mother can assemble it in minutes, with no tools! Double drop sides, moving on chrome-plated rods with bar toe treadle… In maple, wax or honey birch, or white, gray or frosted gray enamel.
Adorable vintage crib and baby bedroom furniture
New custom-designed Thayer “Pippin” crib, priced for a limited time only at $43.95.
For babies: Crib mobile, Fast-fold playpen, Walka-Bouncer, Baby Haven table, Chrome hi-chair, Travel-easy car bed, Jolly Jitney folding coach, Gate front folding stroller
DON’T MISS: See how moms used weird baby window cages & other ‘interesting’ child containment devices way back when
Vintage 50s nursery furniture with little ducklings (1955)
The beautiful Thayer “Duckling” crib
Million dollar baby sale (1953)
Save, mothers and mothers-to-be. Save while the saving’s good!
MORE: Vintage 50s maternity fashion: Classic fashions for pregnant women
Retro 1950s layette and nursery decor in blue
Poem: Is there a baby in the house? (1953)
Look there,
there by the door,
there where a shoe and a crumpled sock, and a bright
red block, and a short fat elephant clutter the floor,
and the signs are clear…
A baby is near.
Look there,
there by the stair,
by the cellar stair to the washing machine, there’s a
stack of diapers that ought to be clean and a clutter
of strange looking things to wear,
and the signs are clear…
A baby lives here.
Look there,
there by the table,
there where the milk drips down in a puddle, and fruit
and cereal mix in a muddle, and a soiled bib swings from
a silver cable,
all signs that are clear…
A baby eats here.
Look there,
there in the bed,
there where a red-faced cherub lies, thumb in his mouth,
and tight-shut eyes, and his bottom higher than his head.
Quiet, quiet, it’s perfectly clear…
A baby sleeps here.
Look there,
look in the eyes,
and look in the hearts
of those who watch while a baby sleeps,
who will come at a call if he wakes and weeps,
who forget the diapers and broken toys,
who remember the tears and fears and joys
and the catch in the throat, and the hearts clutch
when small hands fumble, and reach, and touch —
Yes, look in their hearts, and the signs are clear…
A baby lives here.
Dedicated to mothers and fathers of America by Johnson & Johnson – makers of Johnson’s Baby Powder, Baby Oil, Baby Lotion, Baby Cream, Baby Soap and Cotton Buds.
NOW SEE THIS: Vintage baby gear from the 1950s: Playpens, strollers & more
